The Rubber Band Craze Moves from Kid’s Wrists to the Silver Screen with BANDS ON THE RUN, a Bouncy, Full-Length Animated Movie!

Buy Your SILLY BANDS HERE!

With Ryan Torain officially out for Sunday, you have to figure that Keiland Williams will be a significant piece of the offense against the Titans, whether Clinton Portis starts or not.

And here’s one thing you need to know about Keiland Williams: he apparently wore Silly Bandz during his breakout game on Monday night. Or at least, he did during his post-game locker room interviews. Were the Bandz depicting Justin Bieber? Or ice cream cones, one of my daughter’s favorites? Or possibly tree frogs? Only one man knows, and he’s not talking. Or at least, the beat writers maybe forgot to ask him.

(Via Redskins.com TV.)

By Dan Steinberg | November 19, 2010; 4:50 PM ET

Kids tell-all about the popular silicone accessory taking over kids wrists one band at a time
October 25, 2010|By Cara R. Anthony, cranthony@dailypress|

Trying to understand the Silly Bandz fad is impossible even after talking to a collector.

They’re “awesome,” may be the closest you’ll get to why these collectors, mostly kids under 10, exude the same passion and loyalty for the colorful silicone bands worn in multiples on wrists.

From dinosaurs to princess shapes, Silly Bandz come in hundreds of cool styles and funky colors. As their popularity has grown over the last few years, storeowners in Hampton Roads are catering to the high demand.

Poquoson Pharmacy recently held a Silly Bandz party where dozens of children and their parents showed up to win, buy and trade the bands. The pharmacy decided to host the party to promote the product.

Kimberly Gibbs, a buyer for the pharmacy, said she has seen children get really upset if they leave without a new pack of Silly Bandz.

“Sometimes the mom literally has to put them on the floor to get the kid away from them,” Gibbs said.

The local owned business started carrying the product this year to help boost store profits. When the store had a high demand for bands last spring it resorted to selling holiday Silly Bandz. Buyers for the store weren’t surprised when parents still purchased the winter-themed bands in May.

“We couldn’t keep them in,” Gibbs said. “In the beginning not every body had them.”

The bands are the second kid-fad the store has profited from. Buyers did not carry past fads like trading cards and Beanie babies, but the store does carry Webkinz.

What’s a Webkinz?

It’s stuffed animal that can also become interactive if a child enters the computer code on the toy company’s website.

“It’s interesting to see what the next big thing will be,” said Brooke Davis a buyer for the pharmacy.

Gibb’s believes the Webkinz fad is slowly fading, but some kids at the party disagreed. In fact, most kids at the party had their own opinions about Silly Bandz and Webkinz.

Alissa a super collector

Alissa Hoffman, 9, clearly disagrees with Gibbs when it comes to the declining popularity of Webkinz. During the Silly Bandz party she tightly squeezed three new Webkinz to add to her collection.

Hoffman also snagged a pack of “spelling” bands while she was at the party. The bands she picked up at the party will enter a collection that can fill both of her arms.

She has 346 in her collection.

Alissa said she will purchase a pack of the rubber bands from just about anywhere — a grocery, pharmacy or even store a where everything is a buck. She said she is not loyal to the Silly Bandz name brand. Call them Bandz Mania or Crazy Band she said they are all cool.

Joshua’s special place

At 7 years old Joshua Firman is already setting personal goals. The Silly Bandz collector said he will be happy when his collection reaches the number “199″.

The odd number makes sense to Joshua. “I like the number nine,” he said boldly.

Joshua also likes baseball. Fittingly his favorite band is a red baseball hat. He was wearing the cap shaped band during the party where he won Silly Bandz and candy.

His collection peaked at 154 before he left the party.

Joshua’s new Silly Bandz will go into his “secret spot” when he gets home — a blue locker.

Katelyn an animal lover

There are two Silly Bandz shapes Katelyn Kuchinsky will never trade.

“I would never trade my horse or my dolphin” she said while munching on a cookie.

The 6-year-old said she loves Silly Bandz because of the cool animal shapes.

Like her brother she has more than 100 bands.

The animal shapes are her favorite variety.

“They’re awesome,” she said.

Silly Bandz, Webkniz, and stuffed animals all feed Katelyn’s need for all things furry.

Her dad Kyle Kuchinsky,39, said he can empathize with his children’s love of Silly Bandz.

“Transformers and Star Wars were big when I was a kid,” Kuchinsky said.

Austin shares his bands

Austin Jones’ favorite color is green.

“My favorite one is the turtle,” he said. To display his favorite color he wore a green shirt to the Silly Bandz party.

He played a round of “shoot your silly” band then quickly pursued his prize.

His mother said the bands offer a way for children to become social and friendly. This is especially important to her because Austin, 8, is legally blind.

“It makes a big difference for kids even with a disability it doesn’t matter,” his mother said.

She has been buying for her son for two years. He trades, collects and gives them away.

“Sometimes I give them away to kids that don’t have enough money to buy them,” he said.Crazy over Silly Bandz

From kindergarten to 12th grade, everyone loves them.

“My favorite is the hello kitty one, I have one.”

“Genies, dinosaurs, pumpkins.”

“I have the most in my class.”

The fun-shaped rubber band bracelets are the new school yard craze.

“There’s superheroes. I like Spiderman so I wear Spiderman. During practice we see everybody wear it,” said St. Francis School sophomore, Austin Ursua.

Silly Bandz started as an office supply in Japan and has caught on across the country.

“We saw it within the next moment 24-hours it was like ‘oh my gosh’ this is a huge trend,” said Beth Tom, owner of PriceBusters. “We bought everything we could get our hands on so we have them aired in and landing on our containers about every other day, seriously.”

“It’s crazy to see every generation has their own little thing and Silly Bandz is it,” said Kaulana Chang of Razor Concepts. “It’s growing and growing it’s huge now.”

In the same way marbles, baseball cards, and pogs were traded and swapped, so too are Silly Bandz.

“We love Silly Bandz my friends and me put them in these binders and we like to trade them,” said Young.

They’re becoming so popular some school districts have even blacklisted the bands.

Still, everyone from celebrities to athletes is wearing them.

“They’re putting glitter in them, they glow in the dark, they’re putting scents in them they smell like bubble gum,” said Chang.

“It’s wonderful to see a craze happen again it puts a little excitement back in retail,” said Tom.

Silly Bandz are being touted as one of the most sought-after stocking stuffers this Christmas.