The Juiced Guide To: Making Money Off Popcorn Buckets

Introduction

The ever-evolving world of reselling is one where opportunity often lies in the most unexpected places. Lately, a new collectible has emerged that has been making people money — popcorn buckets. These containers, designed for everyone’s favorite movie snack have become highly collectible lately. As with any item that is collectible, this has seen an opportunity arise where you can make money selling them. And so, in this article, we delve deeper into the perhaps strange, yet, potentially highly profitable world of popcorn buckets.

Why Popcorn Buckets?

At first glance, these colorful containers might just seem like gimmicks designed to drive up the cost of your cinema snacks. However, for the shrewd reseller, these buckets have the potential to deliver surprisingly high returns. This is due in large to these buckets having found a sweet spot at the intersection of cinema fandom and the booming market for collectibles.

What Makes A Profitable Popcorn Bucket?

It is important to note that not all popcorn buckets will be a money maker, and it can be hard to tell what makes up one that will in fact be profitable. However, below is some criteria that make up the majority of profitable popcorn buckets.

Limited Availability: The harder a bucket is to get, the higher its resale value. Limited edition or exclusive buckets will usually perform best. Many theaters in the US offer exclusive buckets that can only be bought at their screening of a film or online store. For example, AMC theaters recently released two buckets to mark the release of the new Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse film – a Spiderman bucket and a Gwen Stacey bucket. Each of these retailed at $30 and are going for over double that on eBay at the time of writing. Luckily, Juiced members were informed of this release, meaning they could get to AMC theaters as fast as possible before the stock was sold out. If you also want to stay up to date on the latest releases across collectibles, sneakers, NFTs, electronics and much more including popcorn buckets then sign up to Juiced for free here.

Character Popularity: Buckets themed around beloved characters or popular franchises typically fetch higher prices. This is what we are seeing currently with the launch of the new Spiderman movie mentioned previously. Characters like these are in high demand among collectors who buy anything tied to their favorite characters.

Design Innovation: Unique and innovative designs that offer a twist on the traditional popcorn bucket can drive up resale prices. Nobody wants to buy a plain red and white striped popcorn bucket they can get from Walmart. Buckets that double as functional items, such as bags or containers, or those with interactive features can catch the eye of collectors.

Global Exclusivity: Buckets exclusive to certain places such as Tokyo Disneyland or Shanghai Disney, often attract higher prices due to their inaccessibility to international customers. These items can offer a unique appeal for collectors who desire a more diverse collection.

Market Timing: The timing of the sale can also influence the profitability of a bucket. For example, whilst Spiderman buckets are popular now with the release of the new movie, their popularity could easily be overtaken when the new Indiana Jones movie drops in the coming months, causing prices to crash. Moreover, the market could become flooded with products with everyone looking for a piece of the profit. As with anything, it is best to capitalize and keep up to date on the current trends of the industry to make the most profit.

Where To Buy Popcorn Buckets For Resell?

As mentioned briefly before, a lot of theaters will offer exclusive buckets to those who attend their screening of a certain movie. In the US, this is done mainly by Cinemark and AMC theaters. There are other ways however to get your hands on some popular popcorn buckets. One of these is through Disney parks and resorts. Each year, Disney Parks across the world roll out an array of popcorn bucket designs, often releasing some styles for a limited period.

Notable examples of these sought-after collectibles include Walt Disney World’s Figment popcorn bucket, inspired by Journey into Imagination, and Disneyland’s Elliot the Dragon bucket, a tribute to the Mainstreet Electrical Parade. Despite long waiting lines, often up to 8 hours, the Figment buckets at one stage fetched resale prices of around $90. However, it’s important as a reseller to remember that not every popcorn bucket is a golden ticket to profit that will last forever as sales have now fallen to half their peak. Another case in point is the Mummy Mickey popcorn bucket, launched during Halloween 2021. This item witnessed slow sales and its resale value peaked at a modest $39.90, illustrating that potential profits can vary widely.

Across the globe, different Disney parks offer buckets that can be highly lucrative to sell in the US. For example, Tokyo Disneyland, reputed for its creative merchandise, released an Alice in Wonderland popcorn bucket in 2021. Despite its original price of $24, it peaked at a price of over $100 and is now sitting at a respectable $60 or so on eBay. In a similar vein, Shanghai Disney unveiled a popcorn bucket featuring Linabell, their cat mascot, which peaked around the same price.

Conclusion

In conclusion, for those with an understanding of both the movie and collectibles industries and a knack for spotting profitable trends, the market for reselling exclusive movie popcorn buckets could prove a lucrative one. Once again, be sure to sign up to Juiced if you have not already, so you can stay informed on the best and most profitable popcorn bucket releases.

Sean O Reilly

Authored this article.