We know them, we love them and we obsess over them. From the recent obsession with Squishy Buns — a fun, colorful sensory toy — to the previous Sonny Angels that rose in popularity around late 2023 and trends like Labubus that still haunt us from this summer, blind box toys lead to serious overconsumption and harm to the environment that will last forever. For each of these products, you have a higher chance of receiving a select few styles or colors with the slim possibility of receiving the rare design, but there’s no way to know which you’ve got until it’s been opened. This rare colorway or edition in the box is highly sought after, and people spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars searching until they finally unwrap it. 

The one commonality in the popularity of these blind boxes is the hunt. People search and search, buy and buy until they reveal that one secretive and super rare edition — like revealing the golden ticket. While some get extremely lucky on their first try, others spend countless hours and dollars on an unnecessary amount of these toys to secure this hidden surprise. On top of this, most of the “ordinary” designs pulled are then left for trash or resold. This increases demand while lowering supply, increasing the popularity of the trend.

In addition to the potential waste once the trend dies out, there is the initial packaging waste from the boxes. Plastic, like what’s used for the Sonny Angel, is notorious for not biodegrading. Product packaging, including food wrappers and packaging for toys, is the dominant source of plastic waste, accounting for 40% of the global total. 

This summer, people went wild for the Labubus, hunting them down across states, stalking the website and spending two to three times the price on secondary markets. People accessorized their various Labubus and placed them in protective cases. At the same time, the trend of Sonny Angels continued with a similar promise and purpose. Cute, yet a little odd, Sonny Angels had people searching day and night for a specific naked baby figurine. 

Now, with Labubus and Sonny Angels having peaked in trendiness months ago and headed to the dump, another blind box emerges — Squishy Buns.

A sensory toy that can be found at your average retailer, like Walmart or Five Below, Squishy Buns grew popular on the internet in recent months. Slow-motion unboxings got millions of views on TikTok, with people in utter shock when they unraveled the glitter dumpling. Some were hysterical — others acted like they just discovered a treasure chest of diamonds.

There is no harm in buying a few of these exciting blind boxes for the thrill, but when it borders on overconsumption, these trends become a threat. People label it a hobby or just a collectable, but many of these items lose their value in a few short months. Labubus, popular in summer 2025, have seen a drastic drop in sales and revenue. 

Though there is no tracking to show where these collectables ended up, it can be assumed they get forgotten when the next best thing hits the market. Detached from people’s purses, thrown into the trash or waiting to be sold on eBay, they served no true purpose to any consumer in the long run. This is a nasty habit the world has just accepted. From Silly Bandz to Beanie Babies to Squishmallows — which I still admittedly adore — products become a frenzied trend that people scramble to collect, only to be quickly forgotten. While some rare cases still hold an insane value if they were particularly hard to find, others have been forgotten with time. It is likely the simple, harmless Squishy Buns will have the same fate.

Social media has exacerbated these trends and cycles. While we had action figures, comic books and previously mentioned Beanie Babies in the past, these trends often held popularity for years. Today, trends come and go at lightning speed. By the time you have finally secured your lucky glitter Squishy Bun, the next useless figure or toy will be sweeping markets and marked up on eBay.

Trends are often fun and good times. They have been around for decades, from the wildly large and extravagant halo hats that grew popular in the 1820s to mom jeans in the eighties that came back in 2020. So many trends come and go with slight variations. Trends keep consumers excited, but these insane, quick variations in trends on social media are a problem. These collectables flip so fast that they become a thing of the past while your package is still in shipment. Trends have always been around but never in the small-sized form of today. Clothes and accessory trends are a part of history, but these small blind box collectables are revolutionizing how consumers act and what they truly value. 

Be mindful of the next trend you fall victim to, as many of your purchases will be sent straight to the trash when social media has moved on. Overconsumption, regardless of what is in the box, is a serious threat to our planet and consumerism.

Sierra O’Neil is a junior marketing major who loves long walks, overpriced coffee and overanalyzing social media ads. A Pittsburgh native, she is always looking for different places to explore and companies to hire her as their new intern. Connect with Sierra by emailing her at [email protected].