I look at what is selling on eBay as a way to know what to look for when I hit yard sales and estates sales. Sometimes I find things as I browse and research, that make me do a double take. Starbucks cups are one of the items that caught my eye recently.
When I say Starbucks cup, I don't mean the regular run of the mill cups that you get when you buy one of their custom cups of java. I mean the 20 oz Starbucks Cold Cup Venti with Straw Tumbler!
When I read the auction titles it made me think of Ralphie in A Christmas Story describing his "OFFICIAL RED RYDER TWO HUNDRED SHOT RANGE MODEL AIR RIFLE! WITH A COMPASS IN THE STOCK AND THIS THING WHICH TELLS TIME."
It seems that these Venti cups are coveted by Starbucks fans with the same enthusiasm that Ralphie has as Christmas approached. I thought I was seeing things, but I wasn't. The bids were flying in from people wanting to get their caffeine starved hands on the tumbler.
This seems to be the holy grail of cold drink sippy cups.
At first glance, looking at the thumbnail size photos on eBay, these things looked for all the world like a regular empty plastic cup with a straw sticking out of the top. I had to click on the listings to find out what all of the excitement was about.
From what I can gather there are a few reasons people are clamoring for this coffee container:
1. It is the large Venti size, so they can get plenty of their favorite iced beverage.
2. It is made of environmentally friendly materials and owning one will reduce the number of throw away cups that go into landfills.
3. It is a double walled insulated cup that keeps drinks cold and hands dry.
All three are wonderful answers, but I think the winner has to be number three. I couldn't find anything saying that you get free refills. If that's the case, it would all make more sense. Apparently these things are sold out all over the United States. There was an auction for four of these in a lot and the seller wanted $199.95 for them. That particular offer didn't draw anyone in to complete the deal. I offer you here, the LOWEST priced ones that are on eBay right now...
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 STARBUCKS VENTI COLD BEVERAGE TUMBLER NEW SET OF 2  US $70.00
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 Starbucks Holiday VENTI Iced To Go Cup Tumbler CD US $31.99
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 Starbucks 20oz VENTI Tumbler Candy Cane Straw US $22.75
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 NEW STARBUCKS 20 0z CLEAR VENTI TUMBLER INSULATED US $32.00
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OK. I'll level here. The nearest Starbucks to my house is probably ten miles away, in a city. My coffee generally comes from a pot in my kitchen or from a CoGo's convenience store that is on my way to work. At the risk of sounding like a total bumpkin, I don't get it.
With my attention totally drawn to this whole coffee cup thing, I started looking around some more. It seems that there are some serious Starbucks collectors out there. Individual mugs go for a couple of hundred dollars. Starbucks signs do the same. This is a loyal bunch. The second hand coffee trade seems to be really booming. There were all kinds of coffee collectibles, coupons and discount cards being offered. One of these days I'll have to drive the ten or so miles to actually go check the place out!
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STARBUCKS VENTI COLD BEVERAGE TUMBLER NEW SET OF 2 US $70.00
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Starbucks Holiday VENTI Iced To Go Cup Tumbler CD US $31.99
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Starbucks 20oz VENTI Tumbler Candy Cane Straw US $22.75
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 2002 STARBUCKS BODUM BARISTA COFFEE PRESS 8 CUP EUC US $3.25
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