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PHOENIX (KNXV) — The NeeDoh craze has made its way to the Valley.
Children, parents and collectors are waking up before sunrise and waiting hours for a chance to buy the colorful, palm-sized squishy toys that have exploded in popularity on TikTok.
Among them are soon-to-be sixth-graders Kennedi Maio, Charlotte McCracken and their friend, Isabella, who arrived outside Arcadia Toys in Phoenix at 4:16 a.m. on a recent morning with pillows, snacks and a specific list of the NeeDohs they hoped to find.
“Because we love NeeDohs,” Charlotte told ABC15’s Kaley O’Kelley.
Charlotte was searching for several of these hard-to-find squish toys.
“I’m looking for the Super NeeDoh, the Wildcat, and the Jellyfish NeeDoh,” she said.
NeeDohs are sensory toys designed to be squeezed, pulled and squished before returning to their original shape, according to Schylling, the Massachusetts company behind the brand.
The company launched NeeDoh in 2017 and has since expanded the line into different shapes, sizes, textures and fillings.
The toys are not new, but their popularity recently reached another level.
Schylling CEO Paul Weingard told Business Insider that the company sold through inventory intended to last all of 2026 during the first nine weeks of the year.
He said demand had grown far faster than Schylling could replenish stores, leading to frequent sellouts and a rush by the company to increase production.
That shortage has turned new shipments into events commonly called “drops.”
When stores announce a restock on social media, collectors begin sharing the information and, in some cases, lining up hours before the doors open.
Kennedi is just one kid who signs up for those drop alerts and brings friends along for the hunt. The girls tell ABC15 they have waited as long as eight hours for a chance to purchase four NeeDohs each.
Isabella said she was focused on finding a Wildcat.
“They’re just really rare,” she said. “I’ve been looking for them for a while.”
For Charlotte and Isabella, much of the appeal is collecting the different colors, shapes and textures.
Kennedi, however, saw another opportunity.
“I buy them. I sell them. And some of them I keep,” she said.
Kennedi and her family resell some of the harder-to-find toys through online marketplaces. She also says it has become difficult to keep track of how much money she has brought in.
“It’s kind of hard to count because I’ve made a lot,” she said.
“When you say a lot, what’s a lot?” O’Kelley asked.
“Um, like $500 maybe?” Kennedi replied. The amount reflects the money Kennedi says she’s made by selling online.
O’Kelley asked, “You’ve made $500 selling NeeDohs?!”
Kennedi nodded.
Many NeeDohs sell at major retailers for about $6.
Target, for example, lists several popular styles, including the Fuzz Ball, Nice Cube and Mello Mallo, for $5.99.
On the resale market, however, prices can climb quickly.
Modern Retail reported that StockX had completed more than 2,500 NeeDoh sales by May of this year.
Sales on the platform increased 150% from March to April, and more than 50,000 people searched for the brand during the first four months of the year.
ABC15 also found DePop listings asking $110 for a Mini Nice Cube, $150 for a Cloud Pleaser, and $300 for a Crystal Squeeze.
The $110 Mini Nice Cube listing also included 10 additional surprise squishy toys, meaning the listed price did not apply to the cube alone.
That distinction matters for families hoping to make money from the trend.
The best way to estimate a NeeDoh’s value is to research completed sales involving the same style, color, size and condition. Current listings show what sellers hope to receive. Completed transactions show what buyers have actually paid.
Facebook Marketplace can be useful for local transactions, particularly when buyers and sellers want to avoid shipping.
However, a parent or guardian should control the account, messages, payment, and meeting when a child is involved.
Kennedi’s summer side hustle also reflects a broader shift in how young people think about making money. Before she has even started sixth grade, she is already learning how supply, demand, social media and online marketplaces can transform a toy into a business opportunity.
For Kennedi and her friends, the process starts with a restock alert, an early alarm, and a lot of patience.
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