My dad and grandpa were toy inventors. I had to find my own way into the industry.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Alex Kessler headshot
Alex Kessler found his way in the family business.

Courtesy of Alex Kessler

This chart shows how much Labubus have fallen off

Tech Insider : Business, Style
two labubus
A real Labubu made by Pop Mart (tan) and a fake "Lafufu" (blue).

Katie Notopoulos / Business Insider

This '90s stoner trend is now the latest Gen Z obsession: the hacky sack

Tech Insider : Business, Sports, Style
group playing hacky sack
Hacky sack, the Gen X campus staple, is making a comeback with Gen Z.

Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images

I went to a kids' Pokémon event. I expected child's play, but got a trading floor.

Tech Insider : Business
Pokemon trading event
Edi, a 9-year-old Pokémon fan, told me a single card could be as valuable as a house. He was right.

Lucia Vazquez for BI

'Little business people': How Pokémon turned kids into dealmakers

Tech Insider : Business, Sports, Style
Pokemon Trading event
New York City's Bleecker Trading is a hot spot for Pokémon collectors of all ages looking to build portfolios. With card values on the rise, Pokémon cards have become an alternative asset class.

Lucía Vázquez for BI

NeeDoh squishies have gone viral. 'It wasn't intentional,' the CEO tells me.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Style
blue squishy in a hand
The Nee Doh gumdrop squishy has a very pleasant handfeel.

Katie Notopoulos / Business Insider

3 trading card games to collect if you're looking to diversify beyond Pokémon

Tech Insider : Business, Sports
Woman holding Yu-Gi-Oh! cards
Yu-Gi-Oh! has been around for just as long as Pokémon.

picture alliance/picture alliance via Getty Images

A parent's guide to the Pokémon card craze

Tech Insider : Business
Pokémon world championships
Most kids see Pokémon as a collectible hobby, though the game is still popular, with the World Championships drawing competitors and spectators.

Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images

The next trendy animal for kids' toys is … the highland cow

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
a highland cow plush toy
The highland cow, the next trendy animal for toys.

Katie Notopoulos / Business Insider

Lego and Pokémon released a $650 collab, and resellers are already vying to get a bite of the market

Tech Insider : Business
Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise Lego set is assembled on a wooden desk.
Lego Pokémon's Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set.

The Lego Group

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