Hacky sacks are selling out in stores as they become popular again
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What sparked the resurgence of hacky sacks in stores?
Time now for our daily tech and business report. Today we are joined by Bloomberg reporter Miles Herzenhorn. In a return to the 1990s, hacky sacks, popular more than 30 years ago, are making a comeback. They're the small round beanbags that players keep in the air with their feet. Miles, I was never very good at that. How about you? And talk about how they're popular now and how did TikTok play a role?
Yeah, you don't want me playing with a hacky sack around you. But these toys
Why are teenagers and schools scrambling to buy hacky sacks?
These toys are really back in a big way. Everybody wants one. Seems like every teenager, whether they're in middle school or high school, is requesting a hacky sack. And what's really fascinating is that they can't find them. Stores are sold out. They're in huge demand. And yet Toy stores, athletic stores, sporting goods stores, say they don't have them anymore.
That's crazy.
How did TikTok and Instagram drive the hacky‑sack craze?
W wh first of all, why are they so popular now?
It's really social media driven. There are a lot of TikToks and Instagram real videos. of high schoolers and middle schoolers playing with them, doing all sorts of crazy tricks, catching them with their shoulders, with their back, with their head. And these videos have really made the rounds on the internet. It's especially sports teams like softball teams or baseball teams. that are playing with hacky sex now during practice or after gaze. And those videos ha have racked up hundred hundreds of thousands of views.
So you say that they're not available.
What caused hacky‑sack prices to jump from $13 to $34?
Is this like a special is it like Frisbee where it's an actual brand name? Or is this just, you know, something that somebody maybe could make and and sell on the street corner as a dupe?
Yeah, it's it's really any hacky sock that people can get their hands on. I spoke to a range of folks. And while there are some that are maybe slightly more in demand than others, People are just looking for a hacky sack. to play with right now and they can't find them. One guy who's the owner of Bombfoot Bags, which is an online hacky sack retailer, said that in his twenty five years of selling the product, he's never seen demand like this.
When you talk about supply and demand that makes the price go up, what are people paying for a hacky sack?
Is there a market gap for new hacky‑sack sellers?
A lot of money. So Bomfo Bags raised their hacky sacks. From thirteen dollars in October of last year to as much as thirty four dollars in late May. They've since brought that price down a little bit to twenty three dollars. But people are paying a lot of money for it when usually those toys would be going for five to fifteen dollars a pop.
Why isn't somebody stepping in? Is do they think it's just a trend that's gonna fade? Because if it's not, there's there's a there's a market here to be filled.
Oh, absolutely.
How much are resold hacky sacks fetching on eBay today?
I mean some people who sell hacky sacks and have been doing so for a very long time are really concerned about that and they fear that someone might try to jump in and take some of their take some of their clients with them. But at the same time, we just don't know if this is something that will really stick around for a while or if this will be one of those passing trends like laboo boo's.
I guess we'll have to wait and see. I guess I maybe should get one and well, I don't want to pay that much money. But maybe I could maybe I can find one in my drawer and start practicing again.
It it it would be a good idea. You know, they're reselling on eBay for as much as sixty five dollars. So if you have one, it's valuable right now.
Oh wow. Sixty five hey, that I'm really gonna look through my drawers now. Thank you so much. We've been joined on the KCBS Ring Central newsline by Bloomberg reporter Miles Herzenhorn talking about how hacky sacks are cool again.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What sparked the resurgence of hacky sacks in stores?
0:00–0:30
2
Why are teenagers and schools scrambling to buy hacky sacks?
0:30–0:53
3
How did TikTok and Instagram drive the hacky‑sack craze?
0:53–1:30
4
What caused hacky‑sack prices to jump from $13 to $34?
1:30–2:14
5
Is there a market gap for new hacky‑sack sellers?
2:14–2:45
6
How much are resold hacky sacks fetching on eBay today?
2:45–3:37
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from KCBS Bloomberg Tech and Business Report
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