Revealed: The coveted and rare In-N-Out Burger souvenir you can get for free - then sell online for hundreds of dollars

There is a rare In-N-Out Burger souvenir that you can get for free and sell for nearly $1,000 online. 

There are many rumors about how to get your hands on one of these collectors items, but only one way how: being the first customer at a new In-N-Out restaurant.

The first customer at a new store opening, which are said to be not celebrated or advertised, will receive the coveted In-N-Out coin. 

The tradition began nearly 70-years-ago when In-N-Out co-founder Harry Snyder, created his first burger coin in 1958, when the chain only had three stores. 

The coins, about the size of a silver dollar, are being sold on second-hand retail sites like eBay for up to $800.

'We don't really celebrate or advertise new store openings, however, it's our tradition to welcome our first customer with a special In-N-Out Burger coin as well as a T-shirt, and the meal that day is on us,' In-N-Out COO Denny Warnick told the Eureka Times-Standard in 2020 before the opening of a California store. 

Recently, a member of the In-N-Out Facebook group shared his surprise encounter of receiving a prized 400 coin from a manager. 

This particular coin commemorated the chain's milestone of opening its 400th restaurant in Meridian, Idaho, the San Fransisco Gate reported.

Each burger coin is redeemable for menu items and has no expiration date. 

The collection comprises of twelve variations, including an exceptionally rare solid silver coin exclusively for staff promoted to store manager.

One TikToker and passionate In-N-Out fan shared his experience in attaining the special coin in a video he shared last year. 

'First customers at the In-N-Out Burger grand opening,' he captioned the clip. He described getting interviewed by 'In-N-Out TV' after being the first customer at the store opening. 

'I was so excited, I turned red,' User Graham Salisbury said in the video before posing with his silver coin. 

The burger joint, founded in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder, continues to expand across the country. 

Its famous 'animal style' burgers and fries are more commonly associated with the golden beaches of California.

But fast-food giant In-N-Out is pushing forward with its expansion into the rest of America with a new restaurant set to open in Washington.

The location will be the first In-N-Out in the Evergreen State - the ninth region the burger chain has ventured into.

A spokesman for the restaurant told DailyMail.com last month that the new store, in the city of Ridgefield, was 'very early in the development process'. 

It was waiting for a permit from the City and would still take between eight and nine months to build once construction begins.

It comes amidst a rapid change in direction for In-N-Out which has been increasingly straying beyond its California roots.

In-N-Out is known for its nostalgic décor, fresh burgers and loyal cult following. It has a host of celebrity fans, with Meghan Markle even being pictured picking up an order from the restaurant in September.

For decades, it only had restaurants in California due to its commitment to only using fresh burger patties. It means all locations must be within 300 miles of an In-N-Out distribution center.

Its first store outside of the Golden State was in Las Vegas, Nevada which opened in 1992.

In 2000, the chain then opened a restaurant in Arizona before expanding into Utah in 2008.

Today, there are 275 locations in California, 43 in Texas and 34 in Arizona. Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Texas are all home to at least one.

Last month, it hit headlines after announcing plans to open multiple locations in Tennessee by 2026. Another is being planned in Albuquerque, New Mexico.