My office setup is now one step closer to completion with the addition of the Milton red Swingline stapler.

Fun trivia fact: the red stapler from Office Space was never sold in stores when the movie came out. The prop department took a standard Swingline 646 and had it custom painted bright red for the film. Swingline did not actually make a red stapler at the time, and the filmmakers wanted it to stand out as Milton's prized possession.

The movie version has some key differences from the retail ones you can buy today. In the film, the word Swingline is printed on the side of the stapler instead of the top. The base is painted red to match the body, while the modern ones have a black base. The curves of the casing are also slightly different because the 646 model is not the same shape as the newer 747 model.

I tried to find an exact match online, but no luck. This is the closest I could get. The red 747 model that Swingline started selling in 2002 was made in response to the film's cult following, but it has never been an exact replica of the movie prop. Collectors sometimes repaint older models to match the film version, but an official screen-accurate one has never been released.

For extra trivia, the popularity of the red stapler actually boosted Swingline's sales for years after the movie's release. It is one of those rare cases where a throwaway set detail turned into a pop culture icon, right up there with Wilson the volleyball or the DeLorean.

LLAP
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P.S. I still want a DeLorean. I wouldn't drive it around at all because I hear they're horrible rides. But I would just have it all geeked out Back to the Future style and park it in my driveway from time to time. Get it? See what I did there?