Starbucks Snoopy Cups and SpongeBob Toys Are Reselling High — Stores Don't Pocket the Difference

Starbucks Snoopy cups and McDonald's SpongeBob toys are reselling on eBay for far above store prices.

That secondary-market pricing was reported on Sept. 19, 2026, by Bill Peters in MarketWatch. The report covers two licensed drops out at once: Starbucks fall drinkware tied to Peanuts and McDonald's Happy Meal toys tied to SpongeBob.

Starbucks and Peanuts launched a global fall merchandise collection inspired by the Great Pumpkin, according to a Sept. 3 company announcement. The lineup includes a 20-ounce Snoopy glass cold cup, described in a Sept. 15 company update, and a 24-ounce Cold Cup featuring Snoopy, the Great Pumpkin and fall imagery priced at $27.95, according to Starbucks. The fall collection follows an earlier Starbucks and Peanuts introduction from March 24, 2025, an exclusive Joe Kind Snoopy persona with new merchandise.

McDonald's is running a SpongeBob x One Piece Happy Meal promotion across multiple markets. Its corporate site describes 15 exclusive collectible toys reimagining Bikini Bottom characters with the Straw Hat crew, according to McDonald's. McDonald's Canada describes a version of the SpongeBob x One Piece Happy Meal with 10 exclusive toys and a digital treasure hunt for extended play. McDonald's New Zealand lists SpongeBob x ONE PIECE toys as now available, with one toy or book per Happy Meal.

The listings differ by market. Canada specifies 10 toys. The corporate listing specifies 15 toys. New Zealand specifies the rule of one toy or book per Happy Meal. Those undated company pages carry less weight than the dated September reporting on resale pricing, and they function here as background on what is moving through stores at the regular price.

In my view, the number to watch is not the eBay price. It is sell-through velocity in stores, or how quickly stock sells at the regular price.

In practical terms, eBay shows demand fast while store economics move slower. Stores book revenue at the $27.95 cup price or the Happy Meal price, not the resale price. The gap goes to early buyers and resellers, after platform fees and shipping. Treat that gap as a demand signal, not extra gross margin, or profit after direct costs.

Looking at what this means for operators, licensed cups and toys drive visits without discounting coffee or food. The risk is ordering. Too little and visits fade while resellers keep the surplus. Too much and cash sits in slow-selling cups, what finance calls working capital. Royalty minimums and approval windows also limit how fast supply can chase demand. Short supply helps full-price sales and social sharing, but it also brings lines, bulk buying and quick resale, like concert tickets resold outside the venue. Limits and staggered releases can ease that, but not end it.

For investors tracking the read-through, the right questions are operational. What was the attach rate, or share of drink and meal sales with a collectible. How much sold at full price and how fast. Whether stores saw repeat visits after sellout. Whether the treasure hunt noted in Canada added play time or only added cost. None of that shows in a resale screenshot.

The broader context here is familiar from past scarcity sales. High resale prices confirm demand beat supply at the store price. They do not show unit economics, royalty costs, shrink, extra labor for crowds, or shelf and marketing costs. Treat the markup as evidence pricing power existed, then look to company reports for whether it was captured.