What Ever Happened To Starbucks' Silver Card And How Many Were Available?

Forget about Tiffany & Co. One of the most sought-after luxury gifts of 2014 was the Limited Edition Sterling Silver Starbucks Card. This mini gift card was small enough to fit on a key chain, priced at $200, and the initial online sale of 1,000 cards sold out in four hours. Another 43,000 or so silver cards were quickly snapped up in stores. The .925 silver keychain card came preloaded with $50, making it one of the year's must-have gifts for Starbucks super fans. The buying frenzy around the silver card coincided with another high-end luxury launch: Starbucks Reserve.

Starbucks has long been known for producing collectable merchandise: Commemorative city mugs, limited edition reusable holiday-themed cups, and gift cards fill Starbucks store shelves year round. So what makes the sterling Starbucks card different? The silver card was part of a luxe series of metal gift cards produced from 2012 to 2015. A limited number were sold in stores and through collaborations with websites like Gilt. Other metals included stainless steel, rose gold, and even solid 10-karat gold. After the success of the silver card, Starbucks took the concept up a notch with three shimmery Swarovski crystal-encrusted metal cards in silver, gold or blue in 2015.

Why are people still searching for Starbucks silver cards years after they sold out? One reason is the collectables market. Starbucks card collecting has become a robust industry, with metal cards selling for as much as or more than their original value on eBay, Etsy, and Poshmark. Secondary markets and a growing Starbucks collector base have driven up the value of expired gift cards, especially ones as limited as the metallic silver keychain card.

The silver card is relatively rare and fetches a premium price when resold, but by far the most rare collectable card is the 10-karat hammered gold card. Only ten were produced, and they came with free Starbucks for life. However, these cards couldn't be purchased. They were given for free as part of an "It's a Wonderful Life" giveaway in December 2014. To win, customers had to purchase coffee with a Starbucks card or the mobile app. Valued at $5,000 each, plus free drinks for a lifetime, these might be the most valuable collectable gift cards ever produced.