What makes a toy go viral

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Erika Barris** (0:50)
This is Planet Money from NPR.
The other day, I got on the line with someone who, at least at her middle school, is kind of a big deal. I hear that you are legendary among squishy dumpling collectors.

**Juliana** (1:08)
Yeah, I have a lot. Well, I know.

**Erika Barris** (1:10)
This is Juliana, juju to her friends, and she is counting all her squishy dumplings, which she has assembled on her kitchen table. Squishy dumplings are these rubbery, stretchy, squishy dumpling toys, just the right size to squeeze in your hand.

**Juliana** (1:27)
It's like kind of like rubber with just like gel in it.

**Erika Barris** (1:30)
Each one has a little pucker top, like a real dumpling, plus a smiley face, and comes in its own plastic steamer basket. These little guys are some of the latest toys to go viral, and juju is one of the experts we call to help us understand exactly how a little squishy blob has sold so many millions over the past few months.
She told us, for her, the allure started a few months ago when she was swiping her way through TikToks, and she saw someone pulling a squishy dumpling out of its package for the first time.

**SPEAKER_5** (2:04)
Three, two, one.

**Juliana** (2:07)
You actually got the teal balls. No way. I was like, oh, I really want one of those.

**SPEAKER_7** (2:11)
It matches my nails.

**Erika Barris** (2:12)
The exciting part wasn't just a toy. It was that the TikTokers didn't know what color it would be, or what special qualities it would have.

**Juliana** (2:21)
The part of unboxing it and not knowing what you get is pretty fun.

**Erika Barris** (2:24)
She had to have one.
But Juju is 13 years old. So actually, she had to convince her parents that she had to have one.

**Leela** (2:32)
I'm Leela. I'm Juliana's mom, squishy supplier.

**Erika Barris** (2:39)
Juju got her squishy supplier to take her to the store.

**Juliana** (2:42)
And then we turned down an aisle and then there was just the bin stacked full of them.

**Erika Barris** (2:47)
They bought a few. And then Juju came home, set up her camera on a table, and placed dumpling number one in front of her. Still in its little beige steamer basket with a lattice top, just like the bamboo ones, but plastic. She looked into the camera and started recording her own TikTok.

**Juliana** (3:05)
Okay, so I think I'd want like the pink or the purple one or like the galaxy.

**Erika Barris** (3:11)
She pulls off the packaging, closes her eyes.

**Juliana** (3:15)
Three, two, one.

**Erika Barris** (3:16)
And lifts the lid off of the steamer basket.

**SPEAKER_9** (3:19)
Oh my God!

**Erika Barris** (3:21)
So the very first one you ever bought happened to be like the super rare blue glitter?

**SPEAKER_9** (3:28)
Yeah.

**Erika Barris** (3:29)
What are the odds?

**Juliana** (3:30)
It's like, I don't know, but it's like pretty rare.

**Erika Barris** (3:33)
Pretty soon, her friends all see her video.

**SPEAKER_9** (3:36)
Okay.

**Juliana** (3:36)
So now this time, we want the pink.

**Erika Barris** (3:38)
Then they see this dumpling in real life.

**Juliana** (3:41)
Or the like green.

**Erika Barris** (3:42)
And they want to get one. And then they make their own videos. And then, we found the new shark because zillions of other people are making their own videos.

**Kristin McLean** (3:52)
Let's hopefully we get the orange, blue.

**Erika Barris** (3:53)
And the squishy dumpling. And videos of people opening the squishy dumplings goes viral. And people are lining up to buy them. Stores are rationing how many can be sold. There's a booming resale market.
And Juju's collection is still growing. What is that?

**Juliana** (4:17)
I think I just got another glitter one.

**Erika Barris** (4:19)
Wait, while you're talking to me?