First Ever Weekly Pet Peeve - SHOPKINS!

This is my first ever weekly pet-peeve blog.

Each week, on Wednesday, I will tell you about my current pet-peeve of the week. 

Do you have a pet-peeve?  Share it with me at info@benjamindedrick.com!

I don’t know about your kids, but mine are in love with Shopkins, and at least my 9-year-old, she has been for the past couple of years.

What are Shopkins?  Well, in case you’ve been living in a hole for the past three years, think your grocery list meets your old baseball cards.  That’s the basic idea.

Shopkins are little plastic toys based on grocery items with faces and cutesy names.  Did I say toys?  They are actually collectibles.  Each Shopkin is designated as common, rare, and ultra-rare.  And with cute faces like these and adorable names like Cheeky Chocolate (a chocolate bar), Apple Blossom (you guessed it, an apple), and Kooky Cookie (a chocolate chip cookie), how can you not fall in love with them?

Our house has.  Our two 9-year-old daughters and even our 6-year-old son collects them.   You can buy a surprise pack of two Shopkins, complete with a shopping basket, at any retail store (that sells toys) for about $4.  Prices go up from there.  You can buy kits that have up to 20 assorted Shopkins, you can even buy carry and collector cases shaped like refrigerators.  The toys are available in seasons.  They started with the first season in 2013, and they are now on season 4. 

So, you must be asking yourself, what can this guy POSSIBLY have against such cute little collectible toys?  Well, for one thing, every time we go to a store we get harassed to buy more.  Between the three of them we have over two hundred of the little buggers lying around.  They are small and they are everywhere!  I even found some in the crisping drawer in the fridge.  Apparently they didn’t want Ms. Millie Shake to go bad! 

Ok, so they are small, have edges, and are left lying everywhere…what does that sound like to you?  That’s right, they are like the next Legos!  Always underfoot, I stepped on a Crispy Chip this morning climbing out of bed.  Right between the toes!  Ouch.

Don’t get me wrong…I think it’s cute that my kids are all gung-ho about collecting something.  They even bring some of their doubles and triples to school and trade them with their friends.  I have no problem with the concept or the kiddos loving them.  So what is my biggest issue with this multi-million dollar franchise that feeds off of the love for shopping shared by young and old alike? 

Easy!  That I didn't think of the idea myself!

To find out more of my pet-peeves check out the blog every Wednesday at 2PM EST.  Email me anytime at info@benjamindedrick.com to submit your own for me to share!

Thanks for reading!