Americans apparently don't know what to do with their hands.
Just when the fidget spinner craze seemed to be losing momentum, along comes Thinking Putty.
If you missed the spinner craze, interest in the insanely addictive little palm propellers peaked last spring when 17 of the 20 top-selling toys on Amazon were spinners, according to The New York Times.
Mark KennedyThe Times reported in May: " Suddenly they were everywhere. Whirring on your children's fingers. Driving their teachers bonkers. Driving you bonkers."
My 11-year-old son was an early adopter of fidget spinners, ordering several online and selling them to friends at a profit before the trend peaked. As always happens with these flash fads, there was a momentary shortage of product right before there was a glut.
Now fast-forward a few months. I was in a Chattanooga sporting goods store the other day and noticed a display rack chock-full of fidget spinners. It appeared untouched. Maybe it had just been restocked, but more likely, sales have slowed.
I knew the trend was about to overheat several months ago when my son said there were impossible-to-find "limited-edition" spinners being sold for investment purposes. Right. Who needs mutual funds when you can have a lock box full of ball-bearing toys.
It reminded me of a Chattanooga teenager I once interviewed who had a rare Cabbage Patch Kids doll that she was contemplating selling to buy a used car. I hope she sold it before the market collapsed.
So if spinners are now passe, get ready for Thinking Putty, the latest pastime for thumb twiddlers, nail biters and others who have a compulsive need to occupy their hands.
My family is all in on Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty, a novelty item that reminds me of a kids toy from the 1960s, Silly Putty, which is still available today. Readers old enough to remember Silly Putty will recall that it could lift images from the newspaper comics, which could then be contorted by pulling on the putty.
Thinking Putty creator Aaron Muderick, a former web page designer, has been quoted in news reports as saying he was a fan of Silly Putty growing up. Still, he thought he could make a better putty, and so Thinking Putty was born.
Thinking Putty, a silicone-based substance, holds no comfort to me. My brain is too scattered to be soothed by pulling putty into long strands like warm taffy. Too, I am a lifelong finger drummer. I play paradiddles on the steering wheel of my car using the turn signal as a metronome. This satisfies my nervous impulses.
My sons, however, grab for their Thinking Putty as soon they get home from school each day. If you stretch it quickly, it snaps apart and "cracks" like a whip. If you fold it over and pinch the ends, like apple turnover crust, you can hammer it with your fist to make a loud, popping noise.
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Some varieties are multicolored; others glow in the dark. A 3.2-ounce tin sells for $15 or less. My sons shop for Thinking Putty at Barnes & Noble.
So far, Thinking Putty isn't as ubiquitous as Fidget Spinners.
In the meantime, pony up for some putty, like the trendsetter you are.
Invite friends over. Have a putty party.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6645.