Top Gun 40th Anniversary Popcorn Helmets are Already Reselling

AMC, Cinemark, Marcus Theatres, and other chains are carrying one or both designs ahead of the May 13 re-release. The Maverick bucket is a navy blue fighter pilot helmet with character-accurate markings and a flip-up visor that opens to reveal the popcorn compartment. The Goose bucket is a red helmet with “GOOSE” lettering on the back and VF-1 squadron markings, using the same flip-up visor design. Both hold 130 oz and come with a large popcorn included.

Pricing is around $35 depending on the chain. This is not exclusive to any particular chain, and some theaters were selling theirs online (that stock is all sold out now). Availability is spotty and entirely determined by the individual theater. The film doesn’t release until next week, so it’s possible some locations are keeping them off the shelf until then.

Keep your bucket in its original packaging and skip eating the popcorn out of it if you’re planning to flip. These are all-sales-final items with no returns offered, so only buy what you’re confident you can move.

The one-week theatrical window is the biggest factor working in resellers’ favor here. Most popcorn bucket releases tied to major films run for weeks or even months at retail, giving supply time to catch up with demand. That’s not the case here. Both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick return to theaters May 13 and are scheduled to exit after May 19, which means theaters ordered finite stock with no expectation of replenishment.

Individual buckets are currently moving on eBay in the $65 to $75 range. At $70 gross after eBay’s 13% cut, you’re netting roughly $61 per bucket, not counting shipping. On a $35 purchase, that’s about $26 profit per unit. Bundles of both helmets are tracking around $150, which nets closer to $130 after fees, roughly $80 profit on a $72 investment.

The Goose bucket may have a slight edge. Character-specific Goose merchandise has historically been scarcer than Maverick-themed items, and the red helmet design stands out more in search results. This is a modest but clean flip, and the limited theatrical run puts a real ceiling on supply that most popcorn bucket releases don’t have.

Collectable popcorn buckets have been one of the more consistent resell plays this year. If you missed the Shrek Outhouse Popcorn Bucket at AMC or the Devil Wears Prada 2 handbag bucket, the Top Gun helmets are another clean entry point into this category.