Starbucks made a $30 glass bear cup. Chaos ensued

For $29.95, Starbucks promised a teddy bear in a beanie — and a glimpse of late-stage consumer capitalism. What it got instead was a stampede. The chain’s new, glass “Bearista Cold Cup,” a 20-ounce holiday collectible shaped like a bear wearing a hat (the lid) in the company’s signature green, sold out within hours of its Nov. 6 launch, leaving lines, fights, and an apology in its wake.

Starbucks had teased the cup for weeks as part of its 2025 holiday rollout, and by dawn, customers were camping out for it. Some stores reportedly received just one or two units. Others ran out before opening. Social media posts accused employees of buying the cup before customers had a chance to. Videos of scuffles circulated online, turning a marketing stunt into a viral fiasco that played out less like a cozy seasonal debut and more like a Black Friday, free-for-all scramble.

By Friday, the resale market had taken over. Listings on eBay and Mercari have priced the $30 cup at anywhere from $150 to more than $1,000 — even glassware isn’t immune to speculative frenzy. For a company that's built its branding around consistency and calm, the Bearista debacle exposes how far Starbucks has tilted toward hype economics: a promise of access that relies on its own impossibility. And Starbucks has seen this movie before — Red Cup Day chaos, Stanley-cup-level obsession, and now, a holiday mascot turned speculative asset. 

The company tried to get ahead of the outrage, acknowledging that “excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations” and that, despite shipping “more Bearista cups to coffeehouses than almost any other merchandise item this holiday season,” it still sold out. “We understand many customers were excited to get the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” the company said in a statement.

That note might not be enough to caffeinate goodwill. For some longtime fans, this year’s rollout could feel like another test of patience from a brand that now appears to lean more heavily into collectible drops and limited-edition hype than a pure, coffee-house experience. The chain hasn’t said anything about Bearista restocks; it has promised “more exciting merchandise coming this holiday season,” but it may need more than new glassware to reset expectations.

All of this chaos unfolded as Starbucks tries to re-steady itself under CEO Brian Niccol, whose “Back to Starbucks” plan aims to rebuild the company’s reliability after a turbulent few years. The strategy, now a year in, has begun to show early traction: global same-store sales ticked up 1% in the latest quarter — the first positive comp in nearly two years — while revenue rose 5% to $9.6 billion. Still, profitability remains thin. GAAP earnings fell sharply on restructuring charges tied to hundreds of store closures and nearly 900 corporate layoffs, and the stock has hovered around $84 over the past month. The brand that once promised refuge in a third place is now trying to convince Wall Street — and its own workforce — that stability can be a growth story again.

The Bearista was meant to be cute, collectible, and harmless. Instead, the caffeine crash came fast — and Starbucks got the comedown it brewed.