Campbell's Cream of Shrimp is the latest "dead product" flip to go viral. Dexerto reported on October 21 that a $2 can of the discontinued soup is being listed by resellers for as much as $200. We pulled the eBay sold listings to see what buyers are really paying, and the gap between the headline and the sold prices is the whole lesson.
What happened to Cream of Shrimp
Campbell's quietly stopped making Cream of Shrimp in 2025. Per Chowhound, a company spokesperson said it found customers prefer its other "Cream Of" soups. Fans who used the shrimp flavor as a base for sauces and seafood dishes are left hunting for leftover cans.
Dexerto says some stores still have stock but are unlikely to restock it once it's gone, and that retail runs about $1.50 to $2.50 per can. Resellers are the ones now charging a premium, mostly on eBay.
Asking price vs. sold price
Dexerto's reported asking prices: $12 to $18 for a single can, $25 to $35 for a two-pack, $150 for a 12-pack, and some sellers asking "upwards of $200." Dexerto doesn't point to a specific $200 listing that sold.
Here's what eBay's completed, sold listings show for brand new cans (checked October 22; item price only, shipping is extra):
| Lot | Typical sold price |
|---|---|
| 1 can | $6.50 to $15 (plus $6 to $8 shipping) |
| 2 cans | $21.59 to $35.99, most around $26 to $30 |
| 4 cans | $49 to $55 |
| 5 to 6 cans | $49.99 to $69 |
| 12 cans | $104.99 to $179.99, most around $135 to $150 |
A few more details from the sold results:
- A 12-can lot sold for $179.99 on August 19, the highest we saw. Cases sold for $135 (with four dented cans), $145 and $149.99 in recent weeks.
- Several sellers accepted best offers below their asking price, so the listed price isn't always what changes hands.
- Sales were steady well before the viral post: the sold results run back to March, so this isn't a one-day spike.
- We didn't find a sold listing at $200. That number looks like an asking price, not a result.
So the honest read: a can that costs about $2 is selling for roughly $13 to $15 each in two-packs and $11 to $15 each in a case. That's real money. But the headline number overstates it.
Can you actually flip it?
The margin is big on paper. The problem is the supply, and the clock.
Sourcing is the whole game. The product is discontinued, so there's nothing to restock. You only profit if you find leftover cans on a shelf at close to $2. The sellers on eBay are mostly people who found old stock and listed it, not people with a pipeline.
Cans expire. Listings on eBay quote best-by dates, mostly December 2026 and March 2027, and buyers read them. Cans closer to the date sell for less. Every month you hold this, your window shrinks. It's one of the few flips where waiting costs you.
Shipping is heavy. Canned soup is dense, so a 12-pack costs real money to ship, and several of the sold listings charge $15 or more for it. Price that in before you list.
It's a food product. Check eBay's rules for selling food and whatever applies where you live before you list. Don't sell damaged or leaking cans.
Flip, hold or pass? Our take
If you spot cans at retail for around $2: buy a few and list them as two-packs. The two-pack is the sweet spot in the sold data, and shipping is cheaper than a case. Don't buy more than you can list within a month or two.
Buying from eBay to resell: pass. At $27 for two cans, there's no margin left, and the headline is already out. The first buyers made money on the surprise. Everyone arriving now is competing on price.
The bigger lesson is the pattern. Discontinued pantry staples, fast-food toys and promo items spike when a product disappears and people notice. The same thing happened with Burger King's Hello Kitty toys and the Hallmark Halo Xbox ornament, where the flip math depended on the sold price, not the asking price. For a method, read how to find products that resell on eBay and Amazon. New to this? Start with how to start reselling, or browse more lowkey flips.
How we'd check any viral resale story
- Open eBay, search the product, and filter by Sold Items. Ignore active listings.
- Check the dates. Are the sales recent, and are the prices rising or falling?
- Count the best offers. If sellers keep accepting less than asking, use that lower number.
- Subtract shipping, fees and the cost to source it.
- Ask whether you can actually buy more at the cost you assumed.
Get the lowkey flip calls in our Discord
We flag cheap, low-risk flips like this one in our Discord, with sold data checked before we post.
Sources
- Dexerto — $2 cans of soup are now being listed for $200 by resellers after flavor discontinued (October 21, 2026)
- Chowhound — The Campbell's Canned Seafood Soup That Was Sadly Discontinued In 2025 (October 3, 2026)
- eBay — Campbell's Cream of Shrimp soup, sold listings (checked October 22, 2026)
- Dexerto on X — @Dexerto (October 22, 2026)