The Limited-Edition Starbucks Cups Covered In Jewels And Worth Top Dollar
Nobody can resist the appeal of a fun coffee mug or tumbler. We collect them, hoard them like little treasures to show off now and then, or proudly display them on kitchen shelves and coffee machines. Just think about how many brightly colored Owala and Stanleys are crammed in your cabinets (because, yes, there's a difference between Owalas and Stanleys). The question is, just how much are you willing to spend on a flashy mug? For some Starbucks fans, the answer is hundreds, if not thousands.
Throughout the last decade or so, Starbucks has released several limited-edition cups and tumblers bedazzled with Swarovski crystals. At the time of release, many of these cups were sold for around $100-$150, but today you'll see those same cups going for triple or quadruple the price — and people still buy them! Some designs include fully studded exteriors, while others only have a band of sparkly Swarovski crystals, but all designs were created in limited quantities. The first Swarovski collaboration, designed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (which does contain real pumpkin, BTW), sold out in under one hour. The exclusive cups are still so popular that they sell on retailer sites for upwards of $1,000.
Starbucks' Swarovski cups became coveted collectibles
In 2014, Starbucks celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Christmas blend with two golden Swarovski-encrusted cups. The first, a gold cup with a band of gleaming Swarovski crystals in a wooden box, originally retailed for $109.95, but today you'll spot those cups for anywhere between $285 to about $500. The second release in that collection, a white mug with gold patterns and a circle of Swarovski crystals, went for about $100 and can now sell for between $150 to $220. There was also an Alice + Olivia collaboration, but the Christmas 2021 red Swarovski crystal cup is even more exclusive, selling for close to $500 each. In case it isn't obvious, Starbucks tumbler collectors are pretty competitive.
To celebrate 20 years of operation in the Philippines, Starbucks worked with Swarovski again for a line of limited-edition ceramic mugs and tumblers. The patterns of the collectables were inspired by traditional Filipino textile patterns, adorned with 200 Swarovski crystals each, and only available for purchase at one specific store. These days, those mugs go for about $350 each, sometimes more. As if Swarovski cups and tumblers weren't enough, Starbucks also released a limited-edition Swarovski-studded gift card with a pre-loaded $50, though it sold for $200. Now you'll spot them for over $1,000 on second-hand retail sites. If there were ever pretty mugs to hoard like literal pieces of treasure, it's these Starbucks x Swarovski ones.