Limited-edition Starbucks merchandise and McDonald’s Happy Meal toys are driving a reseller frenzy across online marketplaces, with markups reaching staggering levels.
Starbucks introduced a fall collection featuring “Peanuts” characters on Tuesday, including glass cold-drink cups with Snoopy and accessories themed around Charlie Brown and Linus.
Most items from the collection sold out on the Starbucks website almost immediately after the launch, signaling intense consumer demand for the limited merchandise.
The headline reseller item is the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup, which features a Woodstock straw topper, a tiny pumpkin hat, and a green scarf.
The cup is part of the same Bearista glass line that went viral last holiday season, prompting Starbucks to cap purchases at two per customer this time around.
The collaboration celebrates the 60th anniversary of the beloved Halloween classic “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” which first premiered in 1966.
On Etsy, the Snoopy glass was listed for as much as $120, representing a three-times markup over its $40 retail price on the Starbucks website.
Some resellers have pushed prices even further, with the Snoopy glass cup fetching as much as five times its original retail price on certain platforms.
On the same day Starbucks launched its Peanuts collection, McDonald’s debuted a line of “SpongeBob SquarePants” toys for Happy Meals, with full sets appearing on eBay for around $90.
A set of “Dragon Ball Super” figurines released by Burger King this month, along with glasses and a paper crown, was also listed on resale platforms for more than $40.
GlobalData analyst Neil Saunders noted that promotional toys and restaurant accessories attract collectors specifically because of their limited availability in the market.
Saunders explained that obtaining such items sometimes requires having a certain loyalty-program tier or making a specific purchase, which creates a deliberate sense of scarcity among consumers.
Once those scarce items appear on auction platforms, Saunders noted, prices can rise sharply as collectors and enthusiasts compete for limited inventory.
Saunders also pointed out that toy promotions, previously aimed primarily at children, are increasingly targeting adult buyers because of nostalgia and a growing interest in collecting.
Social media plays a significant role in driving demand, with Saunders adding that platforms help products quickly go viral and reach a far wider audience than traditional advertising could.
Starbucks has stated that it increasingly views cups and related merchandise as collectibles, signaling a broader strategic shift in how the company approaches its product lines.
The company did not provide sales data for the “Peanuts” collection and declined to say whether it had recorded any unusual buying activity surrounding the launch.
