If your kids have been tearing open Ooshie packets at the kitchen table, you might want to take a closer look before tossing the latest find into the toy box.
A rare Woolworths Ooshie has become the latest obsession among collectors, with an ultra-rare “Flocked Bullseye” from the supermarket giant’s current Disney promotion attracting an astonishing amount of attention online. According to reports, just 125 of the special Bullseye Ooshies are believed to be in circulation across Australia, making them one of the hardest-to-find collectibles in the range.
That scarcity has helped fuel a bidding frenzy on eBay.
One listing reportedly surged past $16,000 within days, while another auction later attracted an extraordinary bid of $100 million, a figure so large it immediately raised eyebrows among shoppers and collectors alike.
For many parents, it is a surreal situation.
One minute you’re doing the weekly grocery run, the next you’re wondering whether the tiny horse-shaped figurine your child just pulled from a packet could be worth more than the family car.
But before Aussies start planning holidays or paying off their mortgage with a handful of Ooshies, experts and online observers are urging caution.
While the listings are real, there is a big difference between a bid appearing on a screen and money actually changing hands. Reports have noted that questions have been raised about whether some of the headline-grabbing bids will ultimately be honoured, particularly when prices climb into truly unbelievable territory.
Even eBay has acknowledged that bidders are expected to pay the amount they offer, with policies in place to deal with fake or non-genuine bidding activity.
The craze highlights just how powerful collectible culture can be. Across Australia, children are swapping duplicates in school playgrounds, parents are joining Facebook trading groups and shoppers are timing grocery runs to score extra Ooshie packets.
Still, it might be wise to keep expectations in check.
Rare collectibles can command impressive prices, but history has shown that not every attention-grabbing auction translates into an actual payday. Today’s hot collectible can become tomorrow’s forgotten fad, and many online listings are based on what sellers hope to receive rather than what buyers are ultimately willing to pay.
So if your child happens to uncover a rare Bullseye, it is certainly an exciting find. Whether it is genuinely worth thousands, however, remains a much bigger question.
For now, many Australian parents seem caught between two thoughts: excitement that they might have found something special, and disbelief that a free supermarket giveaway could be commanding prices normally reserved for luxury cars.
