I woke at 3:30 am for a Starbucks bear cup

Twelve years of Starbucks cups

Yolanda Cole has collected Starbucks merchandise since studded cups first caught her eye. She used to walk into stores at normal times and find them waiting. That changed when Bearista launches began.

The first Bearista drop

Last year, Cole heard about a cute bear cup being released. She arrived at her local Starbucks at 5:30 am, but they were already gone. She was disappointed.

Soccer bears and strawberry bears

In summer, Cole found a soccer bear cup celebrating FIFA and loved it more than the original. A Strawberry Bearista cup followed, requiring her to arrive at 4:30 am to beat the huge line.

The Snoopy cup at 4 am

The Snoopy Bearista cup arrived next, and Cole felt nostalgic about it. The line was surprisingly short that morning, though she still arrived at 4 a.m. to be safe.

Mystery cup hype builds

Starbucks Facebook groups Cole follows buzzed for weeks about a mystery Bearista cup coming soon. She knew the mystery element would make it super popular and extremely competitive.

3:30 am and fourth in line

On Tuesday morning, Cole woke at 3:30 a.m., drove six minutes to her closest Starbucks, and waited with about 20 other people. She was fourth in line when the store opened at 5 a.m.

A community of collectors

While waiting, Cole chatted with others in line, including someone from the previous drop. A collector community was forming, though some people were there only to buy and resell.

The white bear that turns blue

Cole got her mystery cup and opened it with another customer. It was a white bear that turns blue when you pour liquid into it. She was so happy she told everyone all day.

“We've got to do the little things that make us smile. And for me, these little bear cups do just that.”