Bluey Gnomes return to Bunnings after they sold out in February

Bunnings has confirmed that a cult item that sold out and was resold online for hundreds of dollars has landed back on shelves for a limited time.

Bunnings has confirmed a cult item that sold out and was resold online for hundreds of dollars has landed back on shelves for a limited time.

The hardware chain transformed seven of its stores across Australia and New Zealand in February into “Hammerbarn”, a fictional DIY chain featured in the hit children’s television show Bluey.

In addition to rebranding storefronts and offering kids’ workshops, Bunnings also released a collection of gnomes - which were heavily in the show as Bluey and Bingo fought over them and learned a valuable lesson about being content with what you have.

The four figurines, which retail at $19, proved so “popular” that “all floor stock” sold out, a Bunnings spokesperson confirmed to news.com.au at the time.

But, seven months after the items were first introduced, a Bunnings spokesperson had confirmed to news.com.au the gnomes would be coming back for a limited time.

“Find Hecuba, Jeremy, Tony and the Meditation gnome at Bunnings stores across Australia from Saturday August 3,” Bunnings’ website read.

Bluey gnomes are back at Bunnings. Picture: Supplied

“Available in-store only, while stocks last. We want to make access to Bluey Garden Gnomes as fair as possible, so there is a limit of four gnomes per customer.”

When Bunnings first introduced the gnomes, there was a frenzy for them with many stores being sold out before opening weekend was over.

Loyal Bluey fan Christian Hull, a popular comedian and social media personality, was unable to make it into stores to snag one of the coveted gnomes due to work commitments – however one of his followers came to his rescue. She picked him up a gnome in exchange for concert tickets.

Fans of the show expressed their fury at the insane 'price gouging' of the figurines on online marketplaces. Picture: Supplied

Some also saw the gnomes as an opportunity to make a quick buck, grabbing as many gnomes as they could and listing them online for resale.

The gnomes showed up on the likes of Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Etsy at “crazy” mark-ups – some listed for as much as $350.

One West Australian eBay seller, Perth Now reported, got their hands on nine sets of the gnomes, and listed them on the platform at a starting price of $399 each. They since sold all of the sets, with one even going for $425 (making a profit of $406).

The item sold out in February. Picture: TikTok

Bunnings director of merchandise, Jen Tucker, told news.com.au at the time that the retailer was “incredibly disappointed to see a small number of people reselling Bluey products online at inflated prices”, adding that “we don’t support this behaviour in any way”.

“The popularity of our Bluey product range has exceeded our expectations and we’re sorry to hear some customers have missed out on buying a garden gnome,” Ms Tucker said.

Customers in the Adult Bluey Fans Club Facebook group were quick to call out the “disgusting” behaviour, alongside screenshots of some of the “crazy high listings”.