Snapchat Spectacles NYC: Price Doesn't Deter Fans Waiting Hours In Line

An all-seeing eye has suddenly appeared over New York City, but this is no sci-fi flick. It’s simply the storefront to Snapchat’s new pop-up location where the company is selling its Spectacles.

Located near Central Park at 5 East 59th Street in midtown Manhattan, the Snapchat pop-up shop stares directly at the iconic Apple Store on 5th Avenue. But other than its bright yellow exterior and ominous eye that makes the building look like a rectangular Minion, there isn’t a whole lot to see. Inside the store is a single vending machine that distributes the Spectacles, along with some rotating TV screens on the wall for good measure.

The sunglasses with a built-in camera have previously been made available in California and Oklahoma, but Monday marked the first launch for the product on the east coast. The anticipation among New Yorkers was evident, as some prospective Spectacle purchasers were waiting in line before the store opened at 7 a.m.

Reports on Twitter indicated the line outside the Snapchat store wrapped around the block, and some had to wait an upwards of three hours for the opportunity to pony up $129.95 for the camera-equipped glasses.

Mike Castillo, a student in New York, told IBTimes he arrived at the Snapchat store at 7:17 a.m. and waited for about two hours for his Spectacles. He said he spotted the countdown for the store opening while doing some class work and jumped at the opportunity.

Castillo said that customers are limited to purchasing two pairs of Spectacles from the vending machine. He told IBTimes he hasn’t tried Snapchat Spectacles yet, and it appears that he won’t: he’s already placed the two Spectacles he bought for sale on eBay with a starting bid of $550.

Even with the insight of those who braved the line, and plenty of footage from inside the store, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding Snapchat’s pop-up shop. It’s unclear exactly how many Spectacles are made available each day; the availability is limited and the line was cut off at about 9:40 a.m. IBTimes has reached out to Snap, Inc. for additional information, but the company has not replied.

For those who were sent home without a pair of Spectacles—and those who didn’t even know they could buy them—there will be plenty more opportunities to snag the device. The Snapchat store in New York City will be open until Christmas, though it will remain closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Expect to see plenty of people rocking oversized sunglasses around New York City very soon.