Silly Bandz: Will You Be Buying Into The Latest Must-Have Craze?

Silly Bandz: Will You Be Buying Into The Latest Must-Have Craze?
Delphotos / Alamy

Alamy

To the untrained (read: grown up) eye, Silly Bandz are nothing more than a pile of coloured, rubber bands, not dissimilar to those the postmen so irritatingly litter the country's pavements with.

But to kids, they are the latest Big Thing, so if you have youngsters, read on, because your kids are sure to be nagging you to splash the cash on Silly Bandz before the month is out.

From animals to cars, princesses to Justin Bieber - yes, really, Justin Bieber shaped elastic bands - Silly Bandz have been marketed with a 'something for everyone' appeal. And at around £1.50 a bag they are pocket money possible.

Worn just like a normal bracelet, the silicone bands are stretched over the wrist but then return to their original shape when removed.

The main question from a grown up's viewpoint, is, obviously WHY? but given that 3.6 million of the blighters have been sold in the last three months alone, and with them hitting Sainsbury's and Debenhams from next month, the craze is probably not for adults to question...

Invented by American (of course) Robert Croak and first sold online in 2008, the bands have been steadily gaining popularity - there has been a rap song (and YouTube hit) made about them, and celebs including Sarah Jessica Parker and Agyness Deyn have been spotted wearing them.

With Toys R Us predicting they could be the 'hottest toy of the year' and manufacturers racing to stock copy-cat products (Claire's Accessories has launched its own range called Rubber Bands) it seems there will be little escape.

So will you be clearing the bedroom shelves of all the crazes that have gone before - Beyblades, Go-Gos Crazy Bones, Match Attax - and indulging your kids in Silly Bandz ?

What do you think?

Will you be buying into the Silly Bandz trend?

Are your kids already pestering you for them?

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