Trinket nostalgia goes viral in Whittier

Healing your inner child is an important part of adulthood because those interests you had as a child shaped who you are today. Littlest Pet Shop, Calico Critters and Squinkies are nostalgic and rare trinkets for adults to have a surplus of. But treating yourself to a small trinket here and there only boosts serotonin.

You may have kept a few toys or trinkets from when you were a child and a new one would be so sentimental to introduce to your trusty childhood trinkets. However, the rarity of these toys and the nostalgic consumerism companies capitalize on, can make “healing your inner child” a little expensive.

With the youth’s recognition of the hot economy, bartering systems and trades are increasing in popularity.

Trinket trade boxes began popping up in neighborhoods across the country. Similar to a ‘Little Library’ but instead of books, it is filled with stickers, keychains and fidget toys.

An app called Sidewalk Joy is a worldwide map that shows over 1,000 of the trinket trade boxes and other yard installation locations, such as recipes, seeds, puzzles, movie and pin swaps.

Trinket boxes went viral online as local residents lined up to trade their trinkets for new ones. With the lack of third spaces, Gen Z is creating an interactive and community bonding opportunity to meet new people or hang out with your friends while trading small, impractical toys that bring lots of joy.

Maddison Guardian, Whittier resident and owner of the Trink or Treat Trade boxes in Uptown Whittier, decided, like anyone with an access of things, to have her trinkets go to a new home

Down the street from her house and next to Mimo’s Cafe and Melrose Vintage clothing store, Guardian and her boyfriend James Casillas, secured the boxes from Home Depot on poles facing each other as one acts as an overflow box.

She gained inspiration from social media posts but did not expect her video to go so viral.

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She said she is very grateful for all the love she received online and in person. Guardian said even the local businesses around are participating and sharing online. She said Lovell’s Records left a few cassettes in the box.

The boxes were originally filled with items like a peace sign key chain and small stuffed animals keychains. Guardian said she found it funny that people went so crazy in the comments over a Shopkins shopping cart she also put in the box for the grand opening.

“I took it from my baby brother, so funny,” Guardian said. “Because I don’t know why he ended up with it and I asked my dad if I could take it and that blew up in the comments."

Guardian said she took it as a sign of success when the day she put the box up and recorded the ribbon cutting, a girl nearby was already prepared.

“One of my favorite plushies I traded to a girl and her dad who were standing nearby during the ribbon cutting,” Guardian said. “We traded right then and there on the stop and it was super cool to see in real time.”

From March 27 till now Guardian checks up on it frequently and sees lines forming and people enjoying the box.

She said that the success of the box reminds her that the small things count and they matter to some people.

Guardian said she faced a few challenges when people started leaving trash or McDonald’s Happy Meal toys rather than small unique finds. She said she has to filter things out often to ensure only the best trinkets see the light.

Over the past few weeks, random rainfall hit southern California and Guardian said she will go to the boxes and clear them out, preventing anything from getting wet or destroyed.

Organizers for stickers and hooks for keychains now ease traders’ scavenging by clearly showcasing what is inside.

With such success, Guardian felt like she had to do more and had the resources and materials to do so. She set up a pop-up boutique where she sold clothes, earrings and key chains. She felt a lot of love and support from her friends and the people who frequent the Trink or Treat trinket box.

Guardian said eventually she would love to open a store and participate in fleas more often.

Trink or Treat Trade can be found on Instagram and TikTok

Sarah Van Buskirk can be reached at bysarahvanbuskirk@gmail.com.