Squishmallows

Kelly Toys Holdings, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, was founded in 1986 by Jonathan Kelly.[2] In an interview with Yahoo! Finance, Jonathan said he came up with the idea when he went to Japan and saw a variety of appealing toy products that he would eventually spend several months with his team to create. He further mentioned his interview on creating a “soft, cute, and kawaii” look similar to the plush toys he saw in Japan.[3] After collaborating for one year, Kelly Toys Holdings was acquired by Jazwares Inc, a privately owned company, in 2018.[4] Thus, Kelly Toys Holding expanded its position in the market for toys and obtained opportunities to get further licenses for the brand. Kelly Toys Holding was Jazwares’ second acquisition following their acquisition of Wicked Cool Toys.[5]

Squishmallows first gained success during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 through social media outlets like Tiktok where Squishmallow collectors would post about their plush toy collections. The TikTok hashtag for #Squishmallows has gained traction of over 550 million views and Squishmallows has acquired nearly 100,000 followers on Twitter.[6] The brand also has nearly 500,000 followers on its Instagram page.[7] After almost 2 years of Squishmallows’ launch, the company has sold over 50 million of its product.[8]

Squishmallows are made from soft spandex and filled with polyester fiber on the inside.[9] As mentioned by Squishmallows on their Twitter account, the squishmallows are manufactured in China.[10] Originally when Squishmallows were first created, they came in four sizes, and now there are a total of 12 different sizes. The sizes range from 3.5 inches on a clip to 24 inches.[11] Squishmallows are best washed in cold water in the washing machine and should be washed with similar products to maintain the squishmallows’ shape.[12] Following this, the drying temperature should not be too hot to conserve the polyester fiber in the squishmallows. Authentic squishmallows can be identified by looking at the three tags attached to the squishmallows.

Squishmallows were first introduced through their main website and then later partnered up with Walgreens to expand its market. Besides their main page, Squishmallows can be found through a myriad of retailers including Costco, CVS, Five Below, GameStop, and Walmart. Globally speaking, Squishmallows are sold in countries such as Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia.[13]

Squishmallows are typically sold for less than $100, but some may go for thousands of dollars. Jack the Black Cat, known for its closed white eyes and black whiskers, is one of the rarest Squishmallows sold to date. KellyToys introduced Jack the Black Cat back in 2020 as a limited edition on their website, and within two hours, Jack the Black Cat was sold out.[14] Third party websites like eBay sells Jack the Black Cat for almost $2,000.[15]