Americans are paying more than triple price for Starbucks' Asian Valentine's Day collection on eBay and Instagram
- Starbucks launched a bee-themed Valentine's Day merchandise collection in Asian markets.
- Fans are buying mugs and cups secondhand for up to $100 each.
- Starbucks seasonal items usually have a big market with online resellers.
A $90 mug might seem steep, but that's what some fans are willing to pay for limited-edition Starbucks merch on the other side of the world.
The "Bee Mine" Valentine's Day collection in Starbucks' Asia Pacific market has gone viral in the US. A TikTok posted by user whimsicality_ on Wednesday showed a photo from the collection, with the caption "It's so cute take my money." It accumulated more than 11,000 likes in only 24 hours. Another TikTok from user ihchnil.ngyn showed the same mug and spoon and she wrote "If 68 people could Venmo me $1 I can finally be happy :)". The video had over 130,000 views in two days.
While people seem to be into the whole collection, the honey mug and spoon set featured in the TikToks is especially popular. Starbucks suggests a retail price of $28.90 in Singapore, or around $21 in Taiwan. On the resale market, the merchandise is going for much more.
Resale online marketplace US Shopping SOS lists 16 products from the line with shipping to the US. The honey mug is listed for $73, which comes out to $92.95 with shipping. Other items are listed at even higher prices, and some have sold out, including the Bearista Honey Bee water bottle and container, which was listed for $92.
The Instagram reseller community is also robust, with accounts hosting bidding wars in private messages. eBay also has dozens of options from the collection, many specifying that they ship to the US. Mugs and tumblers are listed at prices above $90 each, with the highest listing at $113.80 for a ceramic cup with a straw and bear.
The Bee Mine collection is only available in Starbucks' Asia Pacific market, which includes 14 locations: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It first launched on January 5, with a staggered rollout across the markets as long as supplies last.
While the company is glad to see the products getting attention, there are no plans to sell them in the US, a Starbucks spokesperson told Insider in a phone call.
Limited-edition Starbucks mugs and tumbler have been big on reseller marketplaces for years. In May, people struck with nostalgia while stuck at home bought Starbucks cold cup packs for more than double their original price, and Starbucks was the top brand on fashion resale site Poshmark. The company typically releases annual collections for different holidays that become collector items among fans, like glow-in-the-dark cups from Halloween 2020.