Am I Too Old To Go Squishy Hunting?

Squishy haul | Original Picture Courtesy of Keira Faddis 

I have been a collector of things my whole life. Erasers, Shopkins , vinyl records, stickers, and even Band-Aids. You name it — I’ve probably collected it.

My mom calls me a hoarder, but I feel like there are worse things I could be spending my money on.

My most recent collection obsession has been squishy toys. Not the slow-rising, foam squishies from 2015 (which I did also collect  back in the day), but the kind that elementary school-aged kids are currently fiending over: NeeDohs.

And, in my defense, I was into them before they were everywhere.

I started collecting NeeDohs in 2023, long before my TikTok feed was filled with people showing off their collections and stores couldn't keep certain ones on the shelves. I like to think I was ahead of the curve.

Or, more accurately, I was already in too deep by the time everyone else caught on.

As I mentioned before, I don’t exactly have the ability to be normal about anything. I can’t like things a “normal” amount, like a true hunter-gatherer, I have an innate need to collect. Because of this, I have spent a couple hundred dollars over the past three years collecting close to 100 different squishies.

There is one in my backpack. There is one in my car. There are several sitting on my desk. I have one on my nightstand. If I am going somewhere for more than a few hours, there is a decent chance I have grabbed one on my way out the door without even thinking about it.

When I go out in public with my girlfriend, we hold one between our hands. 

Squishy basket at the Dorm |Original Picture Courtesy of Keira Faddis

They are slowly taking over my life, and I have gotten my roommates hooked on them. I keep a basket full of them on our coffee table for us to play with whenever we watch TV or pregame a night out.

At this point, I have created a community of adults who voluntarily spend their free time squeezing children's toys.

And I have, on at least one occasion, been willing to compete with other people for them.

Over the summer, I dragged my girlfriend to a Target almost an hour away because the Target app said it was the closest location that had NeeDohs in stock.

When we got there, we were surprised to see that they only had two left. They also had Pokémon cards, my girlfriend’s own childlike obsession.

Naturally, we each bought one NeeDoh and the maximum amount of Pokémon card packs allowed . When we turned around, bags in hand, we were met with a mother pushing a stroller holding what I can only assume was a toddler hoping to secure a squishy toy that I had just cleared off the shelf.

There is something deeply humbling about realizing you are a college student racing children to the toy aisle because you are afraid they are going to get there first.

At what point am I too old to be squishy hunting?

Squishy restock at Dadeland Station Target |  Original Picture Courtesy of Keira Faddis 

I have always been drawn to sensory things. In fifth grade, I was essentially the leader of my school’s underground slime ring. I have owned fidget toys, played with putty and spent multiple nights picking the paint off of my childhood bedroom's walls.

I have always liked  having something to do with my hands. As an adult, I have come to realize that I would much rather spend my time squeezing a squishy toy than picking at my nails or skin anyway.

We associate these squishy toys with children because they are just that, toys. But fidgeting isn’t always something that you grow out of. It isn't something that I’ve grown out of, that's for sure. 

I am in college. I have responsibilities. I have a career to figure out and bills to eventually pay and plenty of things I probably should be spending my money on.

But for the time being, squishies are just one of those things that I’m okay with spending some money on. 

Strike out,

Keira Faddis

Miami

Keira Faddis is a writer going into her first issue with Strike Magazine Miami. She is a junior studying journalism and creative advertising at the University of Miami who writes about all things pop culture and lifestyle. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking vegan food or at a live music event. If lost, find her on Instagram @keirafaddis.

Edited by Sophia Noya