How a $24.95 Bear Became a Black Friday Warm-Up
Starbucks released its 2025 holiday merchandise on November 6, and within hours, chaos hit the counters. The star of the collection was the 20-ounce glass Bearista Cold Cup, shaped like a teddy bear with a green beanie lid. Retail price? $24.95. Resale price? Anywhere from $80 to $250 on eBay.
The full lineup included 12 pieces: tumblers, mugs, and cold cups decked out with bows, plaid, and snowflakes, but the bear stole the show. According to Starbucks, demand “exceeded even our biggest expectations.” Translation: it sold out everywhere, and people lost their minds.
There were reports of arguments in lines, TikTok videos of employees getting swarmed, and frantic collectors checking store after store. You’d think Taylor Swift tickets had dropped in latte form.
The Merch Economy of Feelings
It’s easy to laugh at the madness, but this is collector culture 101. We’re buying the story of having them. Starbucks understands that perfectly. The holiday cup is a ritual. The same way comic book fans chase variant covers or sneakerheads camp outside stores, collectors chase the thrill of the first sip from something exclusive.
In this case, that sip came from a glass bear wearing a tiny green hat.
The Bearista craze shows how emotional attachment fuels consumer chaos. Starbucks sells belonging. And for people like me, who collect mugs like memories, that belonging can feel oddly comforting.
The Hunt Is Half the Fun (Until It Isn’t)
I’ve been collecting cups and mugs for years. My “weird mug shelf,” as my family calls it, includes everything from a chipped Disneyland mug to a first-edition ceramic Stanley I’ll never use. A friend of mine collects Starbucks mugs from every country she visits, and I envy that dedication.
So yes, I understand the thrill. But even I’m starting to wonder if we’ve hit peak merch frenzy.
Every drop feels like an event now. You can’t just buy a cup anymore; you have to compete for it. Starbucks holiday launches have turned into retail scavenger hunts, and somewhere along the way, the joy of collecting turned into FOMO anxiety.
And if you didn’t know better, you’d think a caffeine-themed stock market had crashed every time a cup sells out.
The Bigger Picture: When Collectibles Become Clutter
Here’s the thing: Starbucks isn’t alone in this. The same people who line up for Bearista cups are probably refreshing for the next Stanley tumbler color drop. It’s the same loop- limited run, fast sell-out, resale frenzy, repeat.
But there’s a difference between collecting and chasing. Collecting has meaning. Chasing is just adrenaline disguised as purpose.
I got rid of most of my collection over the years, keeping only the ones that mattered. And you know what? Those are the ones that still make me smile every morning. Not the ones that went viral on TikTok.
What’s Actually Next?
For those who missed the bear, Starbucks has already teased a Roller Rabbit x Starbucks collab dropping December 2, featuring cozy, cottagecore designs. Which means yes, the next wave of collectors is already warming up.
But the Bearista moment might go down as a turning point. It’s proof that scarcity still works, even in a market drowning in cups. And it’s a reminder that, in a world where everyone has the same latte, individuality now comes with a limited-edition lid.
I can already see the next evolution coming. Starbucks NFTs, anyone? Don’t tempt them.
The Collector’s Confession
So what’s the takeaway from all this? (Besides the fact that my husband now refuses to step inside a Starbucks without GPS confirmation that it’s bear-free.)
Maybe it’s that collecting is about connection, not consumption. It’s about having a little piece of joy you can sip from in the morning, a mug that reminds you of a trip, a season, a moment.
And maybe, just maybe, we all needed a fuzzy little bear cup to remind us that joy doesn’t have to be practical. It just has to be yours.