The madness has caused long lines in front of Target stores in the middle of the night. Ugly fights have broken out. Screaming fights have broken out. All this fuss over Stanley Cups.
No, not the Stanley Cup awarded to the champion of the National Hockey League. We’re talking about the insulated steel tumblers sold in various colors at Target and Starbucks.
On a recent Friday afternoon, the shelves at Target in Los Angeles County were empty, with no glasses. Surprisingly, there have been no reports of people resorting to violence to get the coveted item, but at least an online video shows a man trying to quickly escape from a Target store with a glass under his arm, only to be accosted by what appear to be angry shoppers.
It’s unclear how the frenzy started, but it appears to follow the pattern of mania for merchandise, such as Disney’s dragon-shaped plastic popcorn bucket in 2022, the PlayStation 5 in 2020, and the Popeyes chicken sandwich in 2019.
Glass collectors and sellers suggest that the trend has been fueled by the manufacturer’s marketing strategy, collaboration with popular companies such as Starbucks, designer colors and the sense that ownership conveys status and exclusivity.
Influencers on TikTok and other platforms have contributed to the mania by posting catchy videos of the cups.
But what likely sparked the latest viral popularity was November’s TikTok video of a woman’s car catching fire; her Stanley mug not only survived but kept the drink cold. The video has had almost 94 million views. In response, the Stanley company offered to replace not only the cup but also the car from it.
Stanley insulated tumblers aren’t new, having been invented by William Stanley Jr. in 1913. But with a dedicated fan base on TikTok, various styles and prices ranging from $20 for a 14-ounce mug to $60 for a 64-ounce version, anything Stanley is hard to come by.
Spokespeople for Target and Stanley could not be reached for comment on this madness.
The most sought-after Stanley cups are Starbucks’ Winter Pink collaboration, which have a slight glow in the right lighting. The mugs are selling for more than $400 on the resale market, according to EBay auctions.
Also popular are Cosmic Pink or Target Red, featured in Target’s “Galentine” collection released on December 31, which quickly sold out online and in stores. On eBay they sell for almost $100.
An anonymous Hawthorne Target employee noted that the store received a shipment of pink cups on Thursday and sold out in two minutes.
A recent tiktok viral shows a crowd rushing to get a pair, prompting staff to issue warnings about the per-person limit. The video has garnered 20 million views and the hashtag #StanleyTumbler has racked up over a billion impressions.
Inglewood resident Ubaldo René Rodas was introduced to the Stanley trend by his younger sisters, who sent him TikTok videos of people discussing the cups, showing them off and even fighting during sales drops. He attributes the trend in part to limited availability, making the mugs somewhat collectible.
Rodas quickly became a reseller, taking advantage of the growing demand.
It listed both versions of the limited-edition pink Galentine glasses for $100 each on Facebook Marketplace, up from the original price of $45. She recently sold 10 Cosmic Pink Stanleys to a buyer who wanted them for a gender reveal party.
Through the Facebook Marketplace group, she recently learned that more cups were going on sale at 1 a.m. on Target’s website.
“So I bought 20 Cosmic Pink and 20 Target Red, the most I could ask for, just to try to sell,” he said.
Rhodes does not like to camp out for advertised items because of the frustration and anger that may arise.
“My sisters had asked me to camp at the Starbucks Winter Pink Stanley, but I said no because I didn’t want to put them in danger,” she said. “If they restock, I may buy more pink as they work best. But I will move on to the next advertised color once Valentine’s Day passes.”
After a recent collaboration between Stanley and country music star Lainey Wilson sold well, Bellflower reseller Danielle Williams jumped on the trend and began paying more attention to the market. She has priced the mugs between $90 and $110. She said they project a sense of status, like an exclusive club.
Williams secured the cups on Target’s website, avoiding late-night lines outside. He said it seemed as if the people camping were “working harder, not smarter.”
Since joining the trend, she has sold almost 50 mugs and has no plans to stop.
“I just hope the hype about these Stanleys lasts and they don’t fade away like other fashion items,” Williams said.
Partly due to his popularity on TikTok, Stanley has reported an increase of $676 million in revenue over the past four years. according to CNBC.
The fad was noticed by the Advertising Specialty Institute, a researcher in promotional products, which declared the Stanley Quencher the most coveted product of 2023. The institute noted that the FlowState 40-ounce Quencher H2.0 tumbler quickly rose to fame as the epitome of beverage trends, gaining attention as a viral sensation on TikTok.
“The Stanley Quencher is a safe choice, as well as the exclamation point to the incredible performance of tumblers over the past decade,” said ASI Editor-in-Chief CJ Mittica.
