If you’ve been to any Homegoods, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls recently you’ve undoubtedly seen plain white mugs or jars with phrases on them like coffee, please or cocoa. While browsing in Homegoods, I remember seeing a jar that said cotton balls on it and thinking “that’s oddly specific.” All of these products have that very telling font. They’re Rae Dunn, a ceramics company known for its distinct designs, and distinct following. Somehow, this company has attracted a cult following, with shoppers desperate to get Rae Dunn products which are sold exclusively at TJX stores (the company that owns Homegoods, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc.).
Rae Dunn founded the eponymous brand in 1995. She had worked as a waitress before discovering her passion for ceramics. I decided to do some research to find out more about Rae Dunn and its followers.
Even Rae Dunn herself referred to the culture around her brand as a “weird phenomenon.” The Rae Dunn cult is composed of superfans, primarily suburban moms, who are known as Rae Dunn Hunters or Rae Dunnies. They communicate primarily through Facebook Groups with names such as “Rae Dunn Newbies” or “Rae Dunn Addicts.” Many of these groups have tens of thousands of members where they talk about Rae Dunn and give advice for scoring certain pieces of merchandise. When I searched “Rae Dunn” on Facebook, the first group that came up was called “Rae Dunn ADDICTS Buy, Sell & Trade” and it currently has 54 thousand members. This group was private, but I found a public one called “Rae Dunn Lovers😍” that has over 2 thousand members. It’s an endless feed of pictures of Rae Dunn merchandise that people are selling, including a house shaped piggy bank that says dunn fund and a plant spritzer that says thrive. Rae Dunn really makes everything; I even saw a baby shirt that says red, white, and cute.
You’d never expect people would physically fight over a $7 mug, but Rae Dunn seasonal mugs bring out a different side of the Dunnies. When these coveted items come out, women line up outside of a store, then when it opens run to the shelves to grab the products as fast as they can, even if they have to run others over. Besides the seasonal items, there are rare pieces, such as the “oink pig,” a pig-shaped can with the word oink written in it that also cause a stir. Dunnies even go as far as tracking TJX orders in order to find these rare pieces, as sometimes only a few will go to each Homegoods. Since these items are rare, their resale value is high. Two pigs retailed for $16.99, but have a resale value of $250. But Dunnies aren’t always in it for the money, for them, the satisfaction of finding a rare piece is sometimes enough.
To get this information, I read an article from Refinery29 titled “Rae Dunn Didn’t Mean To Start A Cult.” The article also included some things TJ Maxx employees have said about Dunnies. One employee stated that “they stand around like vultures and even get into fights over Rae Dunn mugs that cost like $8.99” and another former employee stated that “they were always waiting at the door for us to open. It was intense.”
I wanted to see what Rae Dunn products are currently being sold online. The Rae Dunn products that can be sold for the most money are rare items and sets that are put together from similar items. I found a set called “Rae Dunn Everything You Need For Perfect Pancakes” that includes a butter dish that says butter, a big pitcher that says milk, a small pitcher that says syrup, a bowl that says stir crazy, a container that says pancake mix, and egg holders that say farm fresh and free range. It goes for $200 plus delivery fees. But that’s not nearly the craziest Rae Dunn resell. Rare items can go for hundreds and even thousands of dollars. An “exclusive” teapot with the world chirp on it is $1,200 on Ebay. Another “hard to find” teapot with the word tea on it is listed for $885 (and that’s a steal because the same teapot is $1,400 on Mercari). A set of nine “rare” canisters goes for $1,299.99 while the “rare” spooky plate is $850. There are endless pages of Rae Dunn resells on Ebay and other sites. It’s no surprise that the Dunnies go crazy in stores, knowing how much money they can make from reselling.
Rae Dunn started her brand with no bad intentions, but it turned into something that people are so desperate for they are willing to fight over it. Whether they’re in it for the money or for collection purposes, it’s clear that a massive number of people are under the Rae Dunn influence.
