Fads come and go with every generation. When I was a kid bracelets were a hit mostly with the girls. Intricately woven friendship bracelets and thick colorful rubber bands were common.
The latest and greatest with this generation, both girls and boys, are the shape bracelets. Just about any object that has an identifiable profile can be found as an extruded colorful rubber bracelet. For about 3 bills you can buy a pack of two dozen shape bracelets (or silly bandz). What I find puzzling is how anyone, when wearing them, is able to tell the difference between one of these bracelets and a simple rubber band. Apparently that’s all the fun; taking them off, looking at them and then trading them with your friends (I heard that this trend has been banned from some schools in the south because it’s become too much of a distraction).
Once again someone has managed to ‘tap into’ the psyche of the kid and make a mint. In an industry that’s very hit and miss, it’s always interesting to see what makes it.