‘Do These Bags Come With Gold Bars?’: Trader Joe’s $2.99 Tote Generates Hours-Long Lines and Four-Figure Resale Prices

Trader Joe’s limited-edition tote bag has gone viral, with many lining up to get their hands on it for $2.99.

Many are baffled at the hype and wonder if these bags come with gold bars. @WallStreetApes recently shared a TikTok featuring a woman who visited Trader Joe’s on their X account.

The woman considered ducking into the store. But after taking note of the long line of people, she decided to simply head to work.

Her time-lapse showed a line stretching from the store entrance and continuing down the block.

Many appeared to be waiting for quite some time to buy the item. It comes in pastel shades like pink and blue and is also sold with plain colors like blue, yellow, red, and green. 

A narrator in the video investigated why shoppers were lining up for hours to buy the bag.

So, he headed to Ebay to check how much it would go for. Although the bag is priced at $2.99, people were selling it for anywhere between $15 to $44 for a single piece and $109 for a set of four.

The highest listing, however, was $1,999 but the user didn’t specify whether it was for a single piece or a bunch of them. 

On a separate platform, one seller listed a set of the bags for $31,000. Referring to the exorbitant price, he said, “No one would possibly buy that!” 

When reading aloud some of these prices, he also wondered if it was worth waiting for hours on end to buy and later sell it online.

X Wondered if The Trader Joe’s Limited-Edition Tote Bags Had Gold Bars in Them 

Commenters on X questioned what was driving the demand. The video had accumulated nearly 30,000 views at the time of publication on X. Many expressed their shock and even came up with creative quips for it. 

One particular user wondered whether these bags had gold bars in them. The user asked, “Do these bags come with gold bars in them? Because that’s what it’d take me to get to wait on a line that long.” 

Another user said the wait was excessive but defended the bag's quality, noting it had lasted 20 years of heavy use. They said, “Those bags are awesome! I’ve abused the same bag for 20 years. It never frays, rips, or fails.” 

Many continued to express their bewilderment over people flocking to Trader Joe’s for the bag. TikTok has been flooded with videos of influencers visiting Trader Joe's locations and filming the lines outside.

The details above reflect the account shared on X by @WallStreetApes. Resale prices cited were reported by the narrator in the video and have not been confirmed.