An unannounced drop is a shock to the system. For example, Beyoncé surprised us with Lemonade and we’ve never been the same. But at least Lemonade was available to stream. On April 30th, Starbucks released new reusable color-changing tumblers and didn’t tell anybody.
Slowly but surely, customers went to their local Starbucks outposts in the U.S. and Canada for their usual drink and discovered these new tumblers, which come in sets of five 24-ounce cups with contrasting lids and straws. These cups change colors once filled with a cold drink, as if to encourage us to rattle our iced beverages, slurp, and repeat. The rose one turns coral red, the yellow one emerald green, light blue darkens into cobalt blue, and teal turns into raspberry pink. Starbucks sold the sets for $16.95 until they were sold out. But now the rules are different.
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These cups have quintupled in value since word spread that they sold out. A set on Poshmark is selling for $89, plus shipping. This Etsy vendor seems to have stocked up on nearly a dozen sets and is selling individual cups for $20. Someone on Ebay is asking for the laughable asking price of $888.88 for a set of five.
We’re also seeing online vendors selling what looks like marbled hot-beverage versions of these cups. These come in colors with names like Cotton Candy, Mint, Mango, Berry, and Strawberries and Cream. While they don’t change color, they’re made to handle hot beverages and come with a white sipping lid.
The marbled version was not initially as popular, but is becoming increasingly sought after. One such Ebay vendor is offering them for $24.99 a set.
Are we looking at the Starbucks cup version of the Trader Joe’s black market? Probably not. A Starbucks spokesperson told People today that the company plans on restocking the cups on a regular basis all summer long. So unless you desperately need these cups right this second, you might play it smart and hold off until they’re back in stock.