Trader Joe’s tote bags have become so popular that they are selling for up to $50,000 on eBay.
These canvas bags typically cost under $5 at your local Trader Joe’s store. However, the grocery chain, which has locations only in the U.S., has gained global attention, making these bags a highly sought-after commodity.
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted that a mini pastel Trader Joe’s tote bag is currently listed on eBay for nearly $50,000. This particular bag was sold at Trader Joe’s locations for just $2.99, according to social media users.
In one TikTok video posted last year, Trader Joe’s customers were seen swarming a huge box full of the pastel mini totes as they quickly grabbed fistfuls of the bags. The TikToker wrote in the video, “I did not think I was going to fight grown women at 8:00 AM.”
Trader Joe’s has 618 stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C. It’s known for unique, affordable products and a whimsical and friendly atmosphere with hand-drawn chalkboard signs and personable staff.
It’s not just Americans who can’t get enough of the Trader Joe’s totes; people in London, Seoul, Melbourne and Tokyo are carrying these bags, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Fashion commentator Jay Choyce Tibbitts called the phenomenon the “epidemic of the Trader Joe’s tote bag” in a video over the summer. He said he saw four of these bags while walking to work in New York City the day he filmed the video, which he called “a low day” for bag sightings.
The creator said fashion is “a way to control how the world reacts to you…and this bag says I’m relatable, I’m savvy.”
While some abroad might be antsy to get their hands on a Trader Joe’s tote through a reseller, the grocery chain has voiced its opposition to the practice.
“Trader Joe’s only sells our products in our stores,” a Trader Joe’s spokesperson told The Independent. “We neither condone nor support the reselling of our products and do all we can to stop the practice.”