You remember the "gross-out" toy phase of the mid-2010s, right? It was everywhere. While most brands were busy trying to make things cute and sparkly, a company called Vivid Imaginations decided to go the opposite direction. They leaned into the slime. They leaned into the germs. They gave us Fungus AmungUs toys.
It was a weird time to be a kid. Honestly, it was a weird time to be a parent, too. You’d walk into a Target or a Walmart and see these neon-colored, petri-dish-themed packages filled with sticky, rubbery microbes. They weren't just toys; they were "Funguys." And if you dropped one on the carpet? Forget it. It was a magnet for every piece of lint and dog hair in a five-mile radius. But that was sort of the point. They were meant to be disgusting.
People often lump them in with Shopkins or Trashies, but Fungus AmungUs had a specific, tactile DNA that felt different. They weren't hard plastic. They were soft, super-stretchy, and supposedly "escaped from a top-secret underground lab." That backstory gave the whole line a frantic, slightly chaotic energy that resonated with kids who were tired of the "perfect" collectible aesthetic.
The Weird Science Behind the Fungus AmungUs Toys Craze
At its core, the appeal was the Bio-Buster. This was the signature "vacuum" toy that let you suck up the little microbes. It was basically a glorified plastic plunger, but to a seven-year-old, it was high-tech containment equipment.
The lore was simple: over 200 microscopic pests had escaped a lab, and it was your job to catch them. Vivid Imaginations divided them into different "strains." You had the Digital Strain, the Oozey Strain, the Tropical Strain, and even a Body Strain. This wasn't just random naming. It gave the collection a sense of taxonomy. It felt like you were a junior microbiologist, albeit one who dealt with green blobs instead of actual pathogens.
Why did it work? Tactile feedback. These things were incredibly squishy. In a world that was becoming increasingly digital, having something you could literally throw against a wall and watch stick was satisfying. They were cheap, too. You could grab a "vac pack" for a few bucks, making them the ultimate "I behaved in the grocery store" reward.
Why the "Gross" Aesthetic Actually Matters in Toy History
We’ve seen this trend before. Think back to the Garbage Pail Kids in the 80s or Creepy Crawlers. There is a psychological component to kids loving things that adults find repulsive. It's a form of rebellion. When a parent says, "Ew, don't put that on the table," the toy’s value immediately triples in the eyes of a child.
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Fungus AmungUs toys captured that perfectly. They weren't trying to be educational, even though they used words like "microbe" and "petri dish." They were trying to be fun. They were meant to be traded, squished, and lost under the sofa.
Collecting the Rarest Funguys: Beyond the Common Blobs
If you’re digging through an old toy bin today, you’re mostly going to find the commons. But for the serious collectors—the ones still active on old forums and Reddit—it’s all about the Super Rare and Ultra Rare variants.
The "Super Toxic" ones were always the goal. Some of them changed color when you touched them. Others were "glow in the dark," which, let’s be honest, is the peak of 2010s toy technology.
- The gold and silver variants were the white whales of the series.
- Batch 1 and Batch 2 had distinct differences in the rubber quality; earlier ones tended to stay "stickier" longer.
- The "Exterminator" sets came with larger figures that felt more like traditional action figures but still kept that gummy texture.
The weirdest part? The "Bio-Buster" vacuum actually worked. Well, "worked" is a strong word. It used a bellows system to create a tiny bit of suction. It was just enough to pull a sticky Funguy into the chamber. It was simple engineering, but it turned a static collection into an interactive game.
The Downfall and the "Sticky" Problem
So, why aren't they on shelves anymore? Every toy fad has a shelf life. For Fungus AmungUs toys, the very thing that made them great was also their undoing. They were too sticky.
If you’ve ever owned one, you know the struggle. Within ten minutes of coming out of the package, a Funguy would be covered in dust. You could wash them with soap and water to "regain their stick," but eventually, the material would start to break down. They would get "gloopier." They would leave little oily marks on wallpaper if left there too long.
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Retailers also started moving toward "blind bag" toys that were easier to display. The Fungus AmungUs packaging was often bulky and awkward. By 2017, the momentum had shifted. The world moved on to Fidget Spinners and then to more durable collectibles like Funko Pops.
Is There a Resale Market for These Things?
Surprisingly, yes. You aren't going to retire on your Fungus AmungUs collection, but there’s a thriving niche on eBay. Complete sets of the "Batch 1" figures can go for a decent amount of money to the right nostalgia-hungry millennial or Gen Zer.
The "Superbug" figures are the ones to watch. These were larger, more detailed versions of the microbes that didn't sell as well as the small packs, making them rarer today. If you have a boxed "Toxic Chamber" or an unopened "Petri Dish 6-pack," you're looking at a piece of toy history that collectors actually want.
How to Clean and Restore Your Old Funguys
If you just found a handful of these in the attic and they look like fuzzy monsters because of the hair they've collected, don't throw them out. You can actually fix them.
- Step One: Use a mild dish soap and lukewarm water. Do not use hot water; it can warp the elastomer material.
- Step Two: Gently rub the surface with your fingers to dislodge the grime.
- Step Three: Air dry only. Do not use a towel, or you’ll just be back at square one with more lint.
- Step Four: If they are too sticky to handle after drying, a tiny—and I mean tiny—bit of cornstarch or talcum powder will give them a "matte" finish and stop them from sticking to everything.
This restoration process is common in the "squishy" toy community. It’s the only way to preserve the material before it undergoes "toy rot," where the chemicals in the plastic start to separate and become a gooey mess.
What Fungus AmungUs Taught the Toy Industry
Looking back, these toys were a precursor to the massive "ASMR" and "sensory toy" explosion we see today. Long before everyone had a Pop-It, we had these sticky microbes. They proved that kids (and many adults) have a fundamental need for tactile stimulation.
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They also showed that "gross" sells. You don't need a massive movie tie-in or a 20-minute cartoon commercial to sell a toy. You just need a cool concept, a weird texture, and a price point that makes it an easy "yes" for a parent at the checkout line.
The legacy of Fungus AmungUs toys lives on in brands like Goo Jit Zu or the newer Grossery Gang iterations. They proved that the "icky" factor isn't just a phase; it's a staple of the toy aisle.
Actionable Next Steps for Collectors and Fans
If you're looking to dive back into the world of these microbial misfits, start by checking local secondary markets like Facebook Marketplace or Mercari rather than big-box retailers. Search for "squishy microbes" or "sticky lab toys" if the brand name doesn't bring up enough results, as many sellers forget the actual "Fungus AmungUs" title.
For those looking to preserve an existing collection, keep them out of direct sunlight. The UV rays are the absolute enemy of the soft plastic used in these figures, causing them to disclolor and harden over time. Store them in individual plastic containers—small craft bead boxes work perfectly—to prevent them from sticking to each other and exchanging chemical dyes, which can ruin the paint jobs on the rarer figures.
Lastly, keep an eye on the "unboxing" communities on YouTube. There has been a recent surge in "nostalgia unboxings" of 2010s toys, and Fungus AmungUs is frequently cited as a favorite. As the kids who grew up with these enter their twenties, the demand for "New Old Stock" (unopened vintage packs) is only going to go up. Grab them now while they’re still relatively cheap.