How to Start a Squishmallows Collection in New Zealand (2025 Beginner's Guide)

So you've decided to start collecting Squishmallows. Welcome — you've just joined one of the most passionate, welcoming, and genuinely fun collector communities in the world.

Jazwares confirmed on Squishmallows Day 2025 that there are more than 2,500 characters available to collect — and according to Panini, who produces the official trading cards, over 3,000 designs have been created since the brand launched in 2017. Toyworld New Zealand That number grows every single season, with new squads dropping regularly throughout the year.

For a new collector in New Zealand, that's both exciting and slightly overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you buy first? How do you avoid making costly mistakes?

This guide answers every question — step by step — so you can build a Squishmallows collection you'll be genuinely proud of.

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Step 1: Understand What Makes Squishmallows Collectible

Before spending a single dollar, it helps to understand what makes Squishmallows more than just soft toys.

Since 2017, Squishmallows have grown into an international phenomenon — offering comfort, support, and warmth as friends, couch companions, bedtime buddies, and travel teammates, with more than 500 core characters to collect across dozens of themed squads. Accio

Each Squishmallow has:

• A unique name (Connor, Archie, Cam, Blossom...)
• A Squishdate — their official birthday
• A personality bio printed on the hang tag
• A squad classification — the themed group they belong to
• A rarity tier — from standard to Select Series

This combination of personality, story, and rarity is what separates Squishmallows from every other plush toy on the market — and why collectors keep coming back for more.

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Step 2: Learn the Squads System

Squishmallows are released in themed groups known as Squads — and understanding the squad system is essential for any serious collector. Ubuy

Here are the core squads every NZ collector should know:

🐾 Classic Squads (Always Available)

🌟 Licensed & Collaboration Squads

🎄 Seasonal Squads (Limited Availability)

Seasonal squads are particularly valuable for collectors — once they sell out, they're gone permanently, and resale prices climb fast.

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Step 3: Choose Your Collecting Strategy

Every great Squishmallows collection starts with a strategy. Here are the four most popular approaches among NZ collectors:

🎯 Strategy 1 — Character Collecting

Pick characters based purely on what you love — animals you adore, foods you relate to, or aesthetics that match your personality. This is the most personal and emotionally rewarding approach, and ideal for beginners.

Best for: First-time collectors, kids, anyone who wants to collect "just for fun"

🎯 Strategy 2 — Squad Collecting

Choose one or two squads and aim to collect every character within them. Many NZ collectors focus on a single squad — like the Food Squad or Aquatic Squad — and build a complete, themed display.

Best for: Organised collectors who love the challenge of completing a set

🎯 Strategy 3 — Size Collecting

Collect the same character across multiple sizes — from 3.5" clip-on all the way to 24" Giant. Displaying the same character in every size makes a visually stunning shelf arrangement.

Best for: Collectors who love visual impact and graduated displays

🎯 Strategy 4 — Rarity Hunting

Focus exclusively on silver, gold, holographic, and black tag Squishmallows — the rare and ultra-rare tiers. This is the most challenging and expensive strategy, but produces the most impressive collections.

Best for: Experienced collectors, adults with a collecting budget, investment-minded squishers

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Step 4: Set Your Budget

Setting a budget ensures you can build your collection without overspending — and Squishmallows come in a wide enough price range to suit every financial situation. Accio

Here's a realistic NZ budget guide:

A few golden budget rules for NZ collectors:

• Never pay resale prices for characters you can still buy new — patience saves money
• Prioritise seasonal drops immediately — waiting means paying more later
• Start smaller, go bigger — build your taste before investing in large or rare pieces
• Subscribe to squishmallows.co.nz — be first to know about new drops and avoid FOMO purchases at inflated prices

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Step 5: Use the SquadApp to Track Your Collection

This is the single biggest tip for any new NZ collector — download the SquadApp immediately.

The SquadApp is a must-have for every Squishmallows collector, with over 11,000 entries in its database — new Squishmallows are added daily, and the app works offline for collection tracking. Accio

Here's what it does:

• Tracks every Squishmallow you own — including size variants and special editions
• Manages your wishlist — organise what you're hunting for next
• Sends new drop alerts — get notified the moment new characters become available
• Shows your Squishdate calendar — find characters that share your birthday
• Connects you with the community — follow other collectors, see their collections, and trade

The SquadApp database currently has over 10,000 Squishmallows plush toys searchable by name, species, squad, size, and colour — with photos and full details for every entry. Paper Plus It's completely free to download and is rated 4.9 stars by collectors worldwide.

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Step 6: Display Your Collection Like a Pro

How you display your Squishmallows is just as important as what you collect. Here are the most popular display approaches among NZ collectors:

🛋️ The Bed Stack

Arrange large and giant Squishmallows against your headboard or pillows — the most common and visually striking display for 16"–24" characters. Many NZ collectors use their bed as the centrepiece of their collection.

📚 The Shelf System

For large collections of 50 or more Squishmallows, dedicated shelving or wall-mounted display cases are a worthwhile investment — many collectors organise by squad theme, grouping their Christmas squad together, keeping all their cat or bunny characters in one section, and displaying rare characters in a protected case. Toyworld New Zealand

🪟 The Window Ledge

Line up 8"–14" Squishmallows along a wide windowsill — the natural light enhances their pastel colours beautifully and creates a stunning visual effect.

🧺 The Basket Method

For growing collections, large wicker baskets or fabric bins let you store overflow characters stylishly without taking up shelf space. Great for kids' rooms where Squishmallows are actively played with.

📸 The TikTok-Ready Shelf

Arrange characters by colour gradient — lightest to darkest — across a floating shelf. This aesthetic is enormously popular on social media and makes your collection look curated and intentional at a glance.

Display tip: Always keep rare characters — especially black and holographic tag Squishmallows — away from direct sunlight to prevent fading. A UV-protective display case is worth the investment for your most valuable pieces.

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Step 7: Join the NZ Squishmallows Community

Collecting alone is fun. Collecting with a community is so much better.

Joining online communities and engaging with other collectors through forums and social media groups is one of the best ways to share tips, discover new releases early, and connect with like-minded fans. Accio

Where to connect as a New Zealand collector:

• SquadApp — follow other collectors, share your collection, build wish lists
• Reddit: r/squishmallow — the largest online Squishmallows community with hundreds of thousands of members, active trading threads, and daily new drop discussions
• TikTok: #Squishtok — the most active Squishmallows community on social media, where NZ collectors share hauls, reviews, and hunting videos
• Instagram: #SquishmallowsNZ — follow the NZ-specific tag to connect with local collectors
• Facebook Groups — NZ-based Squishmallows buy/sell/trade groups are active and welcoming for collectors looking to complete squads through trading

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Step 8: Know What to Avoid as a Beginner

Every new collector makes a few missteps early on. Here's how to skip the most common ones:

❌ Don't remove the tags Tag condition is critical for collector value. Even if you're not collecting for investment, keeping tags intact is a habit worth building from day one.

❌ Don't overpay for characters still in stock Before paying a premium resale price for any character, check squishmallows.co.nz first — you may find it available new at a fraction of the cost.

❌ Don't buy fakes Counterfeit Squishmallows are a growing problem worldwide. Stick to authorised NZ sources to guarantee you're getting the real thing every time.

❌ Don't buy without a plan It's easy to get swept up in the excitement and buy randomly — then end up with a mismatched collection you don't love. Even a loose strategy (like "I'll focus on animals and food characters") makes a big difference.

❌ Don't miss seasonal drops Seasonal Squishmallows — Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's, Easter — are produced in limited numbers. Once they're gone, they're gone. Act early or pay resale prices later.

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Your New Collection Starts Here

Building a Squishmallows collection in New Zealand is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can start in 2025. Whether you collect casually or obsessively, there's always something new to find, a squad to complete, or a rare character to track down.

The community is welcoming, the characters are endlessly loveable, and every new addition to your collection brings genuine joy.

Start with what you love. Grow at your own pace. And shop the full official NZ range — new squad drops, limited editions, and everything in between — at squishmallows.co.nz