The 6-inch tall plush hamster is able to "listen" to what you say, and repeat it back in a high-pitched hamster voice. "We actually use it all the time to prank my dad," she joked.
In the case of Carbone's talking hamster, she might have the Tan brothers, a dropshipping duo based in Singapore, to thank. "A lot of areas in the US don't get products as quickly as Asia, especially the new products coming out in China," Evan said. "It may seem common for us, but in the US they haven't seen anything like it because it was just invented maybe two months ago."
Consumers also buy it with plans to capture reactions or pranks on video. These videos are likely to end up on social media, which means the seller would essentially be guaranteed free advertising for the product. To find potential products, Steve and Evan's team conduct product research to see what is trending locally in China. One of their biggest resources is China's version of TikTok, Douyin.