How Squishmallows (and their resellers) helped me through grief

"I took shallow solace in my phone and turned to social media to numb me from the reality that I now lived in: a world without my dad. One day, while mindlessly scrolling, I came across the r/Squishmallow subreddit, where a girl had posted her collection of more than 100 round plush toys. They were called Squishmallows-round stuffed animals invented in 2017 that have become one of the most popular toy lines in the world, with more than 100 million sold each year."

"I expected that my dive into the Squishmallow phenomenon would be the usual two-hour rabbit hole, but spending time in that community was the first joy I'd felt in months. After scrolling through endless photos of Squishmallow hauls, I worked up the courage to post. I asked if there was a cardinal Squishmallow, since that bird was my dad's symbol for his own father. I was bombarded with compassion; even though cardinal Squishmallows were rare at the time, someone sent me theirs for free."

A grieving person found unexpected solace and joy in an online Squishmallow community after a member gifted a rare cardinal plush, starting a collection. Community generosity provided meaningful comfort during bereavement. The same community also contained resellers who competed for scarce, coveted items and caused frustration among collectors. A doctoral marketing researcher studied the psychological and emotional impact of resellers on brand communities and found that resellers are a consistent source of pain for members. The research was published in a leading field journal and validated collectors' negative experiences with resellers.

Read at Fast Company