BLACKPINK’s Rosé talks about NeeDoh on a YouTube channel. Captured from Bigjigs Toys YouTube channel
A squishy sensory toy known to Korean fans as BLACKPINK Rosé’s "stress ball" has sparked a nationwide frenzy in the United States, driving up resale prices as shoppers line up outside stores.
One U.S. social media user shared footage of a long line outside a store in a recent Instagram post, asking, "Is this the new Pokémon craze?" The user said the line for NeeDoh stretched "down the road" and that people even brought tents and lawn chairs.
The New York Post and other U.S. media outlets reported that the popularity had triggered nationwide shortages. Some resale listings climbed to dozens of times the retail price, while videos on TikTok and Instagram helped turn the search for the toy into a trend users now call "NeeDoh hunting."
The term refers to people visiting multiple stores in search of the toy. Social media users have shared posts about successful "NeeDoh hunting" and tips on where to find it, while others have posted videos showing off different colors, squeezing the toy or even cutting and popping it.
A U.S. social media user posts a photo of people lining up to buy the sensory toy NeeDoh. Captured from Instagram
NeeDoh is not new. U.S. toy company Schylling released it about 10 years ago as a soft, stretchy sensory toy that springs back after being squeezed. The product built a following as a stress-relief toy for adults and children, and Rosé’s mention later helped introduce it to Korean audiences.
The recent surge in demand still caught the company off guard. Schylling Chief Executive Paul Weingard said the company had sold out a year’s worth of inventory in just nine weeks this year. He said Schylling had increased production as much as possible and expected supply to catch up with demand by summer.
The boom has also pushed resale prices sharply higher. The NeeDoh Nice Cube retails for $5.99, but one listing on eBay at one point reached $500.
An image shows NeeDoh, a sensory toy that has recently surged in popularity in the United States. Captured from Amazon
Source: Korea Times News
