NeeDoh Mania Emptying Shelves At Wheeler’s And Beyond

Nee-doh mania has officially taken over Berkshire County kids, and after this morning's show, I can confirm it's real.

Charlotte Ackerley, Gemma Paris, and Robin Bradley from Lanesborough Elementary joined me for a kids' takeover, playing their favorite songs from Katy Perry, Kesha, and Ella Langley, plus newer names like Maddox Batson and Freya Skye. But the real eye opener came when the conversation drifted to nee-dohs and squishies (which are all over my house).

If you don't have kids in this age range, you might not know what a Needoh is. It's a small, stretchy, dough like compound filled cube that kids squeeze for stress relief, and apparently for the thrill of collecting them. They come in different sized cubes, plus other shapes like hearts as well. They fit in the palm of your hand.

Paris told us some kids are holding onto collections of up to 60 of these things. That's a serious habit when you consider they run about 12 dollars each!

So where are Berkshire County kids getting their fix? Paris told me Dollar General and Wheeler's Market in Lanesborough is her go to. I stopped by Wheeler's to see for myself, and the clerk backed up her story completely. He said the last few months have been rough on keeping shelves stocked, with days where he's sold ten of them before closing. He's noticed things cooling off a bit lately, but the after school rush is still steady, mostly kids between 10 and 15 stopping in on their way home.

It's a small thing, but it says a lot about how social media trends turn into real dollars spent at local stores. A toy that barely existed on anyone's radar a year or two ago is now something small business owners in Lanesborough are ordering by the case.