Sunny Cho, a designer at KellyToy, was asked to create designs for the new stretchy fabric she had acquired. Instead of the traditional American style of plushies, Cho wanted to try something different. She wanted to incorporate Japanese styles into the plush.
First, she came up with the egg shape. Then she started designing the belly and face of the plush. In total, she made 12 different designs: cats, llamas, penguins, hedgehogs, owls, foxes, and more! In 2017, when the first “squad” was released, they were only located at amusement parks and certain pop and mom shops.
James Zahn, the senior editor at Toy Insider, said, “It took off in a way no one really expected. Part of the initial appeal of Squishmallows was the fact that they were a little harder to get.”
Then in 2019, Jazwares bought KellyToy. They made the Squishmallows a lot more accessible. The toy became available in multiple locations, including Target, Walmart, Five Below, Walgreens, CVS, Costco, and a multitude of other locations.
Then, during the pandemic, the plush toys took off. Children became overwhelmed with anxiety, and the Squishmallows helped calm them. Their reasonable price also prompted the parents to buy them.
However, children are not the only ones to enjoy the plushies. For example, in 2020, Nancy Ferrell was recovering from surgery when she was gifted 3 of the toys. She admitted after recovery that she “started to become kind of obsessed.” She began collecting with her friends, and now she has around 200 Squishmallows between her family members.
Each Squishmallow is unique. They each have their own name; a “squish date,” similar to a birthday; and their own backstory. Nadia Lindstrom picked out a “sad-looking” one just because of his story. “Okay, he’s coming home with me,” she said.
Carter Kench, an influencer in Los Angeles, has a giant pile of Squishmallows consisting of about 430. His first viral video was of him being lowered into a life-sized Squishmallow claw machine. Most of his videos consist of him going on Squishmallow hunts.
Serious collectors will go as far as camping outside of stores to get first pick on the restocked Squishmallows. In conclusion, no matter your age, Squishmallows are for everyone. They are calming and the community is warm and welcoming.
First, she came up with the egg shape. Then she started designing the belly and face of the plush. In total, she made 12 different designs: cats, llamas, penguins, hedgehogs, owls, foxes, and more! In 2017, when the first “squad” was released, they were only located at amusement parks and certain pop and mom shops.
James Zahn, the senior editor at Toy Insider, said, “It took off in a way no one really expected. Part of the initial appeal of Squishmallows was the fact that they were a little harder to get.”
Then in 2019, Jazwares bought KellyToy. They made the Squishmallows a lot more accessible. The toy became available in multiple locations, including Target, Walmart, Five Below, Walgreens, CVS, Costco, and a multitude of other locations.
Then, during the pandemic, the plush toys took off. Children became overwhelmed with anxiety, and the Squishmallows helped calm them. Their reasonable price also prompted the parents to buy them.
However, children are not the only ones to enjoy the plushies. For example, in 2020, Nancy Ferrell was recovering from surgery when she was gifted 3 of the toys. She admitted after recovery that she “started to become kind of obsessed.” She began collecting with her friends, and now she has around 200 Squishmallows between her family members.
Each Squishmallow is unique. They each have their own name; a “squish date,” similar to a birthday; and their own backstory. Nadia Lindstrom picked out a “sad-looking” one just because of his story. “Okay, he’s coming home with me,” she said.
Carter Kench, an influencer in Los Angeles, has a giant pile of Squishmallows consisting of about 430. His first viral video was of him being lowered into a life-sized Squishmallow claw machine. Most of his videos consist of him going on Squishmallow hunts.
Serious collectors will go as far as camping outside of stores to get first pick on the restocked Squishmallows. In conclusion, no matter your age, Squishmallows are for everyone. They are calming and the community is warm and welcoming.
