A Conversation with Mike Nieuwstraten aka Baardei, BAPE Collector

Is there a specific BAPE item you sought after for a long time, or is there an item that will ultimately make your collection feel more “complete?” 

The handprints have always been one of my favorite pieces, and actually got me into screen printing myself. In the early 2000s, Nigo did quite a few handprint designs, which gave him much more artistic freedom. For instance, some of the designs would be printed on the inside, but he would also print two designs on top of each other.

Nigo printed 4 designs by hand for the Japanese magazine Asayan, and one of them was a collaboration with the Japanese brand NGAP. It has a huge NGAP paint can printed on it, and has sorta been my unicorn after all these years. Again, a friend in Malaysia alerted me of one available there, but I was never able to find it.

For someone unfamiliar with BAPE, what makes items from the brand worth collecting? What attracts you to BAPE compared to other streetwear and collectible brands? 

Since 1993, they’ve done so many collabs, so I think there’s something for everyone in there. It goes from furniture, to watches, scooters, games, electronics, movies, tv shows— there’s pretty much nothing they haven’t done a collaboration with. It’s always fun to start finding the pieces you yourself have a connection with, from Planet of the Apes, to Scarface or Star Wars, but also with brands like Pepsi or artists like Kaws or Futura. There’s something for everyone in there. 

What makes a BAPE piece iconic or collectible, and do you have any advice to new collectors?

Something I wish Bape did a little more often nowadays  is collaborating with artists. In the past, especially around the early / mid 2000’s they did a lot of collaborations with renowned artists, like Kaws, Sue Kwon, Stash and Soroyama. For me that gives them an edge and makes something more collectible or iconic. Collaborations with Skatething, Futura, Stash and Cornelius had an amazing influence on the beginning of the brand. 

For the new collectors, I always advise to go straight to the source. Get on sites like Yahoo Japan, Mercari, Rakuten and Fril. Just start with searching “Bape” or “Bathing Ape” and go from there. Japanese sellers will often put items in the wrong categories, or list something with just “エイプ” (ape) for instance, so searching in the native language will sometimes give you pieces your fellow collectors wouldn’t spot. 

What makes founder Nigo such a genius? Have you ever met him? 

Something he did really well, and they don’t call him the General for nothing, is finding the right people at the right time, and getting them involved. The list goes on and on in the history of the brand. Those initial days were such a great time for these Harajuku brands, you can see them bouncing off each other and taking inspiration and collaborating. Brands like Neighborhood, Undercover, Bounty hunter, WTAPS to name a few. 

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to meet him yet, I was close a few times when he was visiting Oallery store in Amsterdam, but both times unfortunately I couldn’t make it. I absolutely would love to pick his brain some day.