Original Price at 45,000 Won, Resale Prices Soar to 120,000 Won
Only About Five Units Per Store
Reselling Craze and Opening Rush Repeated
Starbucks Korea's winter limited-edition merchandise, the "Bearista Cold Cup," sold out at stores nationwide immediately upon its re-release, fueling a frenzy in the secondhand market. The product, originally priced at 45,000 won, has been traded for as much as 120,000 won on online secondhand platforms, further intensifying the reselling craze.
On December 30, numerous posts offering the "Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup" for sale appeared on online secondhand trading platforms such as Danggeun Market and Bungaejangter. Listings ranged from those claiming to have unopened new items to those stating, "I bought it at open run," or "Picked up today." Dozens of such posts were uploaded, with prices-excluding shipping-varying from 120,000 won down to around 80,000 won. In most cases, this is more than 1.5 times the original retail price.
The re-released Bearista Cold Cup is a 591ml glass cup featuring a bear-shaped figure wearing a green furry hat. Each set includes the cup, a silicone lid, and a green straw, with a retail price of 45,000 won. When Starbucks Korea first introduced this product as an in-house merchandise (MD) item in the fall of 2023, all available stock sold out, making it extremely popular at the time.
The Bearista Cold Cup being sold at a higher price than the retail price on a secondhand trading platform. Screenshot from Bungaejangter
This level of popularity for the Bearista Cold Cup has already been seen overseas. In November, when the same product was released at Starbucks stores in North America, a "sold-out frenzy" erupted at most locations right after opening. With no online sales and only limited quantities available in offline stores, a shortage occurred across the United States, and in some places, scuffles broke out over the product. In Houston, Texas, police were reportedly called after an early morning dispute among customers.
At that time, the North American retail price was $29.95 (about 43,000 won), but on online secondhand platforms such as eBay, the cup was traded for $300 to $500 (about 400,000 to 700,000 won), and in some cases, prices reached as high as $1,400 (about 1.95 million won). Foreign media also reported that in one store in New Jersey, customers waiting in line for the "open run" got into an altercation.
For this re-release in Korea, sales are also being conducted exclusively through offline stores, with no online sales. Although Starbucks Korea has not disclosed the exact number of units supplied, it is known that only about five units were delivered per store. A Starbucks representative stated, "As this is a limited-quantity sale, we plan to restock with a second batch after the initial supply sells out."
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