Fads.

We have all seen our share of fads; from “baby on board” signs to beanie babies to such crazy ones as “pogs.” For those who are not fortunate enough to remember “pogs” they were essentially circular pieces of cardboard that were traded and flipped; most of the collectors were boys. It was traumatic when you lost one of your favorite “pogs” by flipping it and coming out on the losing end---the winner walked away with it. Like most fads, these items fell into the “must have” category, and when it involves young kids, it becomes an obsession.

When I was growing up we had mood rings, pet rocks and “Earth shoes.” These odd looking shoes-I bought a pair from Thom McCann---were supposedly good for your posture because the front of the shoe was higher than the back. They must not have been too good---because they are no longer around. We also had patched jeans, clothing with the American flag plastered all over it (it was 1976 after all) and other fads that were so important…I can’t remember them.

As ridiculous as these fads are, I sure wish I had come up with them. Needless to say I didn’t. I am not really sure how a fad begins but they usually have a lifespan of about 3 months. They usually begin to fade once they catch on to the point where everyone has them (and then they are not special any longer) or the next big thing comes along. Once the fad is over…they go from a ridiculous price to the bargain bin. Guess right and you can make a lot of money, guess wrong and you are the proud owner of many of them.

Right now one of the hottest fads are rubber bands molded into the shapes of animals, buildings and other common items. They are colorful---very important---and some even glow in the dark. How do I know? My little kids have them. At $1.99 for a package of 6 or 8, I have to believe they are making a few bucks on these glorified “rubber bands.” I even offered to buy an entire bag of rubber bands ($3.99 for a ½ pound) in a variety of colors, but that wasn’t going to cut it. They had to be shaped.

The photo above is a picture of the “must have” for the summer of 2010. Rabbits, lions and buildings bunch together on both arms of all the kids these days; unlike the “pogs” that captured the minds of boys, these have captured the arms of girls. Lucky me. If I could travel back in time, for just say 20 years, I would come back wealthier than you could ever imagine; with a photo of myself surrounded by beanie babies, colorful cell phone covers and of course these “goofy”rubber bands, there would be no looking back---because I would be looking forward to figure out what would be the next fad. I wonder if Pet Rocks are going to be making a come back?

Thanks for stopping by.