On January 17th in Roseville, California police got a call reporting a retail theft. Police rushed to the scene where staff told them she filled up a cart with the cups and left without paying. The woman had left the scene to where another police officer found her unidentified vehicle traveling on the highway. Police pulled her over, conducted a traffic stop and arrested her for grand theft auto. They then searched her car and found 65 Stanley cups totaling $2,500.
According to Jordan Valinsky at CNN, “The inexplicable allure of Stanley cups has led people to go to extreme lengths to collect them. Recently at Target, its special edition Valentine’s Day cups quickly sold out, and the cups appeared on the resale market for hundreds of dollars above sticker prices that range from $20 to $50 depending on size”. (January 23).
The stainless steel Stanley cup had gained popularity due to social media such as TikTok, and Instagram over the past few years. But more notably in the past 2 years.
According to Leah Sarnoff at ABC news, “While the Stanley brand has been active since 1913, the stainless steel reusable water bottles have received viral attention on social media recently, while its 40-ounce Quencher cup — and accompanying limited-edition styles and colors — has garnered a cult-like following in the U.S. and globally” (January 22).
Stanley cups are expected to gain even more popularity as time goes on and social media gains support.
It is currently unknown to the public how long her sentence will be is or where she is being held.
