A popular little pop-up market appeared along U.S. 621 Saturday morning, stocked with Squishies of nearly every size, shape and brand — along with fresh-made lemonade. Behind the tables were 10-year-olds Paisyn, Jessa and Rylee, who spent about a month accumulating and sourcing the Squishies for their sale.With help from their moms — Elexus Mohrbacher, Ashley Brewer and Stephanie Person — the girls turned one of the latest kid crazes into an opportunity to learn a little about business, buying and selling, and saving the money they earn.
And business was good.
Shoppers stopped to browse a colorful assortment that included plenty of the popular NeeDoh brand and other Squishies that have become highly sought-after among young collectors. Squishies have been around for several years, but after interest cooled for a while, social media — particularly TikTok — helped send their popularity soaring again. Some of the hardest-to-find varieties can disappear almost as soon as stores put them on the shelves. As with many popular collectibles, savvy resellers often snatch up the most sought-after squishies, making them even harder to find.
That has created its own miniature collectors’ market. Kids use trading boards to show what they have and what they’re looking for, and trades can involve some surprisingly quick negotiations.
These three sellers know their inventory.
Paisyn has 138 Squishies in her collection. Her favorite is the NeeDoh Popsicle, while the elusive Needoh Teeny Funky Pop is the “unicorn” she would most like to find.
Jessa’s collection has reached about 450 Squishies, which she catalogs and sorts in drawer containers. Her favorite is the Jumbo De-Stressor Ball, while she’s searching for one of the Fuzz Ball Barnyard Animals — particularly the pig. She’d be willing to spend as much as $20 to get one.
Rylee also names the Jumbo De-Stressor Ball as her favorite and is hunting for a medium-sized Fuzz Ball Barnyard Animal. She’s not sure how many she has, but she knows it is a lot.
There is one thing the three agree on unanimously: the weirdest Squishies are Tabas.
Customer Harper had her own shopping strategy Saturday. She likes the popular trends and NeeDoh products but ultimately chooses a Squishy for one very practical reason — how it feels.
While the Squishies may have brought shoppers to the stand, the morning was about more than the latest craze. The girls are learning about running a business — buying products, tracking expenses, setting prices, making sales, calculating profits and dealing with customers.
The girls are already talking about another Squishy sale before Christmas. As for Saturday’s profits, word is that at least some of that carefully saved money may eventually be invested in something considerably less squishy: A hedgehog.
