Lord of the Rings Rerelease Popcorn Buckets Are Flipping

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Extended Edition trilogy is back in theaters this weekend, and both AMC and Regal are selling 25th anniversary popcorn buckets that are already flipping for solid profits on eBay. This is dead-simple opportunity to make a profit or at least pay for your movie tickets, and retail prices are much lower than other buckets we’ve seen go viral in the last year.

AMC is offering a collectible map tin featuring the full map of Middle-earth on one side and the 25th anniversary logo with Elvish script on the other. The tin comes with four magnets shaped like the One Ring, Eye of Sauron, Leaf of Lorien, and Arwen’s pendant, plus a large popcorn. The tin holds 130oz and is priced at $17.99.

These released on January 15, slightly ahead of the trilogy’s premiere. While AMC notes that availability is limited to select theaters, they haven’t published a list of these theaters. You might need to hunt around a bit.

Regal’s design went with a simpler approach featuring the iconic One Ring design in gold and green. The 130oz tin retailed for just $9.95 and comes with 30-day returns, making it a lower-risk flip. However, it’s already sold out on Regal’s online store.

The AMC map tin is currently selling for $45 to $55 on eBay with multiple confirmed sales. The design appears to be resonating more with collectors, likely due to the included magnet set and more detailed artwork.

Regal’s One Ring design is seeing similar pricing around $50, though with less volume since it sold out faster. The lower retail price means better margins here if you can still find it in theaters.

For the AMC tin, head to your local AMC theater starting January 15. The map tin is available at select locations only, so call ahead to confirm availability. There may be purchase limits of three tins per person.

Regal’s online stock is gone, but some theaters may still have inventory. Marcus Theatres, Epic Theatres, and other independent chains are also carrying the One Ring design, so check beyond just Regal locations.

The real opportunity here is bulk flipping. If you’ve got multiple AMC or Regal locations nearby, you could easily grab 10-15 tins across different theaters. At $25-33 profit each, that’s $250-500 for a few hours of theater hopping.

The extended editions are showing over two weekends (January 16-18 and 23-25), so there’s still time to hit multiple showings and stock up. Just keep in mind theaters may enforce per-person purchase limits.

This is a low-key opportunity that won’t make you rich but can easily offset your movie tickets and snacks. If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan heading to see the extended editions anyway, grab the three-tin max and flip the extras. If you’re serious about volume, map out multiple theater locations and treat it like a retail arbitrage run.

Just don’t sleep on this. These tins are selling out faster than Regal expected, and once they’re gone, you’ll be stuck buying at resale prices instead of making the profit yourself.