Tiny Astor Place Cube is the $30,000 gift of the season

For those who have more money than sense, the perfect gift for the New Yorker in your life is out there, and it’s a mini recreation of the Astor Place Cube. The small moveable sculpture was created by artist Tony Rosenthal himself in 2007, and is now up for grabs via an eBay auction. The cost through Buy It Now? Just $30,000, although negotiable (h/t Bedford & Bowery).

Joseph K Levene Fine Art, Ltd. via Bedford & Bowery

The 21-inch sculpture is made of aluminum and finished in black enamel. It weighs 30 pounds, and will probably become Aby Rosen’s most unused paper weight. But in the meantime, the small moveable sculpture is available through art dealer Joseph K. Levene, who believes the item is one of no more than ten miniatures made by Rosenthal.

The cube isn’t an exact replica of the Alamo sculpture at Astor Place. It, and its fellow miniatures, have been slightly tweaked from the original design by Rosenthal (because how boring is it to make the same thing over and over again?) Bedford & Bowery points out that Rosenthal made a golden miniature in 1968, and at one point, a brass miniature that former Mayor Bloomberg gifted to deputy mayor Patricia E. Harris.

For the absolute Astor Place obsessive, Levene is also selling miniature Jeff Koons sculptures.

• This Tiny, Adorable Astor Place Cube Can Be Yours For a Mere $30,000 [B&B]
• In photos: The Astor Place Cube as it’s returned to the East Village [Curbed]