Siblings Amanda and Alex Herman of Ohio don’t share many interests, save for one particular new trend.
“We aren’t really interested in similar things,” said Amanda, 16, whose brother is 13. “However, there are those Silly Bandz.”
Silly Bandz are colored silicone bracelets that look like wiggly rubber bands when stretched around a wrist, but when removed assume their original shapes.
Some shapes are simple, like a star or a heart, while others are more complex, like a message in a bottle or a rock n’ roll drum kit. They are packaged according to theme, like beach or zoo, and the bands themselves can be scented, glow-in-the-dark or change in color.
Not often do youth of all ages share an enthusiasm for the same toy, but a variety of children – boys and girls, elementary and high school – are enraptured with the stretchy, colorful craze.
Iola Sawyer, a CVS cashier in downtown Pittsburgh, said that she noticed the bracelets’ popularity across a wide range of children.
“[Silly Bandz] are a big seller,” said Sawyer. “I see all kids, from young ages upwards, buying them. Boys buy them too; I didn’t think boys would like them.”
It isn’t unusual to see an adult or two wearing the bracelets. Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted with the telltale neon squiggle on her wrist during a recent appearance on “The Early Show.”
Colleen Pugh, 28, and her daughter Celeste, 9, of Pittsburgh, both have budding collections of Silly Bandz, despite their almost two-decade age difference.
“My daughter shared them with me, so I started wearing them,” Pugh said. “I see mostly kids wearing them, but I’m not embarrassed that I have them too.”
There are a few imitation brands, but the pioneering company behind the craze is Silly Bandz, which was founded by Robert Croak about three years ago and is currently based in Toledo, Ohio, according to businessweek.com.
The Silly Bandz trend emerged in the East Coast this spring and is expected to peak in the summer, according to masslive.com.
Much of the appeal lies in the bands’ tradability. The high demand and often short supply result in a passionate pursuit for new or rare shapes. Another selling point is variety. The countless theme possibilities and color variations make a complete collection impossible.
Silly Bandz are also relatively cheap, costing about $3 for a pack of 12 in stores or about $5 for a pack of 24 at the official website, sillybandz.com.
Youth from different age groups attest that all of their friends own Silly Bandz, and claim a variety of reasons for their interest.
Dominic Moretti, an 11-year-old living in Pittsburgh, owns about 40 Silly Bandz.
“My friend showed them to me and I thought they were really cool so I started collecting them,” said Moretti, whose little brother Nicholas, 6, is also a Silly Bandz enthusiast.
“I like them for two reasons: I can trade them, and I like the shapes,” said Nicholas.
Dominic believes that the bracelets are so popular because they have different appeals to different kids.
“I think some people like them because they’re colorful, some people like to trade them, some people like them because other people like them,” said Dominic. “There are a lot of different reasons to collect them.”
About Haylee Pearl