Trader Joe’s $3 tote bag sells for $500 a set on eBay: 200-fold price surge

A $2.99 “canvas mini tote bag” sold at Trader Joe’s, a large U.S. grocery store, has sold out and its price has skyrocketed nearly 200 times online, CNN reported on March 10.

According to the report, the Trader Joe’s mini tote bag craze has recently centered on social networking services such as TikTok. A video showcasing people vying for the small tote bags, available in four colors: blue, red, green, and yellow, has amassed over 11 million views on TikTok.

Some stores have reportedly imposed a limit on the number of bags a person can purchase at once, yet customers continue to flock to stores nationwide to acquire the tote bags.

Individuals have also begun reselling the mini tote bags on e-commerce platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Hundreds of mini-tote bags are currently listed on eBay, with prices ranging from as low as $5 to as high as $500 for a set of four, as per CNN’s report.

A Trader Joe’s employee in New Jersey remarked on the mini tote bag frenzy that started roughly two weeks ago. “Customers love it. They’re buying a lot,” she noted. “Easter is approaching, and they make excellent baskets for children.”

CNN also highlighted that this phenomenon echoes the Stanley Tumbler craze from last December, where TikTok videos of individuals queuing outside stores to purchase limited-edition Stanley tumblers for Valentine’s Day gained widespread attention.

BY EUNBIN KIM, JUNHAN PARK    [kim.eunbin@joongang.co.kr]