This Dufferin Mall store sells nothing but fidget spinners
What was once the Dufferin Mall’s HMV has been converted into My Fidget Spinner, a pop-up selling the latest baffling craze: fidget spinners. For those who haven’t yet been subjected to the mesmerizing doohickeys, there isn’t that much to understand: they’re hand-held gadgets that spin (and spin and spin and spin) around a centre anchor.
The toys were originally designed by inventor Catherine Hettinger in the ’90s, who thought children could use them as a quiet and non-destructive way to release pent-up energy. Her patent expired in 2005 before the craze caught on, and in Toronto they’re now sold by retailers like Mastermind, Indigo, Staples, Etsy, even Kitchen Stuff Plus—and, until August, My Fidget Spinner.
Here, they sell over a dozen different kinds of spinners made of aluminum, steel, iron and plastic:
The most expensive model ($60) is this sleek black steel version. Tiny bells in its prongs make a twinkly ringing noise when spun:
Employee Daniela Delgado says they sell out of models every week, and people are dropping serious cash on the toys. “We have people coming in and spending over $200 on spinners,” she says:
This one ($50) is actually a bluetooth speaker with flashing disco lights:
This colourful brass piece ($50) has been the store’s most popular seller:
Delgado says they get people of all ages coming in to look at the toys. This mid-range technicolour version, which can spin for over three minutes if wound properly, is another popular choice:
And for flashier consumers, there’s this metallic dollar sign:
 around a centre anchor.
The toys were originally designed by inventor Catherine Hettinger in the ’90s, who thought children could use them as a quiet and non-destructive way to release pent-up energy. Her patent expired in 2005 before the craze caught on, and in Toronto they're now sold by retailers like Mastermind, Indigo, Staples, Etsy, even Kitchen Stuff Plus—and, until August, My Fidget Spinner.
Here, they sell over a dozen different kinds of spinners made of aluminum, steel, iron and plastic:
The most expensive model ($60) is this sleek black steel version. Tiny bells in its prongs make a twinkly ringing noise when spun:
Employee Daniela Delgado says they sell out of models every week, and people are dropping serious cash on the toys. “We have people coming in and spending over $200 on spinners," she says:
This one ($50) is actually a bluetooth speaker with flashing disco lights:
This colourful brass piece ($50) has been the store's most popular seller:
Delgado says they get people of all ages coming in to look at the toys. This mid-range technicolour version, which can spin for over three minutes if wound properly, is another popular choice:
And for flashier consumers, there's this metallic dollar sign:
){kind=link}