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Silly Bandz… Have you been struck?

Written on May 7, 2010 by in Uncategorized
The latest kid craze going STRONG right now is a little something you may or may not have even heard of….

Silly Bandz…

It’s things like this that make me wonder why I can’t come up with something that will be the “thing to have” and make me a nice bundle! :)

IMG_0362
These magical bandz appear to be normal bracelets, but in reality when you simply slip them off your wrist, they transform into cool shapes.

IMG_0369

In case you can’t tell, these are giraffe and rooster… Two silly bandz that Haylee’s friend, Anna, gave to her.  :)  Ah, now her life is complete.  She has Silly Bandz. 
To be honest, she hasn’t even asked for them, though she did inform me one day that so and so said “tomorrow” was Silly Bandz Day.  I’m not sure if that was some kid’s clever attempt to trick mom or dad into getting him some since it was a required celebration at school.  :)

The NY Times is even reporting on this craze… 

“The silly bandz craze was first noticed in Birmingham, Ala., late last year, and has steadily spread up the East Coast.  Sales [in Birmingham] quickly went from 25 packs a month to 7,000 a month. James Howard, president of Zanybandz, based in Oklahoma, said, ‘Pretty soon we were banned in six school districts there, and after we were banned in the first one, there was no looking back. Getting banned fuels the craze like a five-gallon can of gasoline on a campfire.’”

“The appeal of silly bandz lies in their combination of being affordable, collectible and tradable,” says Jackie Breyer, editor in chief of The Toy Book. 

As Computer Teacher of Kindergarten through 8th grade, I was SHOCKED to see that all my grade levels were obsessed by these “silly” things.  I couldn’t believe it when one of my big 8th grade boys was wearing one, and I questioned him incredulously.  He replied that even the high schoolers were wearing them!

I also heard that a manager of a local Walgreens said that some of their Silly Bandz shoppers are college students! 

I have heard that there are becoming a nuisance to some of the teachers as I’m sure it’s hard to resist taking them off to see it magically morph just one more time.  :)

I can’t help but think that part of the craze factor has to do with the fact that they are NOT readily available.  Everyone I’ve asked has gotten them at drugstores like Walgreens or CVS.  Would they be as popular if they were available in Walmart in jumbo or value packs? In Walgreens, they run 12 bracelets for $2.99 or 24 for $5.

So at least we can be thankful this craze isn’t some insanely priced toy or game.  This time.

Have you been struck?

2 Comments - Leave a comment!
2 Responses to Silly Bandz… Have you been struck?
  1. Rachel
    May 8, 2010 | 1:27 am

    First of all, when I saw the title of this blog, I couldn't wait to say that the craze started here in Birmingham, a first for sure. Then when I read that we got actually acknowledged in the New York Times, I couldn't be happier! Ah, the euphoria of living in a trendsetting city. ;)

    I blogged about these last summer – at the time, they were absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to find here. It was crazy what parents were doing to get them.

    HOWEVER, they are now way over-supplied here – you can buy them at pretty much any store that accepts cash. There are mall kiosks and, at Christmas, there was actually an entire STORE of silly bandz. And so, naturally, are not nearly as popular anymore.

    So we just need to figure out how to make money together. I buy poor bored kid at the mall kiosk out and ship 'em to you, and you can sell them for a premium. Whaddya say?? ;)

  2. Renee
    May 8, 2010 | 2:36 pm

    I'm in! Send them on! :) I can sell them to all my students!

Silly Bandz… Have you been struck?

Written on May 7, 2010 by in Uncategorized
The latest kid craze going STRONG right now is a little something you may or may not have even heard of….

Silly Bandz…

It’s things like this that make me wonder why I can’t come up with something that will be the “thing to have” and make me a nice bundle! :)

IMG_0362
These magical bandz appear to be normal bracelets, but in reality when you simply slip them off your wrist, they transform into cool shapes.

IMG_0369

In case you can’t tell, these are giraffe and rooster… Two silly bandz that Haylee’s friend, Anna, gave to her.  :)  Ah, now her life is complete.  She has Silly Bandz. 
To be honest, she hasn’t even asked for them, though she did inform me one day that so and so said “tomorrow” was Silly Bandz Day.  I’m not sure if that was some kid’s clever attempt to trick mom or dad into getting him some since it was a required celebration at school.  :)

The NY Times is even reporting on this craze… 

“The silly bandz craze was first noticed in Birmingham, Ala., late last year, and has steadily spread up the East Coast.  Sales [in Birmingham] quickly went from 25 packs a month to 7,000 a month. James Howard, president of Zanybandz, based in Oklahoma, said, ‘Pretty soon we were banned in six school districts there, and after we were banned in the first one, there was no looking back. Getting banned fuels the craze like a five-gallon can of gasoline on a campfire.’”

“The appeal of silly bandz lies in their combination of being affordable, collectible and tradable,” says Jackie Breyer, editor in chief of The Toy Book. 

As Computer Teacher of Kindergarten through 8th grade, I was SHOCKED to see that all my grade levels were obsessed by these “silly” things.  I couldn’t believe it when one of my big 8th grade boys was wearing one, and I questioned him incredulously.  He replied that even the high schoolers were wearing them!

I also heard that a manager of a local Walgreens said that some of their Silly Bandz shoppers are college students! 

I have heard that there are becoming a nuisance to some of the teachers as I’m sure it’s hard to resist taking them off to see it magically morph just one more time.  :)

I can’t help but think that part of the craze factor has to do with the fact that they are NOT readily available.  Everyone I’ve asked has gotten them at drugstores like Walgreens or CVS.  Would they be as popular if they were available in Walmart in jumbo or value packs? In Walgreens, they run 12 bracelets for $2.99 or 24 for $5.

So at least we can be thankful this craze isn’t some insanely priced toy or game.  This time.

Have you been struck?

2 Comments - Leave a comment!
2 Responses to Silly Bandz… Have you been struck?
  1. Rachel
    May 8, 2010 | 1:27 am

    First of all, when I saw the title of this blog, I couldn't wait to say that the craze started here in Birmingham, a first for sure. Then when I read that we got actually acknowledged in the New York Times, I couldn't be happier! Ah, the euphoria of living in a trendsetting city. ;)

    I blogged about these last summer – at the time, they were absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to find here. It was crazy what parents were doing to get them.

    HOWEVER, they are now way over-supplied here – you can buy them at pretty much any store that accepts cash. There are mall kiosks and, at Christmas, there was actually an entire STORE of silly bandz. And so, naturally, are not nearly as popular anymore.

    So we just need to figure out how to make money together. I buy poor bored kid at the mall kiosk out and ship 'em to you, and you can sell them for a premium. Whaddya say?? ;)

  2. Renee
    May 8, 2010 | 2:36 pm

    I'm in! Send them on! :) I can sell them to all my students!