Social media transforms squish of comfort to squeeze of profit

Despite being deemed childish, many adults have acted like kids in a candy store when it comes to collecting a miscellany of different plush toys. After their first release in 2017, Squishmallows rose to their subsequent fame in the midst of a global pandemic in 2020. Following suit, Jellycats and Labubus soon also gained collectable status because of their virality on Tiktok. The petite plushies sparked rising trends all across social media, leaving many to question why this grew to be a trend in the first place and just how far people are willing to go to collect them. 

While the entire world stayed penned up in their houses for several months to reduce the spread of COVID-19, many people came to replace human connection with other stuffed toys. Many began accumulating these Squishmallows specifically, starting a trend of seas of plushies. The soft, egglike balls of warmth that come in a variety of designs claimed the hearts of many worldwide. 

Soon after, however, Jellycats garnered their own attention in 2023 for their aesthetic and emotional appeal. Jellycats started selling out, claiming its title as the it girl of the stuffed animals. The ceaseless cycle of stuffed animal crazes didn’t end there. In April of 2024, the grimacing bag charms called Labubus entered the market. After first being released in 2019, the antagonizing creatures have been everywhere, leading to the creation of viral TikTok sounds, products, and foods. Isabel Baquer of the University of Florida argues that the blind-box packaging of the little dolls has given consumers a psychological experience comparable to buying a lottery ticket. Consumers don’t want to miss out on the chance to get a rare edition, even if it means spending upwards of 130 dollars on one of the keychain dolls.

Since becoming trends, they have been highly sought after by many people, considered valuable collectors’ items and sold at high prices on retail markets. Reasons as to why this trend sparked in the first place vary for a multitude of reasons. Some say the plushies spark feelings of comfort and nostalgia of childhood and times reminiscent of the 90s when Beanie Babies were trending. Others say they were influenced after seeing their favorite celebrity tote one. Labubus have started to be seen as more of a symbol of status rather than just a collectible. People are willing to go out of their way to have the soft, fluffy toys in their possession as numerous videos across platforms showcase people waiting for hours on end outside of stores, stocks becoming barren after only just a few minutes and various other incidents of people committing impulsive acts all over social media, showing just how far they’ll go to follow the latest trends.

Simply because of the scarcity of Labubus, multiple cases of fights and volatile crowds have broken out across the UK, causing numerous stores within the nation to temporarily stop selling them for the safety of others. It presents just how much people see this as more than just a bag charm, seeing it as a symbol of status in the already competitive market where it’s first come first serve and nobody intends to be last.

Many owners of the keychains have decided to resell, so that they can profit off the hysterical craze. This also shows a rise of reselling that makes already expensive retail prices ranging from $20 for Squishmallow’s, $12 to almost $1000 for Jellycats, and $20 to $300 for Labubus, with even higher online prices making them essentially unaffordable and unattainable. Unlike most, who simply buy what they want and leave, some resellers have started to wait outside of stores till opening time and buy the plushies in bulk before selling them online at an inflated price in order to make quick money. This only damages stores and people’s wallets. Resellers have increased the market price of these plush animals so much that it has stolen the joy of buying and collecting for many customers. 

This not only applies to the plush toy trend, but also several other items that are increasingly sought after and has only continued to become more and more of an issue worldwide that doesn’t seem to have an end. Incidents like this however, including various other trends in the past, can correlate with the world’s growing rate of consumerism with the U.S. serving as a prime example from fidget spinners to Stanley cups. A big problem in this growing age of consumerism is the encouragement and availability of unnecessary spending through sites like Amazon and Tiktok shop, using their convenience and endorsement from influencers to encourage impressionable users into a continuous cycle of buying items that have otherwise no practical value and increasing waste after the trend is long gone. Tiktok’s latest never-ending plush trend cycle has undoubtedly gone way too far, pushing consumers to purchase these trending products, frequently unaware that in just a few weeks they will be considered trash. 

by Auron Sowers

Published December 1, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue III