A new collection of Disney Ooshies has become hugely popular with children across Aotearoa, with collectors racing to find their favourite characters and complete their collections.
Ooshies are small, colourful collectible figures featuring characters from popular movies and television shows. The latest collection features Disney characters, including characters from some of Disney’s most famous films.
Shoppers can receive an Ooshie when they spend $30 at Woolworths. This means families can gradually build up a collection while doing their normal grocery shopping.
But not every Ooshie is equally easy to find. Some characters are more difficult to collect than others, making them especially popular with collectors. This has led to children swapping Ooshies with friends in the hope of getting a character they don’t already have.
The collecting craze has also spread online. Complete sets and individual Ooshies have appeared for sale on websites such as Trade Me, with some sellers asking for hundreds of dollars. For collectors, part of the excitement is not knowing which character they will get. Opening a new Ooshie is a little like opening a surprise — you don’t know whether it will be one you already have or a character you’ve been searching for.
The popularity of Ooshies has even created a small trading economy, with some children deciding which figures they are willing to swap and which ones they want to keep. A character that one collector already has might be exactly the one another collector needs.
However, the craze has caused a few headaches for schools. Some schools have asked students to leave Ooshies at home because trading, losing and searching for the figures can become distracting during the school day.
For now, the hunt is on: Which Ooshie will you get next?
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