Scalpers Grab Trader Joe's Hottest Menu Items

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New foods are always available at Trader Joe's. Fans, including our editors, love the speciality grocer for that reason.

Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles from TJ's. The Taiwanese-style air-dried noodles have been a hit since they hit shelves last month.

TJ's chewy, ruffled noodles were instantly likened to celebrity chef more expensive Momofuku-brand noodles, and TikTok users showed thousands of viewers how to personalise them.

On Jan. 25, this writer bought a package of the fashionable noodles from a towering display in my Brooklyn, N.Y., Trader Joe's.

All the hubbub made sense. The four-pack of squiggly noodles costs $4.99. They're ready in five minutes. They're even better with a little chilli crisp.

The famous noodles are being sold on eBay for $20 by scalpers. Most "if not all" TJ's outlets are out of the popular product, and it won't be back until April, according to the story.

When I searched eBay on Feb. 27, just one California-based vendor was selling TJ's squiggly noodles for $9.98 plus $11.55 shipping. Two bids had been placed.

I found many more buzzy new TJ's goods on the internet marketplace, including three store-brand spice blends—Ketchup, Pizza, and Sriracha—all marked up to more than double the regular price.

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