Cell Phone Charms rocking all over New York

My female source on the ground in New York was telling me today that Cell Phone Charms are all the rage there.   They’re apparently ‘everywhere’ — and cell phone — or ‘mobile phone’ (the correct terminology, obviously, this is a British blog) charm stores and counters are springing up all over the place.

Here’s an online store that my contact recommended taking a look at.

Smart.  It’s not my thing, at all.  You couldn’t catch me hanging little charms like the one on the left over my Nokia.  Not in a billion years.  But, hey, I get the concept.  I need to see if those accessories shops here in the UK are doing much with UK mobile ‘charms’.

I had a quick look at Claire’s Accessories, which is the only shop chain I can remember. 

Claire’s Accessories: Total disappointment.  I typed ‘mobile’ into the search and came up with a totally stupid mobile phone desk chair.  Useless.  Why no mobile jewel things?  Maybe it’s not the ‘thing’ here in the UK.

Good examples of the charms in action at this UK site: http://www.mobling.co.uk/

It could certainly be a lucrative market if it was to take off.  I set about doing some straw polling.  I got my younger brother’s girlfriend on MSN and asked them what they thought of the cellphone charms. 

Mental note: Need to talk with Ron at InstGrat and see what he thinks.

So I talked to Hayley (who’s just about to head off to University):

They are a cute accesory but I think the ones you’ve shown me give a childish impression — at least here in the UK. Unless they can be given a meaningful, sophisticated style, I would definitely steer clear.  However I can certainly see the appeal with maybe the 10-14 year olds. 

Turns out that you can get’em in Clinton Cards.   Hayley has seen’em there — as well as Pooh Bear ones in The Disney Store.   I wonder how they’re selling.  She’s only seen one or two people using them.  Not quite a craze here in the UK yet?