Brooklyn shop Art of Play says Molly is now on sale for $15 million

Key Points:

• A Brooklyn novelty shop, Art of Play, initially stated that Molly, a mechanical bird and its unofficial mascot, was not for sale after singer Kelly Clarkson's visit, but later listed Molly for sale at $15 million.
• Clarkson shared on social media that she felt mistreated when she inquired about purchasing Molly, alleging she was shooed away and told the bird cost $15,000, while the store said Molly was permanently affixed and unavailable for purchase.
• Art of Play clarified that while Molly itself was not for sale, a similar automaton by artist Bliss Kolb could be purchased for $15,000, and they offered Clarkson a $2,000 alternative, which she declined to view.
• The incident sparked significant attention, including accusations of racial profiling against the store, and led shop co-owner Adam Rubin to hold a news conference describing the situation as a misunderstanding and criticizing Clarkson for the negative fallout.
• Rubin expressed concern about threats and harassment directed at the store and its community following the incident, stating the media attention and social media backlash have endangered the shop and disrupted normal business.