Squinkies, capsule toys that sell in sets of 16 (in partially blind packaging) for $10 or less, are one of the hottest toys this holiday season, according to the New York Times.   With hundreds of characters targeted at young girls, the toys are instant collectibles, and are selling out at Walmart and other chains nationwide.  Vending machine-like toys that can dispense the capsules area also part of the line. 

The toymaker, Blip Toys, is a tiny company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota that developed the line after hearing that capsule toys were big in Japan.  And although they’ve been sold from vending machines in the U.S. for decades, capsule toys have never hit the sales levels here that they enjoy in Japan, where they’re an important collectible category, especially for those featuring anime and manga characters.  There have been attempts to expand the popularity of this type of toy in the States, but this is the first blow-out success for a capsule toy line.  

Blip plans to add licenses such as Spider-man and Hello Kitty to its Squinkies line, according to the report.