Rae Dunn Measuring Cups and the Collectors Buying Them

News

By RC Staff

19 May 2023

If you’ve read our previous piece about the Rae Dunn Baby Canisters, then you might already be familiar with this peculiar subset of collector. Rae Dunn pottery is remarkably resellable, with after market prices often exceeding ten times what the products sell for retail. Most items from the collection are inexpensive, typically not being more than $30 retail at most.

Despite this, fans and collectors go absolutely insane trying to get their hands on the various plates and jars that come into stock at their local TJ Maxxes and Marshall’s. One standout example of this phenomenon are these Pistachio Measuring Cups, which originally retailed for around $15, and could resell for $400 or more.

Understanding the Rae Dunn release strategy

The most critical aspect behind the popularity of Rae Dunn branded products is their limited availability. They are only sold through Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods. They are also not available online, meaning interested buyers will need to individually scout out stores to find products. In the early days of their popularity, this led to a positive feedback loop: shoppers notice Rae Dunn goods are either sold out, or encounter groups of people waiting to buy newly restocked products. When previously uninterested shoppers encounter in-stock Rae Dunn items, they may be tempted to make a purchase, purely because they know the items may not be there tomorrow.

Additionally, Rae Dunn products are released on a seasonal basis, with remixes on a central theme being produced in a limited run for a short time, and then being gone for good. For resellers, this means that potentially any newly released item has the potential to massively increase in value months, or even years, after its initial release. Stocking up on new releases is generally safe, as less popular items can still be offloaded relatively easily to collectors or speculators.

The Rae Dunn Mint Measuring Cups

Well, these particular measuring cups are quite unremarkable. Part of the 2021 Easter release, they are a variation on a previously established theme. Cups are marked as “One, Half, Third, Quarter” (cup) respectively, and nest together. The only notable feature is the coloration: a minty or pistachio green. This seemed to be enough to establish their popularity however, and as of 2022, listings for the cups hover around $200.

The high price is likely due to a short supply. The manufacturers likely did not anticipate these to be as popular as they were, possibly even worrying they would be disliked. Rather than risk stock sitting on shelves, they may have decided to limit production, which when combined with their unexpected popularity, led to the incredible aftermarket we are seeing currently.

Future opportunities for reselling Rae Dunn pottery

While it’s obviously far too late to purchase any of these cups to resell, they still serve as a good lesson for future investments. Many of the most profitable and in-demand items come from unexpected places, and a constrained supply can make up for a lukewarm initial supply. In the long run, supply can be the determining factor for an item’s aftermarket value, and should always be weighed heavily, as is the case with these measuring cups.