History of Squishmallows 

Squishmellows are a modern version of nostalgic stuffed animals. They are a combination of previous stuffed animals such as Build-a-Bear, Beanie Babies, and Webkinz. These stuffed animals are unique, coming in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, looks, and prices. They come in seven different sizes, ranging from as small as 3.5 inches tall to as large as 24 inches. Each Squishmallow has a descriptive tag attached to it, which tells a short story. It gives a depiction of the character, including personality traits, names, and hobbies. 

Stuffed animals were first introduced in 1880 and have since continued to increase in size and price throughout the years. They began as animals who are stuffed, targeting young children and adolescents, which has not changed. Even today, Squishmallows are stuffed animals with the same uses. Stuffed animals have evolved by varying in colors, shapes, and sizes; as well as having new uses; such as for entertainment, comfort, mental health, reducing stress/anxiety, trauma/coping, and helping with sleep. 

Kelly Toy Holdings is a private company, founded in 1969, that works to develop games and toys. Their main focus is on children's toys, and they are constantly working to expand their reach within the consumer market. One of their most popular products is the Squismallow, created in 2017. The founder and CEO of the company, Jonathan Kelly was inspired to create Squishmallows on a visit to Japan. He discovered a variety of Japanese plush toys and knew that would sell well in the United States. Wanting to emulate the cute aesthetic of these toys, he came back to Los Angeles to work with his team to come up with Squishmallows (Yahoo.com, 2020). 

Squishmallows were originally sold at Walgreens in 2017. The first Squishmallow on the market was Cameron the Cat, with an additional 7 original Squishmallows sold shortly after. These included Piper the Penguin, Puff the Penguin, Holly the Owl, Hoot the Owl, Wendy the Frog, Fifi the Fox, and Hans the Hedgehog (Vickers, 2022). They began to increase in popularity around 2020 when Covid-19 was introduced. Through the influence of social media like Tik Tok and Instagram, these stuffed animals became a trend and people began buying them. Creators have been playing off of other popular items in order to appeal to a larger audience. They have used inspiration from Star Wars, Happy Potter, Monopoly, Roblocks, and Disney characters to transform their squichmallows into toys relating to popular culture. In 2023, there are currently over 1,000 different types of Squishmallows which are now sold in over 55 countries. 

First Squishmallow created: Cameron the Cat