The squishies trend is very real – even my 4-year-old niece squeals at the sight of them. And please don’t judge, because this 28-year-old writer is also planning to get her hands on a few. Between their satisfyingly squishy texture and cute, quirky designs, it’s not hard to see why these kneadable toys have become so popular.
So imagine our delight when we stumbled upon Mi-O Gifts, an unassuming squishy shop nestled among the stretch of stores at Bendemeer Shopping Mall, just a few steps away from Boon Keng MRT Station. If our office wasn’t nearby, we probably would have walked right past this spot, so we’re here to share it with all our fellow squishy fanatics.
From afar, Mi-O Gifts looks like your typical neighbourhood essentials store, stocked with everything from dining chair covers and cushions to cables and random home decor. But right in the middle of the store is a stack of racks piled high with squishies in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colours, designs, and textures.
The store’s main demographic might be uncles and aunties, but we gotta give props to whoever runs the place for knowing exactly what would reel in the younger crowd.
Price is probably the first thing you’ll consider before adding more squishies to your collection, and thankfully, Mi-O Gifts keeps things pretty affordable. Some bread-shaped squishies were on offer and going for just $2 each, while the most expensive option we spotted was a jumbo unicorn squishy priced at $18.90.
With prices like these, it’s easy to pick up a few different designs without doing too much damage to your wallet. More squishies for the collection and less damage to the bank account sounds like a win to us.
When we visited, we saw other designs on offer to choose from too, including a peach squishy ($2.90) and a jumbo peanut squeeze toy ($8.90).
There are so many designs to browse through that you’ll probably want to take your time and sift through the racks.
Besides the $2 bread-shaped squishies, the shop also sells mega-sized bread squishies ($12.90) in different bread varieties for those who like their squishies extra chunky. One of the quirkier designs we spotted was the chocolate bar squishies ($3.90), with prints inspired by familiar favourites like Twix.
And if you’ve been scrolling past countless squishy unboxing videos, you’ll know that NeeDoh and soap bar-like squishies are having a moment.
Mi-O Gifts sells both NeeDoh dupes ($3.90) and soap bar squishies ($5.90), with the latter available in 3 colours. But take note that the soap bar squishies sold here don’t come with a wax shell like the ones you may have seen online. Instead, they’re filled with beads, which give them an extra satisfying texture when you squeeze them.
Other viral squishy designs like the peanut ($5.90) and butter ($5.90) squishies are also available at Mi-O Gifts.
There are also quirky food-inspired picks like durian ($5.90) and corn ($5.90), each with its own interesting texture.
Image credit: Ivan via Google Maps
Mi-O Gifts is located just a 2-minute walk from Boon Keng MRT Station Exit B. Walk towards the sheltered walkway with a stretch of stores, and keep a lookout for the shop on your right.
More squishy designs available at Mi-O Gifts.
This might just be your sign to finally jump on the squishy bandwagon. With prices starting from just $2, you don’t need to spend much to pick up a new hobby or slowly build your own collection. Plus, the store accepts CDC Vouchers, so consider this another excuse to treat yourself.
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Photography by Wei Yin & Kezia Tan.
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