$2.99 Trader Joe’s tote bags went viral. Here are 6 other business-branded cult items
Trader Joe’s mini tote bags are back. The navy, yellow, red, and green small canvas totes that Trader Joe’s loyalists have become obsessed with have been restocked. And it’s a relief for customers still in search of their own: The mini tote bags worth $2.99 were being sold on eBay for hundreds when they were out of stock at Trader Joe’s stores.
It’s not the first time people have become obsessed with cult business-branded products. Check out the slideshow above for a look at other brand items that made people lose their minds.
Bass Pro Shop hats reel wearers in
Even if you don’t know how to fish, you can still wear a Bass Pro Shops hat with pride. The popularity of now-iconic hats has reached a high, with celebrities like Chris Janson and Travis Denning wearing them. What makes the hat popular is perhaps its simplicity. It is available in 14 different colors, priced at only $6, and is not excessively fancy.
The Lehman Brothers are still alive
While the investment bank giant has gone down for good, its swag hasn’t. A cadre of consumers shell out hundreds to capture Lehman polos, totes, caps, and more on resale sites for their personal collections.
New Yorker tote bags
If you’re in New York, people judge how cool you are based on whether you’re carrying a New Yorker bag or not. Carrying the iconic tote bag of The New Yorker magazine makes you feel like you are part of a club filled with thinking people who love art and poetry. The magazine gives free tote bags to its subscribers, and it’s also available online on various platforms.
Glossier bubble-wrap bags
Cult beauty brand Glossier managed to make packaging an iconic brand signature. It wrapped its product in a zip-top pouch made of pink bubble wrap, which inspired regular use among Glossier lovers.
Crypto exchange FTX has collapsed, and its former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is facing trial. But crypto lovers are still not done with it. Fraudster Bankman-Fried was known for always wearing shorts and t-shirts, whether it was a business meeting or an event. Perhaps that’s why his diehard fans are still obsessed with FTX t-shirts and like to keep them as souvenirs. Some of them were distributed free in Miami’s Art Basel after the crypto crackdown in 2022.
Silicon Valley Bank
It has been a year since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, but branded company merchandise such as socks, hats, and wine tumblers continue to sell at a high rate. People want to keep a part of the memory of the banking giant as souvenirs.