If you've been on the internet for even a second this month, you've probably been bombarded by all things Stanley. One day historians will look back on this era and say, "Why?" and "We were clearly not okay." And yet I cannot stop watching Stanley Cup mania unfold like the months-long livestream of Black Friday-esque mayhem it is.
The newest chapter of this drama is that a kind of Stanley Cup Black Market is forming, with many collectors, some of them children, snatching up limited-edition Stanley Quenchers for resale or making a career out of bedazzling Stanley Cups.
In the case of Ashley Kosko, who goes by @rhinestoningcowgirl on Instagram and TikTok, a hobby she adopted while dealing with medical issues turned into a lucrative business. An avid Stanley collector herself (her collection of 80 tumblers is worth around $30,000), Kosko applied her rhinestoning and bedazzling skills to customize Stanley's ever-popular Quenchers, which normally cost $45 to $50 a tumbler. Each cup takes around 50 hours to complete, and Koska typically charges between $350 to $1100 per cup, depending on the design. She's done sparkly crimson hearts, Southwestern-inspired ikat patterns, and even a poppy python print. It's turning out to be an entirely new industry, with other sellers offering custom Stanley name-plates, engraving services, and yes, jewelry for your Stanley.
Water bottles, like many other accessories, are one way we show off our identity. These customized water bottles also are how we signal to others our taste, beliefs, and even what in-the-know experiences we've attended.
Even if you're not paying $500 for bedazzled Stanley, brands like Starbucks and Target and exclusive events are rolling out their own limited-edition tumblers, as was the case at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Ahead of the festival, two siblings, Leah and Lucas Shapiro (13 and 10, respectively), bought six of the sold-out insulated cups to resell to festival goers. Of course, we already teach children how to do business in a capitalist world, with Girl Scout Cookies and lemonade stands. But they were selling the $50 tumblers for $150, as were other sellers on eBay, which is a 300 percent markup. So the Sundance Stanleys sold by the Shapiro kids are maybe not the price-gouging lesson that should be taught to America's youth.
Back in the day, many of us thought that owning a Princess Diana Beanie Baby would allow us to retire early, so I won't discount the collecting strategy here. Also, these custom cups are, in fact, really beautiful. While I'm decidedly neutral on Stanley fandom, I do have a fierce loyalty to my Hydroflask. It allows my iced coffee to stay iced all day long, often until the next day, which always brings me joy. So if that's the case for you and your Stanley, I support it. As long as no one is getting trampled, why yuck anyone's yum?
