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Oh how different it would have been if England had won the World Cup. St George's flags would still be flying, we'd probably still be out celebrating, and shed-loads of tacky products would have been sold simply because they carried the names of footballers.

But alas they didn't. Which is why 5,000 gold-plated Frank Lampard endorsed Apple iPods - complete with his signature laser-etched on the back - will now be "melted down" after failing to sell.

The garish 24-carat gold gadgets had been launched by the Chelsea ace at Harrods prior to the World Cup and it was hoped fans would snap them up for up to £599 each - with Frank's royalties going to charity.

However, after England's early exit from the South African tournament, people have been unsurprisingly reluctant to part with their cash for the pricey iPod Touch and bosses say they've been a flop.

It's understood the devices, produced by Goldgenie (a firm backed by BBC Dragon James Caan), will now undergo a chemical process to recover their precious metal, so it can be used again, in golden Hello Kitty branded gadgets.



Amazingly, the LamPods are not the most tastelessly customised Apple products out there. Don't believe us? Check these out.

Diamond iPod Shuffle: The cheapest iPod in the Apple line-up didn't stay that way when Norwegian jeweller Thomas Heyerdahl decided to cover it with gold and 430 diamonds - it was valued at £20,000.

Platinum iMac: Just in case there wasn't already a big enough premium on Apple computers, customising shop Computer Choppers produced a platinum-plated 24-inch iMac.

Gold-plated Macbook Pro: Just because you are a man on the go, doesn't mean you have to miss out on overly bling computers. For £1,500 firms are willing to cover your MacBook Pro with 24-carat gold.

Platinum iPhone: If you can afford a £25,000 solid platinum iPhone you are probably not the sort of person who worries about topping up your PAYG.

Solid gold Apple iPad: A designer with an eye for the garish has used a single piece of solid 22ct gold to create a £130,000 Apple iPad. But in case that wasn't bling enough he also added 53 diamonds just for good measure.



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