NeeDoh craze hits Playthings Etc.
CLAY TWP — The toy store billing itself as the “world’s coolest” is now at the epicenter of the hottest toy phenomenon of the moment.
On Monday afternoon, April 13, a line of customers formed outside Playthings Etc. wrapping halfway around the perimeter of the store. The reason was NeeDoh — a line of squeezable toys similar to stress balls, which have become a viral phenomenon.
Close to a hundred customers waited in line between 4 and 4:30 p.m. for the second of the day’s two shipments of NeeDoh toys to arrive. The first occurred early that morning.
Once the shipment arrived at 4:30 and crowds were allowed through the entrance, it was first come, first served.
“I just think it's becoming a trend on social media everywhere,” said Slippery Rock University student Brady Pierce, who said he has some at his dorm room. “Everybody in the area is seeing it and they’re just coming out and trying to join the trend.”
Allen DiFrischia, manager of Playthings Etc., said he hasn’t seen anything like it in his years of running the store.
“We've had big products and big crazes, but those were kind of long and steady,” DiFrischia said. “This is really brief and intense for moments and then it dies down, and then we get another shipment and it's brief and intense.”
The NeeDoh line initially launched in 2017 and is manufactured by Schylling, a company based out of North Andover, Mass. Although NeeDoh has been around for nearly a decade, it wasn’t until recently that the toy line became a hot commodity, thanks largely to social media influencers.
Due to the sudden demand, NeeDohs are completely out of stock on the company’s official website and “NeeDoh hunting” has become a phenomenon, as people look for any physical outlet which may have the toy in stock. These range from specialty toy stores, such as Playthings, to national retail chains, such as Walmart and Walgreens.
According to DiFrischia, his store is still selling NeeDohs at their original retail price while others have taken advantage of the scarcity to mark up prices as high as $30 — a massive jump from their usual retail price of between $6 and $13.
Nicole Master was there to pick up some NeeDohs for her daughter.
“She has a little bit of anxiety and she just finds it relaxing to play with them,” Master said. “She liked them before they were popular.”
While there haven’t been any instances of customers stampeding over each other for a chance to pick up a NeeDoh, DiFrischia did have to step outside at least once on Monday to remind Playthings Etc. customers not to cut in line.
“We’ve had some people frustrated. They’re here and they don’t get what they want,” DiFrischia said. “But no big problems.”
The NeeDoh craze has worked out to Playthings’ benefit, according to DiFrischia, who said patrons who came for NeeDoh have stayed to sample the rest of the store.
“They're having fun. They play around. They see what we have,” DiFrischia said. “We have a lot to offer, so they definitely enjoy their time here. The customers have been fantastic, kind and polite.”
