The pattern behind every toy selling out on TikTok this year
TikTok doesn't care about your tech features. It cares about this.
For most of Q1, the breakout toy on TikTok was NeeDoh stress toys by Schylling. Their "Air Bubbles?" video pulled 9.1M views. Their top Instagram Reel hit 3.5M. Their TikTok account now sits at 847K followers and 3.4M total likes, and that's after a year's worth of inventory sold out in nine weeks.
This month? The trend is hacky sack.
In line with a growing interest in the 90's, #hackysack TikTok posts in the US were up 330%+ and TikTok searches for "hacky sack" were up 600%+. (That's TikTok data, as reported by Good Housekeeping, May 6, 2026)
The result? Hacky sacks are selling out everywhere.
The Dirtbag brand (yes, that's the name) sold out on its own website, its Amazon storefront, and its TikTok shop.
Dick's Sporting Goods has been completely wiped out of this nostalgic inventory.
Meanwhile, Amazon sellers spotted the signal within days and new "2026 Upgraded Footbag Sack" listings appeared almost immediately, riding the TikTok search wave.
The pattern:
This is the second time this year a TikTok surge has sold out a brand and grown an entire category overnight. Both times, the toy doing it was low-tech in play pattern and nostalgic in aesthetic.
But here's what's more interesting than the sellouts: how the virality started. As far as the public can see, neither brand launched a "direct sales" campaign. Neither had a celebrity push. Both went viral because someone created an easy-to-copy format that gave the person posting a sense of belonging, and the person watching enough FOMO to want to join in.
With NeeDoh, small creators started posting simple ASMR style squeeze videos, super satisfying, and zero production needed. The format was easy to replicate and hundreds of creators did exactly that. Once stock started running low, "hunting for NeeDoh" became its own viral format, and scarcity drove even more desire.
With hacky sack, a couple of brothers in Massachusetts created an account called WW Sack with zero following. One of their videos got 1.3 million views. Then other schools created competing team accounts. A mystery student launched unofficial "MIAA Hacky Sack Rankings," tracking schools by their video output. The format was simple: film your school's sack circle, post it, get ranked. One school account, UAHS Sack Bros, had just 3,549 followers when their first video hit 3.4 million views. The hashtag #spreadsacknothate trended overnight, and what started with 35 schools quickly grew to 96.
Neither trend needed an existing audience. Both needed a format that was easy to copy and made viewers and content creators feel part of something.
Why it matters:
If you've got a low-tech toy, TikTok should be your primary initial marketing channel. Your goal should be to create a format that's easy to copy and gives the person creating it a sense of belonging or identity.
NeeDoh content creators & viewers were saying "I like sensory, ASMR stuff" while Hacky Sack content creators & viewers are saying "I'm part of a good vibes team".
So my question to you is...
What's your product saying?
Here's what I'm doing with my TCA Accelerator clients right now, (that you can copy):
Brainstorm "easy to copy" formats with your toy or game. Some formats can show how to use your product, others can just show the lifestyle of the person that uses it.
Create and post demo format videos across every account you have access to. They can be yours, a friend's, a family member's. It doesn't matter what accounts, this is just your testing phase to see what gets traction.
Choose one format to repeat and go all in: micro-influencers, friends, family, or a high volume of videos from you in that one format.
Two ways to launch: You should either A: Create a new account built around the audience identity, for example @ilovesquish posting only squish videos. OR B: Plan 1-3 months where your influencers all post back to back. Try your best to flood 1-2 hashtags. One should be your brand hashtag. One should speak directly to your audience, like #ilovesquish.
Book a call with me if you want help planning the launch.
More About This Play Pattern
TikTok's impact on the toy industry is only growing and I'll be going deep on it in Season 7 of the podcast, coming September 2026.