Jan 23, 2024
Move over Taylor Swift. It seems like the hottest ticket in town for 2024 isn’t actually a ticket, but rather a flamingo pink limited edition 40oz Quencher tumbler that Stanley released earlier this month in collaboration with Starbucks.
The cup, which was sold at Starbucks stores in various Target locations across the U.S., caused chaos and massive lineups when it was launched on Jan. 3.
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Retailing for $49.95, some customers later took to eBay to sell their cups for much higher (think: upwards of $200). As a result of the mayhem and resales, there are currently no plans to restock the pink Stanley x Starbucks tumblers.
The tumblers are made from stainless steel and feature double-wall vacuum insulation (with or without a straw), ensuring that your drink stays hotter or colder for longer. Plus, they come in dozens of fun patterns and colours.
Although the company has been around since 1913, its popularity has taken off over the past couple of years. Here's what's behind the Stanley craze.
The Stanley craze
Earlier this month, a limited edition Starbucks x Stanley tumbler was released for sale at Starbucks locations in Target, coordinating with the launch of Starbucks’ winter drinks menu.
This is the third Starbucks x Stanley collaboration — and this specific tumbler is a pink 40oz Quencher style with a straw and handle. While some might argue these features aren’t exactly anything to get excited over, it seems like hundreds, if not thousands, of Stanley enthusiasts disagree.
Eager shoppers lined up in the early morning hours at Target locations across the country, waiting for the chance to get their hands on one of the coveted pink Starbucks Stanleys.
In a viral TikTok video about the Starbucks x Stanley tumbler release, TikTok user Vincent Marcus and his daughter (along with their new puppy) arrived at their local Target at 1:40 a.m. and literally camped out overnight in front of the store waiting for it to open.
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According to his video, more people started to show up around 3:00 a.m. Images show people bringing chairs, blankets and even ordering food to keep warm, seeing as it was a chilly 40°F. By the time the store opened at 8:00 a.m., a massive line of people were eagerly waiting.
In the video, a Target employee, dubbed "boss lady," is seen out on the curb shortly before the store opened. According to Marcus, she was ensuring that the crowd didn’t “burn the place down.” He then goes on to say that things were pretty orderly and jokes that there were only a “few small fires.”
The same, however, cannot be said for other locations, where fights broke out and chaos ensued. Another video featured an impatient man jumping over the counter in an attempt to steal a box of the tumblers. Comments indicate he was quickly apprehended by a fellow customer.
Parking lot camper Marcus did manage to snag one of the limited edition pink tumblers for his daughter (in the video he indicates Target had a strict rule that there was only one tumbler purchase allowed per household).
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The resale value of a Starbucks x Stanley tumbler
However, it appears that many purchasers weren’t interested in keeping the tumblers for themselves, but rather reselling them for a much higher price.
The price of the Starbucks x Stanley limited edition tumbler at Target was $49.95, but a quick search on eBay shows a number of resellers charging hundreds of dollars. While some listings were as high as $550, the majority were around $250 to $300, which is about six times the original resale value.
And for those wondering: yes, people are still actively bidding on them. Starbucks has said it won’t be restocking the limited edition tumblers.
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Hannah Logan is an Ottawa-based writer and blogger who specializes in personal finance and travel.
