Just as the world was recovering from the Labubu frenzy, another collectible craze has stirred the internet into a froth, this time, in the form of a teddy bear-shaped glass cup from Starbucks. The new “Bearista” cold cup, part of the coffee chain’s 2025 holiday collection, has proven so wildly popular that fans have camped out overnight, brawled in stores, and flooded social media with complaints, forcing Starbucks to issue an official apology.
A cuddly cup that brewed chaos
Released on 6 November 2025 alongside Starbucks’ festive drinks menu, the Glass Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup is a 20-ounce glass vessel moulded in the shape of a teddy bear. It features a green knitted Starbucks beanie, a reusable straw, and a price tag of US$29.95. The design, both nostalgic and charming, immediately caught the attention of collectors and Starbucks loyalists. Videos and photos of the cup, posted to the company’s own social channels on 5 November, went viral overnight. Within hours, fans were queueing before dawn in the hope of snagging one, some even waiting outside their local stores from 1 a.m. But the excitement quickly curdled into chaos. Reports emerged from across the United States of stores selling out within minutes, while some locations received as few as one or two cups. In Houston, deputies from Constable Mark Herman’s Office were called to a Starbucks to break up a fight between customers refusing to leave the store. The department’s Facebook post summed it up with bemused understatement:“HAPPENING NOW: WHEN IT’S 5 A.M. AND THE DRAMA’S ALREADY BREWING! Deputies were called for a rather unique disturbance — several individuals refusing to leave the store and fighting… over a new ‘Bearista’ cup! Deputies are on scene, restoring peace before anyone spilled their latte or lost their teddy bear.” The incident underscored the scale of the mania. By sunrise, the Bearista had become the most talked-about piece of drinkware on the internet, and the most elusive.
Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup sold out in seconds
Starbucks later confirmed that the Bearista cups had sold out nationwide, acknowledging that demand had far outstripped supply. In an official statement, the company said: “The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations. Despite shipping more Bearista cups to coffeehouses than almost any other merchandise item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.” “We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologise for the disappointment this may have caused.” The company declined to specify how many cups were distributed per store, or whether restocks were planned, but promised that “more exciting merchandise” would arrive later in the holiday season. While Starbucks has long built its holiday releases into collectible events, from tumblers to snow globe mugs, the Bearista may have outpaced even the brand’s most optimistic projections. Fans who had queued for hours often found shelves empty or baristas informing them their branch hadn’t received any stock at all.
Fans camp out, miss out and speak out
For many, frustration quickly spilled onto social media. Comments under Starbucks’ official posts captured the collective dismay:“I find it quite disappointing that a big company like Starbucks would release a new collection that clearly generates hype and inevitably, frustration,” wrote one Instagram user. “I’m sorry, but this time the disappointment has real consequences. There are plenty of alternatives out there, and many of us feel let down.” “I think I have a better chance at winning the lottery than I do obtaining this cute bear cup,” another quipped. “This was a waste of my time,” a commenter said. “The Bearistas were sold out before the doors even opened and other stores only had about two.” Others shared elaborate tales of failed quests: “I went to four stores, the first one opened at 4:30. I saw the barista put out two cups and then bought both before anyone else could. The other three stores only got one each, and one didn’t get any. This was all before 5:30 in the morning.” “I got up at 4 a.m. and drove to a location that specifically said it would have this cup. I was first in line, they didn’t have it. I drove to four more stores, none of them had it and said they never did,” said another. “Please don’t market something so heavily if people don’t even have the option to actually purchase it; it has the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for,” wrote one frustrated customer. Others questioned the marketing logic:“Not cool marketing, Starbucks, to only have 1–2 at each store and allow your baristas to buy them before customers. You should have had at least 10–20 for each location.”“Basically advertising a non-existent product. It’s really unbelievable,” another person added. A few users, exasperated, joked that they wanted to “give Starbucks their money” but couldn’t, while one simply pleaded: “Send more than two cups to each store; y’all are creating unnecessary excitement.”
From cute collectible to resale goldmine
The scarcity only amplified the frenzy. Almost immediately after launch, Bearista cups began appearing on resale platforms at staggering mark-ups. Listings on eBay showed prices ranging from US$109 to US$275, while sellers on Mercari Japan were asking as much as US$150. One commenter summed up the sentiment succinctly:“Please restock the Bear cup. No one wants to buy for $300.” For collectors unwilling to pay such prices, others pointed out cheaper alternatives on Amazon and other retailers, including lookalike teddy-bear glass mugs that mimic the Bearista’s design. Meanwhile, some fans lamented that the overhyped drop had “done nothing but fuel resale at absurd prices, feeding a market that shouldn’t even exist.” Others joked that the fragile glass construction meant the few who did manage to secure one might not keep it intact for long.
Starbucks’ seasonal tradition
The Bearista joins a long line of Starbucks’ seasonal merchandise releases that tend to inspire both delight and exasperation in equal measure. Each holiday season, the Seattle-based chain unveils limited-edition designs alongside its much-loved drinks — this year including the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Iced Sugar Cookie Latte, Iced Sugar Cookie Breve, and Iced Gingerbread Chai. However, this year’s Bearista launch highlighted how carefully orchestrated “drop culture” can misfire. Fans accused Starbucks of creating artificial scarcity, alleging that hyped marketing campaigns were not matched with fair distribution.For many, the frenzy over a simple glass bear has become a reminder that in the age of hype, even a coffee cup can brew more drama than a double espresso.
