Influencer Who Sparked Backlash for Reselling Viral Trader Joe’s Totes for $1500 Says Price Reflects ‘Demand’ (Exclusive) – ryan

An influencer is speaking out after going viral for reselling her artwork on Trader Joe’s bags for up to $1,500 a piece.

NYC-based artist and influencer Gabriela Vasci (@gab_nyc on TikTok) sparked controversy when she began selling hand-painted versions of the viral Trader Joe’s Mini Tote bags for hundreds of dollars, with one version of the bag being quoted for $1,500.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Vasci clarified that the $1,500 price tag that was enraging the internet was a quote she gave a potential customer for a version of one of the tote bags that had been turned into a framed art piece.

“The art piece of that exact tote that’s in the video that someone reached out to me asking to buy is the $1,500 framed art piece,” she said. “And I did tell her, that price does reflect the current demand of the totes online, the market, supply and demand, It’s not necessarily a stagnant price.”

The influencer added that she will also paint custom tote bags on commission and that the standard price for the painted totes that she sells range between $250 to $500, an option she also shared when the initial inquiry was made.

Vasci’s pinned video of her painted tote bags has racked up over 1.3 million views on TikTok, with thousands of outraged commenters commenting on the price tag.

“You’re charging $1500 per bag for THIS,” one TikTok creator wrote, with another adding “ur so out of touch”.

The Trader Joe’s Mini Tote bags that Vasci has been painting first went viral in 2024, though Vasci says she was able to get her hands on them before the frenzy surrounding their limited availability really took off.

The bags were released in pastel colors earlier this month and sold out in less than one day.

The non-painted version of the totes retail in-store for $3.

“There’s always going to be someone that says ‘That’s not worth it. I wouldn’t pay that.’ But at the same time, there’s always going to be someone out there that does love your work and does see the value in it and will pay that number,” Vasci told PEOPLE. “I just think you can’t make everyone happy, and that’s why you should just kind of price your work as you see fit.”

Vasci said that the original four totes she went viral for are no longer for sale as she’s turned them into larger framed art pieces in which the totes no longer being usable.

She clarified with PEOPLE that she is not a classically trained artist but studied Art History at Columbia University where she learned about art theory, creating art using found objects, and contemporary art.

The influencer hopes to keep her framed bags as a limited series, a nod to the “limited edition nature of the totes themselves” and hopes that the situation can help start a larger conversation about art and pricing in general.

“I’m definitely glad that (the bags) kind of sparked conversation about art and commissioning art, and what people are willing to pay for products and art,” she said. “I think the fact that the Trader Joe’s toads themselves are being seen as very valuable as plain canvases right now, in a way, is really interesting, because that itself is adding value. And it’s just part of the art piece.”