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More ridiculously expensive and over-the-top iPhone cases at CES

A $750 Swarovski crystal-studded iPhone case from Lucien, left, and a $300 Japanese wood and gold-plated case from Patchworks are displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show.
(Andrea Chang / Los Angeles Times)
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LAS VEGAS -- CES brings about countless TVs, tablets, smartphones and video game consoles. But perhaps the most overrepresented product at the massive trade show is the iPhone case, with rows and rows of booths devoted to that little ubiquitous rectangle.

My colleague Sal Rodriguez told you about a $650 crocodile-skin iPhone case. Here are a few others we saw that were over the top:

FULL COVERAGE: CES 2013

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First, there was the $750 Lucien case made out of “aerospace-grade platinum” and studded with Swarovski crystals. A rep told me the crystals were embedded onto the case using a method that involved no glue. It’s a slide case, meaning the bumper and backing are separate pieces, and it’s available in silver-plated or gold-plated. Balking at the high price tag? Don’t worry, you’ll get a lifetime warranty on those crystals in case any of them crack. Because that clearly makes it worth it.

Next to the Lucien case, the Japanese wood and 24k-gold-plated cases from Patchworks seem like a bargain at just $300 (did we mention the iPhone itself can cost less than that?). A sales rep said the South Korean company sells large quantities of the cases at casinos in Macao and once made a custom, pure gold iPhone 4 case for a customer in Dubai for $25,000.

And finally, one company bypassed gold, crocodile, crystals and platinum and went straight for fur. Rabbit fur, specifically. As in an entire iPhone case covered in real rabbit fur. We unfortunately didn’t see this monstrosity with our own eyes, but the Verge did (check out its saltily worded recap here).

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Which begs the question: Is it good luck to rub your iPhone case on your face?

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