The obsession with the plush Squishmallow toys that swept up TikTok in 2020 is alive and well, and this week, new squishy characters from the “Harry Potter” books are joining hundreds of other stuffy plushies in retail stores and on the internet.
On Thursday, Kellytoy, which owns Squishmallows, is releasing a beloved trio from the “Harry Potter” books and movies: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, according to Billboard. Hermione’s version, however, won’t be available for purchase until Feb. 13 (the plushies can be preordered on Amazon), Billboard reported. The release comes months after Warner Bros. Discovery announced a reboot of the Harry Potter franchise for the Max streaming service in April, according to Deadline.
Squishmallow is also gearing up for Valentine’s Day with a line that includes a bumblebee, a red rose and a valentine-themed pickle.
In December, McDonald’s tapped into the trend, selling a Squishmallows Happy Meal.
The buzz around the huggable characters has been compared to the fandom around Beanie Babies, the soft toys stuffed with bean-like pellets that became popular in the mid-90s and grew into an internet sensation. The Squishmallow phenomenon has also been compared to the cultish following around Hello Kitty and Pokemon.
How did Squishmallows become popular?
Created in 2017 by Kellytoy company, which is owned by Jazwares, Squishmallows blew up on the internet during the pandemic thanks to “SquishTok,” an enclave of TikTok dedicated to all things squishies, according to The New York Times. The hunt for the toys brought comfort during the bleak months of the pandemic and helped foster an online community amid lockdowns, the Times said. Jazwares reported that in March 2021, the company sold more than 73 million toys. In 2022, Squishmallow was named top toy of the year by research firm Circana, according to The Washington Post.
And it’s not just kids who are enjoying the quirky toys. Last year, The Washington Post reported that it’s the adults — or “kidults” — who are driving the sales. Although the term “kidult” was coined in the 1950s by TV industry executives to describe adults who watched children’s shows, it’s now often used in reference to toy-loving adults. “It brings joy,” 31-year-old Nancy Ferrell, who owns about 200 Squishmallows, told The Washington Post.
Squishmallows vary in size — from about 3.5 to 24 inches — and each one comes with a unique name and whimsical bio. For instance, Sinclair, an avocado toast, disagrees with his cousin Austin about whether aliens exist, but wants to go to outer space, according to the tag. Grady is a “wheelchair-assisted stallion who had just placed first in a disability-inclusive horse Derby” and wants to donate his prize winnings to other disabled horses, according to a TikTok post.
Squishmallow community
Some have turned their affinity for the plush toys into a profitable hobby. A website called Squish Alert, launched in May 2021 by Squishmellow super fan Jessica Dao, alerts users when large stores restock the the toys in stores and online, according to Business Insider. The app has more than 100,000 users who can post pictures of toys they see, along with prices and store location. Dao told Business Insider that the app helps people buy the toys “because the resale market is crazy.”
For instance, on Ebay, a limited edition Jack the Black Cat was offered this week for $2,000. A pink Laughing Axolotl runs for $120 on Poshmark.
“There are certain products you engage with and there’s not much more there. But there are other products you engage with that make you really feel something strongly,” talent agent Barry Kotler told Fast Company. “Then when you notice that other people are feeling it strongly, like I did in my own house with my son, you realize that there’s more there. This is something that can truly become something with a larger brand identity than just the products.”
Lee Wilkinson, 20, told Business Insider that the Squishmallows are “just really simple and cute.”
“Their squishiness is a very specific kind of squishiness. It’s a little bit firm, a little bit spongy, but still very squishy,” Wilkinson said.