A post from a member of the r/Anticonsumption subreddit generated quite a discussion recently, with posters debating whether collecting plastic toys is a fun hobby or something to be avoided at all costs.
"This is why I despise 'collectibles,'" the original poster wrote. Underneath, they shared a screen grab of a social media post in which someone else wrote, "I have about 100+ squishmallows I need to get rid of."
Squishmallow is a brand of stuffed toy that launched in 2017 and found a Beanie Baby-esque niche popularity a few years later. Some of the rarest Squishmallows have sold for thousands of dollars on the secondary market.
The level of passion some Squishmallow collectors exhibit has been reported as dangerous and frightening (though, in fairness, that could probably be said for certain members of nearly any collecting community).
Because Squishmallows are made of polyester, a type of synthetic fabric made of plastic, members of the r/Anticonsumption subreddit were largely scornful of anyone who would accumulate hundreds only to try to get rid of them.
"What a waste of money and plastic," wrote one commenter.
"I agree, waste, waste, waste. No purpose, just stuff that will continue to pollute the earth," wrote another.
However, others cautioned that since we don't know the personal situation of the person who posted that their Squishmallows were for sale, we should not judge them harshly. Others stepped in to defend collecting on its merits.
"I feel like some comments here are approaching bashing people for collecting 'unnecessary' items. People are allowed to enjoy things, and it kind of just seems similar to getting into regular people for not cutting carbon emissions when our capitalist overlords account for more than half of them by quite a bit," wrote one such commenter.
The fact remains, however, that plastic consumption is a big problem for our planet, and unnecessarily buying huge amounts of sizable plastic or partially plastic items is something we should all try to avoid — especially when those purchases add up to a collection that you may soon come to regret amassing.
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