Shop adds context to whether the model bird Kelly Clarkson tried to buy was really for sale

Kelly Clarkson is feuding with a curiosity shop in Brooklyn over a mechanical bird called Molly, and the internet is hooked. For context: Kelly Clarkson slammed the shop Art of Play on her socials. She claimed the shop wouldn’t sell her an expensive animatronic bird, and compared the experience to Pretty Woman. Art of Play responded that the bird wasn’t for sale. Others have claimed there is a label by the bird. The plot thickens.

So, is the mechanical bird Molly, who Kelly Clarkson and Art of Play are beefing over, actually for sale? Here’s all the evidence we’ve gathered.

Art of Play said Kelly Clarkson couldn’t buy that exact bird

So, the bird at the centre of the beef is “Singing Bird on Wall” by Bliss Kolb. A mechanism moves the bird in seven different ways, and blows airs through a whistle to imitate birdsong. Kelly Clarkson attempted to purchase it in Art of Play, whose website describes it as “one of the most beautiful shops in New York City” that sells “magical home goods, puzzles, games, toys and books”. 

Art of Play employees detailed their side of the story on Instagram. A statement said: “During the five minutes she spent in the store, she inquired about our mechanical bird puppet named Molly … Molly is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a de facto mascot for our shop.”

Wait, was there a price tag by the bird in the shop?

Kelly Clarkson disputed this. On her Instagram story, she recalled “pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird”. She also reposted an image which seemed to show Molly and a $15,000 price tag.

(Images via @kellyclarkson / Instagram)

However, a bit of digging reveals that Kelly Clarkson didn’t take that photo. She got the picture from an X post, who appears to have found the photo from a Google Review that somebody called Brett Kuehner wrote over a year ago. That photo might not represent exactly how the bird is displayed now.

Some social media users have suggested the label was a kind of joke. Alternatively, perhaps the label was meant to show that people could commission the artist to make a mechanical bird for $15,000, not that this precise item could be bought in-store for that amount.

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Art of Play posted about Molly the Bird in September

A post from 5th September is now pinned to the top of Art of Play’s Instagram. The carousel is entitled “Our favourite items not for sale”. The first picture does appear to be of Molly the mechanical bird. Although, the post then described feelings, not items. So, it’s not necessarily clear from this post alone whether Molly was for sale then.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Art of Play (@artofplay)

You can order the same model bird

Art of Play claims an employee told Kelly Clarkson: “A nearly identical automaton is owned by the creator of the machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb, who lives in Seattle. He told us he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000.”

Molly in Art of Play seems to be “Singing Bird on Wall”. You can view the model (and other wooden crank-operated automata) on Bliss Kolb’s website. Apparently, “depending on current schedule, these pieces may be available made individually to order. Prices range from $4,000 to $12,000.” So, somebody may be able to buy their own “Singing Bird on Wall”.

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Featured image of Kelly Clarkson on The Voice via NBC. Featured image of the bird via YouTube / Bliss Kolb