Silly Bandz
From Bandz Wiki: The Encyclopedia of Silly Bandz And Other Shaped Silicone Rubber Band Bracelets
Silly Bandz is a brand of shaped bands created by Robert Croak and produced by his company BCP Imports.
(The early history of Silly Bandz is described in more detail in Origin Of Shaped Bands).
The SillyBandz.com domain was registered November 28th, 2008. Silly Bandz first Tweeted on September 8th, 2009, and their Facebook updates go back to September 29th, 2009.
The first Silly Bandz packs released were Pet and Zoo, with at least one new pack coming along each month since late 2009.
Specialties
While Silly Bandz does not concentrate on a particular theme or niche, it is the most well-known brand of shaped bands by far, and the one most directly responsible for the current fad.
The Silly Bandz name enjoys the benefit of having become a genericized trademark—where, like "Thermos," "Band Aid," or "Chap Stick," the brand name has become a synonym for the product. Since there is no simple, widely agreed-upon term for a colored band made out of silicone and molded into a shape, "Silly Bandz" has become the name that a large majority of the public uses to refer to any product of that type.
This is often observed even when people are speaking explicitly of other brands, and packs or specific bands created by other manufacturers. You might hear someone say "Stretchy Shapes Silly Bandz," (when referring to the bands produced by Stretchy Shapes) or "a monkey Silly Band" (when referring to Monkeys Bama Bandz), or "the Phineas and Ferb Silly Bandz set" (which is actually Phineas And Ferb Character Rubber Bands).
Silly Bandz began to produce packs based on famous brands and personalities in mid-2010, starting with Marvel Silly Bandz, followed by perhaps the most talked-about shaped bands pack ever released: Justin Bieber Silly Bandz. Most of the new packs released in the ensuing months were also based on recognizable entertainment properties.
Pack Characteristics
Nearly all Silly Bandz packs contain a total of 24 bands, including six designs with four of each design.
Only one pack so far includes a total other than 24: the Alphabet pack, which contains all 26 letters of the alphabet plus ten extra letters.
Silly Bandz are packaged in a plastic pillow pack.
Prices
Almost all Silly Bandz packs have a Suggested Retail Price of $4.95 (the Alphabet pack is again the only one that deviates from the standard, with an SRP of $6.95).
Actual pack prices vary widely, especially online, depending on the retailer and the pack. Discontinued packs, such as Swim Silly Bandz, may or may not sell for a higher price; very common packs for a lower price.
Availability
Silly Bandz are the most widely available brand of shaped bands, available in all of the standard outlets and from many online stores.
Other Notes
Crazy Bands claims on their website that their bands are "Bigger, Thicker, Stronger" (compared, presumably, to Silly Bandz). Whether or not this is true is debatable.
Packs
Comments
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