Jun 3, 2010

Bandz in BostonBy Beth TeitellBoston.com

One day, local parents had never heard of them. The next, kids everywhere were clamoring for this newest toy trend. They’re called silly bands, and they’re cute, cheap, and out of control.

Casey McNamara, a Brookline fourth-grader, burst out of school and onto the playground dressed like a thoroughly modern kid: an enormous pack on her back, and, on her wrist, a rainbow of thin, stretchy bracelets known as silly bands.

“I really don’t know why I like them,” said Casey, 10, shrugging cheerfully as she chatted with other girls who were similarly decked out. “I figured other people liked them.”

She figured right.

The rubbery bands, which come in a multitude of collectible shapes — cowboy boots to monkeys to Wally the Green Monster — are so trendy that if they were a person, they’d be Justin Bieber.

Silly bands meet all the requirements of a modern craze. They’ve nabbed the top-selling spots on Amazon’s toys and games category. Kids can’t stop talking about them. Parents are fighting over limited supplies, according to one manufacturer. Schools are banning them. A-list celebrities are reportedly requesting customized packs for fans. And, of course, there’s the requisite Facebook page, Twitter feed, and YouTube videos.

Read complete article.