What are NeeDohs? And why are they so hard to find in Canadian stores?

NeeDohs, the colourful, squishy, sensory toys that have been around for years, are suddenly selling out online and disappearing from store shelves as fans snap them up faster than retailers can get them in

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There’s a new collectible toy in town. NeeDohs, the colourful, squishy, sensory toys that have been around for years, are suddenly selling out online and disappearing from store shelves as fans snap them up faster than retailers can get them in. Vancouver toy store Kaboodles had a drop two weeks ago, posting about the availability on its Instagram account.

“It lasted a couple hours,” said Alan Tom, manager at the Cambie Street store. “We had people lining up.” The store sold out quickly, but the frenzy hasn’t ended: “I get so many calls,” he said last week.

“I had six calls in half-an-hour and at least 20 calls already so far today.” So what’s behind the craze and where can you get your hands on the latest must-have collectible? What are NeeDohs?

Manufactured by American toy company Schylling, NeeDoh is a line of palm-sized squishy fidget toys made with a rubber-like shell and filled with a non-toxic, dough like compound. It’s marketed not just as sensory toys but as stress relief. They’re designed to be squeezed, stretched, smushed and squished, and always return to its original shape, said the company.

The original NeeDoh is the Groovy Glob, a squishy stress ball that comes in bright colours. The Glob is still available, but the company has since expanded the collection, adding many fun shapes, sizes and colours. Why are they suddenly so popular?

Lisa Orman, president of KidStuff PR, said squishies were hot commodities at toy fairs in the U.S. in January and February, with NeeDohs being the most popular. “It just became one of those frenzies were people are on the hunt for it, can’t get enough of it, and would buy multiples of it,” said Orman. At some point, NeeDohs went viral on social media, and demand exploded.

Djewan Hashem, assistant manager at the Granville Island Toy Company on Main Street, puts it succinctly: “TikTok happened.” There’s countless videos on TikTok and social media of people going on NeeDoh “hunts” or showing off their hauls, she said. Others have gone viral for challenge videos that involve freezing, heating or cutting open the toys.

The toy store fields dozens of calls a day inquiring about NeeDohs. When it received a shipment of a couple hundred NeeDohs two months ago, there were lineups out the door. The store limited purchases to five per person and managed to stretch out the supply to last two days.

“It’s the first time we put a limit on something,” said Hashem. “But we wanted all the kids who are waiting to get a chance to get at least one.” What is the appeal?

The appeal is largely tactile — that satisfying squeeze! — but there’s other reasons. A sensory and fidget toy, NeeDohs are often used as tools by therapists for children with autism.

Others buy it to manage stress, improve focus or self-soothe. Orman says there’s also a segment of buyers who buy it for the TikTok, using them to rack up views and make money selling them. They’re popular not just with kids, but also with teenagers and adults.

Hashem herself has one she keeps behind the counter. “I love it,” she said, giving the cat-shaped NeeDoh a good squeeze. “I’m fidgety too.

I really enjoy having it.” Given the recent frenzy, the toys have also gained a collectible appeal. Because they come in different varieties, they’re easy and fun to collect.

And with prices between $5 and $12 for most products, they’re also affordable. Are NeeDohs the new Labubus? While both NeeDohs and Labubus are examples of viral collectibles driven by social media, they’re very different in terms of demographic, format and price.

Created by artist Kasing Lung for Pop Mart, Labubus are designer plushies primarily used for collecting and accessorizing. They’re popular among females, not gender-neutral like NeeDohs. They also cost more, starting at $40 to a few hundred dollars, depending on size and type.

Based on recent toy shows, the popularity of Labubus is waning, while squishies remain “insanely hot,” said Orman. The NeeDoh craze has been a boon to specialty toy stores, she noted. The U.S. toy industry has seen a 13 per cent growth from January to April compared with the same period last year, an acceleration driven in large part by squishy toys, which have recorded triple-digit growth, according to a market research report by Circana.

“That’s off the charts,” Orman said. Are certain NeeDohs more popular than others? NeeDoh’s ice-cube-shaped Nice Cube is the most popular, according to local stores.

The company’s recent releases, including the Nice Cream Cones, Cool Cats, and Popsicle-shaped Nice-Sicle, are also in demand. Where can I buy NeeDohs? They’re typically available at toy stores and big-box retailers, drugstores and convenience stores.

But because of their popularity, you would be hard-pressed to find one in stores or online. Schylling said demand is “exceptionally high” and it’s temporarily pausing new orders. The toys’ popularity has fuelled a rise in counterfeit goods.

NeeDoh has released an official statement warning buyers that products purchased on Temu, eBay, Alibaba and AliExpress aren’t official NeeDoh products. What are some NeeDoh dupes? Can’t find a NeeDoh but want a squishy toy?

Here’s some recommendations: Squishy dumplings Cute little squishies tucked inside steamer baskets. Sold in blind boxes, each “dumpling” could be a different colour or finish. Big Dill Squishy Pickle Pickle-shaped squishy has become a viral favourite.

SugarSqueez Cube A cube-shaped squishy similar to the Nice Cube with a soft, slow-rising texture.