Fidget frenzy as shops sell out on latest craze

By Mary Dennehy

HOW long can you keep yours spinning for?

That’s basically all that matters in homes, offices and playgrounds at the moment as fidget spinners rapidly become the craze of the decade, with one Tallaght retailer buying in 5,000 of the gadgets this week to keep up with demand.

Originally capturing the imagination of children, the cool little gadgets now have adults in a spin – with the affordable gadget hailed as a stress-relieving tool.

They have also been used to help children with ADHD and autism to concentrate.

Available in a range of shapes and colours, fidget gadgets have a ball-bearing that allows them to spin – and that’s basically it.

Locally, early morning queues are becoming the norm as children, teenagers and adults race to get their fingers on the addictive gadget, which are reasonably affordable.

Tallaght Adventure World is one local business stocking fidget spinners, and finding it hard to keep up with demand.

The Echo visited Tallaght Adventure World last week for the delivery of a new batch, which didn’t last very long.

Conor Moore, a seven-year-old customer, told The Echo: “I love them because they spin and you can do tricks with them.

“And you can bring them everywhere with you in your pocket.”

One parent queuing for the gadgets told The Echo: “They are really reasonable and I think that the average price of around €5 for the basic ones are making them a trend.”

Breathnach’s Bargains in the Dominic’s Shopping Centre is another local hot spot for fidget spinners, with owner Tony Walsh buying in 5,000 of the gadgets last Sunday, with more than 2,500 of them gone in the space of three days.

Tony Walsh told The Echo: “We have the standard spinners, three for a €10, and then we have what I call the Rolls-Royce of fidget spinners, which costs €20 and is brass.

“The brass ones come in a steel case and people are buying them for communions and confirmations because you can get them engraved.”

He added: “I bought 5,000 of them in on Sunday and half of them are gone.

“I’m in business 33 years and they are the most popular item I’ve ever had in the shop . . . fidget spinners are the biggest thing since sliced bread!

“We have people coming in every minute looking for them and queues at 8am in the morning.”