People Are Paying Almost $1,000 for A Trader Joe’s Tote Bag That Costs $2.99 in Store.

One Reddit user in Vegas shared that 200 people were lined up outside the Downtown Summerlin Trader Joe’s yesterday morning as early as 7:50 a.m. Trader Joe’s employees were passing out tickets to people in line as they waited. Some even claimed they had been there since 6 a.m. With lots of talk online about bird flu and tariffs, you might wonder: were they there for eggs? Picking up other grocery items before prices skyrocket? You may be surprised to find out that they weren’t there for groceries at all: they were there for tote bags.

The Trader Joe’s canvas tote bags were first released in February 2024 and made a reappearance in stores across the country this week. Last year, the bags went viral and sold out at stores so quickly that people started reselling them for enormous amounts of money online. It appears the same has happened this year, as there’s already at least one bag for sale on eBay for nearly $1,000. The actual price in store? Just $2.99.

What’s the Big Deal About a Tote Bag?

You’re either in on this trend (and perhaps even have your own Trader Joe’s tote bag!) or you’re on the outside wondering what all the fuss is about. Take it from any Stanley cup owner: When something becomes trendy, people from all over will flock to get it. We witnessed the same thing happen with Stanley cups last year.

A cup that wasn’t originally marketed toward women became the latest craze because of a TikTok trend. As it goes nowadays, when something becomes trendy, social media is usually to blame.

“It’s the FOMO mentality,” Reddit user crazie88 said. Another person in the r/vegaslocals subreddit pointed out that the same thing happened when Starbucks first started selling their plastic reusable cups for $1 back in 2013. People went crazy over them.

Where Can You Find the Trader Joe’s Tote Bag?

If you're a die-hard Trader Joe's fan, you might be wondering where you can find these trendy bags. In 2024, Trader Joe’s released their bags without any notice, not knowing how quickly they would go viral. Stores sold out right away, leading people to resell the bags online for over 100 times the original price. Now, Trader Joe’s has rereleased the adorable bags in Easter colors. According to the Trader Joe’s website, “Indeed, for a limited time only, you can find Trader Joe’s Mini Pastel Canvas Tote Bags in delicate pink, baby blue, mint green, and lovely lavender at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s!”

Perhaps more prepared for the crowds than last year, many stores sold out immediately, but Trader Joe’s has stated they’ll keep restocking until they run out entirely. One Trader Joe’s spokesperson told People.com that they would get new deliveries every day until they ran out.

If you’re looking to grab a tote bag of your own, your best bet is to head over to your local Trader Joe’s to see if they’re in stock. A statement from Trader Joe’s said that the date they would be available in each store would vary this week.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Cliff Hawkins for Getty/ via Getty Images.