The egg shortage has officially cracked Californians. Shoppers in San Bernardino were recently spotted lining up in staggering queues at Costco, all in pursuit of one thing: cheap eggs. With prices at traditional grocery stores like Walmart soaring past $9 a dozen, Costco’s relatively affordable offering (nearly half the price) has turned into a hot commodity, pushing some customers to wait in line for hours just to score a few cartons.
A now-viral video posted by Kevin Macleod (@shophoto) and now circulating on Reddit showcases the madness: a sea of shoppers snaking through the warehouse parking lot, each person clutching a shopping cart, determined to leave with their prized eggs. The sheer scale of the line has left many baffled, with one Reddit user, Hawkeye2491, sarcastically commenting, “If my time was valueless, sure.”
Others questioned the logic behind the wait, comparing it to extreme penny-pinching behavior. “Like the people who drive 30 minutes out of their way to save 50 cents because the gas station on the other side of town is a few cents cheaper per gallon,” wrote Dr_Hannibal_Lecter. Another user, JustABizzle, summed it up bluntly: “More dollars than sense.”
But for many Californians, the incentive is real. Thanks to the ongoing avian flu outbreak, which has wiped out millions of chickens, egg prices have skyrocketed nationwide. In California, where egg production has been particularly hard hit, prices have surged even higher than the national average. Costco’s ability to sell eggs at nearly half the cost of competitors has turned its warehouse locations into ground zero for bargain-hunting shoppers.
A Repeat of the Toilet Paper Frenzy?
The scene at Costco has drawn comparisons to the infamous toilet paper hoarding of 2020. Some believe that mass panic, rather than necessity, is fueling the chaos. “Maybe mass hysteria like the toilet paper issue,” wrote SoldierBoi69.
Others suggested a more cynical reason—reselling. With eggs now a high-demand, high-cost item, some believe shoppers are buying in bulk and flipping their haul for a profit. “Egg resellers. Life is pretty sad if spending time in lineups to eventually resell eggs is how you spend your time,” wrote waylonsmithersjr.
Unlike toilet paper, however, eggs have a limited shelf life, which means hoarding them isn’t exactly a long-term strategy. One user, Virtual_Parsley2114, pointed out the obvious flaw: “Problem is that unlike toilet paper, eggs don’t last. You can’t just stock up on a bunch.”
How Long Will the Egg Shortage Last?
Experts say the current crisis could take months to resolve, as farmers work to replenish their flocks and contain further outbreaks. In the meantime, shoppers looking for a deal may have to continue making tough choices: endure the Costco queues or shell out significantly more at traditional grocery stores.
As one Redditor, z3r0l1m1t5, put it: “I like eggs, but I must be missing something. Unless these are all breakfast diner owners or something, I can’t fathom needing eggs that bad.”
For some Californians, however, the answer is simple—if it means saving a few bucks, no line is too long
