Animal bracelet craze sweeps the collegiate generation
Meg Houston
Issue date: 12/2/09 Section: Expressions
Every generation has its fads. For our generation, POGS, Beanie Babies and Furbies were hot commodities featured in many Happy Meals. In recent years, Bratz dolls and Webkins have grown in popularity, but college students and parents in Birmingham have noticed the presence of the newest kid craze - Silly Bandz.
Silly Bandz are wearable, brightly-colored rubber band bracelets that maintain fun shapes after you take them off. Different varieties are sold in 12 or 24 packs ranging in themes like zoo, farm, pet, and sea animals. Holiday shapes are also now available for the season. Silly Bandz's design is simple - the bracelets are made out of silicone and are die-cut in different shapes that keep their form even after being worn multiple times. The craze for Silly Bandz began in August and has taken off in popularity for children and even for some college students.
As Silly Bandz's popularity and scarcity rises, toy stores around Birmingham have been affected. Store owner Michael McCollum of Hoover's Learning Express describes some parents' efforts to get their hands on more Silly Bandz for their children:
"On days when we've told people when we'll have shipments in, some parents are lined up at the store before we open in the morning," McCollum said.
McCollum has seen store sales rise to 20,000 packets just from Aug. to Nov. of this year. While some stores have implemented waiting lists to please consumers waiting for the next shipment, Learning Express simply uses first-come-first-serve on days when they receive a new shipment.
"It's hard to keep many in the store at one time. On days when we have a new shipment, we get lots of pennies and quarters going through the store from children using their allowances," McCollum said.
However, not everyone in Birmingham is psyched about kids' obsessions with Silly Bandz. Some schools in the area have banned Silly Bandz because children were playing with them excessively in class and trading them to friends, which can possibly spread germs to other students. Other teachers have found ways to incorporate Silly Bandz into the classroom as rewards. Sam Janas, eight year old son of communication studies porfessor Mike Janas said that his teacher has a prize box with Silly Bandz inside that students can draw from for good behavior
While Silly Bandz have proven to be popular with children, some students at Samford are also following the trend. Whether they've received it as a gift from a child or ordered their own, Samford students have shown that the collectibles' popularity spans over all ages.
Senior biology and family studies double major Maggie Worthington noticed their popularity early on in the summer.
"I noticed them when my cousins and kids I babysit were all wearing them. I had a few on at a party, and after I showed some of my friends how cute they were, we all ended up wearing them," Worthington said.
If you are interested in buying Silly Bandz, as a gift or for yourself, you can order them directly from the Silly Bandz website or you can stop by any of the three Learning Express locations in Hoover, the Galleria or Vestavia Hills.
Silly Bandz are wearable, brightly-colored rubber band bracelets that maintain fun shapes after you take them off. Different varieties are sold in 12 or 24 packs ranging in themes like zoo, farm, pet, and sea animals. Holiday shapes are also now available for the season. Silly Bandz's design is simple - the bracelets are made out of silicone and are die-cut in different shapes that keep their form even after being worn multiple times. The craze for Silly Bandz began in August and has taken off in popularity for children and even for some college students.
As Silly Bandz's popularity and scarcity rises, toy stores around Birmingham have been affected. Store owner Michael McCollum of Hoover's Learning Express describes some parents' efforts to get their hands on more Silly Bandz for their children:
"On days when we've told people when we'll have shipments in, some parents are lined up at the store before we open in the morning," McCollum said.
McCollum has seen store sales rise to 20,000 packets just from Aug. to Nov. of this year. While some stores have implemented waiting lists to please consumers waiting for the next shipment, Learning Express simply uses first-come-first-serve on days when they receive a new shipment.
"It's hard to keep many in the store at one time. On days when we have a new shipment, we get lots of pennies and quarters going through the store from children using their allowances," McCollum said.
However, not everyone in Birmingham is psyched about kids' obsessions with Silly Bandz. Some schools in the area have banned Silly Bandz because children were playing with them excessively in class and trading them to friends, which can possibly spread germs to other students. Other teachers have found ways to incorporate Silly Bandz into the classroom as rewards. Sam Janas, eight year old son of communication studies porfessor Mike Janas said that his teacher has a prize box with Silly Bandz inside that students can draw from for good behavior
While Silly Bandz have proven to be popular with children, some students at Samford are also following the trend. Whether they've received it as a gift from a child or ordered their own, Samford students have shown that the collectibles' popularity spans over all ages.
Senior biology and family studies double major Maggie Worthington noticed their popularity early on in the summer.
"I noticed them when my cousins and kids I babysit were all wearing them. I had a few on at a party, and after I showed some of my friends how cute they were, we all ended up wearing them," Worthington said.
If you are interested in buying Silly Bandz, as a gift or for yourself, you can order them directly from the Silly Bandz website or you can stop by any of the three Learning Express locations in Hoover, the Galleria or Vestavia Hills.
Be the first to comment on this story