Current:Home > Markets$350 for Starbucks x Stanley quencher? Fighting over these cups isn't weird. It's American. -Wealth Axis Pro
$350 for Starbucks x Stanley quencher? Fighting over these cups isn't weird. It's American.
View
Date:2025-04-18 22:21:16
Who knew pink and red drinking vessels could cause so much commotion?
We all did.
The Starbucks x Stanley Quencher is far from the first product to cause retail madness, and it won't be the last.
That's why shaking your head that people were willing to swarm Target for the limited-edition cup may say more about you than the people willing to battle it out for the cup that retailed for $50 and is now reselling for $300 and more on eBay.
Judging other people's spending is not reserved for cup buyers.
Some shook their heads at Taylor Swift and Beyoncé fans who were willing to pay big bucks to see the Eras and Renaissance tours.
Some of those same people will shell out top dollar for Super Bowl tickets or an Apple Watch.
Apple Watch wasn't built for dark skin.We deserve tech that works for everyone.
Galentine's Day Stanley quencher is not our first rodeo
Long before the tumbler was a twinkle in its creator's eye, I was a little girl who really, really wanted a squashed face doll with yarn hair and big thumbs.
For weeks before Christmas 1983, I remember lying on our living room floor and circling Toys R Us ads for Cabbage Patch Kids that came with my hometown newspaper.
I could only hope my mother or/and Santa would get the hint.
My mom did. She scraped up enough money and fended off ravenous Cabbage Patch Kids seekers to purchase an official doll for me.
I still have and cherish it.
It is far less violent, but scenes of frenzied shoppers trying to buy the Stanley cup – the result of a limited Target and Starbucks collaboration – are reminiscent of the Cabbage Patch riots of fall and winter 1983.
Not sure if anyone lucky enough to get their hand on a Stanley tumbler will cherish it 41 years later, but maybe I am wrong.
It is clear many people really, really wanted the tumbler for themselves – not their kid as was the case with my mother and the rabid parents she encountered (for the record, my mom got my doll fair and square while avoiding the riots).
Still, the so-called Galentine's Day tumblers would make wonderful Valentine's Day gifts for water lovers – hint, hint.
Are the limited-edition Stanley cups still available?
Good luck finding one and paying for it. According to the company's website, they are out of stock at many Target stores.
A representative for Starbucks told People magazine that the cups will "not be restocked" where they have sold out.
What do the Stanley cup, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl have in common?
As with the Cabbage Patch Kids doll craze and other fad obsessions, the Starbucks x Stanley Quencher chaos is the result of low supply and high demand. The same can be said about nearly every other hot item from housing to seats at a fancy restaurant.
It is very easy to make fun of people willing to pay that kind of money for a cup, but it is neither fair nor square.
What it is is judgmental and perhaps more than a little hypocritical.
It may seem frivolous to you, but people want to do things that make them happy.
That thing maybe drinking from a hot cup, seeing Taylor Swift or Beyoncé perform or cheering on the Cleveland Browns – fingers and toes crossed – at the Super Bowl.
Who will win the Super Bowl?2024 predictions: An asteroid won't save us. Maybe an AI Taylor Swift/Beyoncé fusion will.
One woman's Stanley Galentine's Day tumbler is another's Eras tickets.
One woman's Eras tickets is one man's $5,495 PlayStation 2 "Call of Duty: Finest Hour."
Who saw the Cabbage Patch Kids, Slinky, creepy Furby robots, iPhone or any of America's other past obsessions coming?
God only knows what will be next.
People want what they want even if it just looks like another pink cup or squashed faced doll to you.
Amelia Robinson is the opinion and community engagement editor at The Columbus Dispatch, where this column first published.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Man accused of kicking bison at Yellowstone National Park is injured by animal and then arrested on alcohol charge
- Oregon Man Battling Cancer Wins Lottery of $1.3 Billion Powerball Jackpot
- Amazon reports strong 1Q results driven by its cloud-computing unit and Prime Video ad dollars
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- ABC News Meteorologist Rob Marciano Exits Network After 10 Years
- Jury finds Wisconsin man sane in sexual assault, killing of toddler
- Select list of nominees for 2024 Tony Awards
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Why Brian Kelly's feels LSU is positioned to win national title without Jayden Daniels
Ranking
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Iditarod says new burled arch will be in place for ’25 race after current finish line arch collapses
- Walmart will close all of its 51 health centers in 5 states due to rising costs
- Lottery bids for skilled-worker visas plunge in the US after changes aimed at fraud and abuse
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Kentucky man on death row for killing 3 children and raping their mother has died
- Los Angeles Lakers eliminated from playoffs by Denver Nuggets. Where does LA go from here?
- Judge clears former Kentucky secretary of state Alison Lundergan Grimes of ethics charges
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
How a librarian became a social media sensation spreading a message of love and literacy
Alabama lawmakers propose compromise on gambling bill with lottery, electronic wagering machines
Ralph Lauren delivers intimate, starry fashion show with Jessica Chastain, Glenn Close, more
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Oh Boy! These Mother's Day Picks From Loungefly Are the Perfect Present for Any Disney Mom
Climber killed after falling 1,000 feet off mountain at Denali National Park identified
Tinder, Hinge release new protective features to keep users safe