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Weird, Wacky Finds at Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Shopping Day


  • Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway hosted a shareholder shopping day as part of its annual meeting.
  • See’s Candies, Squishmallows-owner Jazwares, and truck-stop chain Pilot were among the brands there.
  • One shopper was carting two dozen plush toys, while another two had a massive haul.

Warren Buffett’s shareholders have traveled from far and wide to hear him speak this weekend — and to scoop up their own deals at Berkshire Hathaway’s “Bazaar of Bargains.”

Around two dozen of Buffett’s businesses — including See’s Candies, Squishmallows-owner Jazwares, and truck-stop chain Pilot Flying J — set up shop on Friday and Saturday in the CHI Health Center, the venue for his annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.

Business Insider scoured the wares on offer and interviewed shoppers about their hauls. Scroll down for a photographic tour of the event.

Shoppers arrived early to skip the lines.


Eager shoppers arrived early to beat the crowds.


Theron Mohamed/BI

Friday’s shareholder shopping day only began at 12 p.m., but people were already lining up to collect their entry passes and waiting for the doors to open before 8 a.m.

Once attendees were allowed inside, there was a huge rush to buy golf-themed Squishmallows in the likeness of Buffett, his late business partner Charlie Munger, and a caddy character named Omaha.

Within moments of the event’s start, people were lugging around huge Squishmallows bags filled with the trio, as well as Pikachu and other cuddly critters.

They couldn’t resist the photo ops.


A shareholder poses with a cardboard cutout of Warren Buffett.

People couldn’t get enough of taking pictures with Buffett and various corporate mascots.


Theron Mohamed/BI

Shareholders waited patiently to have their photo taken with various cardboard cutouts of Buffett around the room.

They also posed for pictures under the welcome sign and took selfies with giant mascots for Geico, Oriental Trading, and Squishmallows.

Squishmallows were hot commodities.


A Jazwares employee holding a Warren Buffett plushie.

Jazware employee Brett Ingraham holding a Warren Buffett plushie.


Theron Mohamed/BI

“We bring the fun,” Bret Ingraham, a senior director of public relations at Jazwares, told BI during a tour of the company’s booth.

Squishmallows is best known for its plush toys — Ingraham said they sell 1,000 an hour at the busiest times. But more recently, they’ve struck licensing deals to roll out building kits, cosmetics, electric toothbrushes, and more.

The maker of plush toys has expanded into bedding.


Squishmallows bedding

Squishmallow was showing off its customized bedding.


Theron Mohamed/BI

Squishmallows has also ventured into the bedding business by making its own pillows and pillowcases.

Ingraham said the company makes Buffett more accessible to the masses, adding that it’s “introducing a new generation to Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway in a fun, cuddly, cute way.”

Bill Hughes was bringing home the Buffetts.


Many shoppers had huge bags of Squishmallows.

Bill Hughes bought around two dozen Squishmallows to ship home.


Theron Mohamed/BI

Bill Hughes, 40, told BI he works at a financial advisory firm in Oklahoma. He was lining up to ship multiple massive bags of Squishmallows back home when BI caught up with him.

Hughes told BI he’d purchased about 24 of the plush toys to bring to people he knows back home. He also scooped up a Buffett hat, a pair of gloves from Wells Lamont, and household goods from Pampered Chef. He estimated that he’d spent $1,200 in total that day.

See’s Candies’ theme this year focused on the outdoors.


Life-sized cardboard cutouts of Mary See and Warren Buffett/

See’s Candies put a s’more in Warren Buffett’s hand.


Theron Mohamed/BI

See’s Candies’ booth had a camping theme and featured Buffett and cofounder Mary See across cardboard cutouts, box sleeves, and other displays.

There was an exclusive “Berkshire Box” on sale that was filled with Toasted Marshmallow Scotchmallows. Other popular flavors, including Chocolate Walnut Fudge, were also on hand.

See’s brought close to 25,000 pounds of product to satisfy hungry shareholders.


A See's rep showing off a product.

Scotchmallow Littles were among the special items on display.


Theron Mohamed/BI

Leslie Horenstein, senior vice president and marketing chief for See’s, told BI that the company had brought close to 25,000 pounds of product, or more than 41,000 units, to the meeting.

Echoing Buffett’s love of the brand for building an emotional connection with customers, she said that virtually every person she meets has some “association” with the brand, despite it not being nationwide.

Oriental Trading had all sorts of Buffett and Munger knickknacks.


A stand in Oriental Trading featuring Buffett-themed confectionery.

Oriental Trading was selling Buffett-themed confectionery.


Theron Mohamed/BI.

Oriental Trading’s booth had the widest variety of Buffett and Munger-themed items.

They included rubber ducks, chocolate coins and bars, bobbleheads, plushes, T-shirts, socks, mugs, pins, figurines, and playing cards.

One shopper said the experience was good value for time and money.


Two shoppers posing with lots of bags.

Claudia and her daughter Miranda were visiting from Miami.


Theron Mohamed/BI

Claudia and her daughter Miranda were surrounded by their shopping when they told BI they were visiting from Miami and came to the meeting every couple of years.

Claudia said the prices, quality, and staff were “amazing.” She’d purchased shoes from Brooks Running, clothes from Fruit of the Loom, candy from See’s Candies, kitchenware from Pampered Chef, and bits and pieces from Oriental Trading.

Miranda told BI that she loved spending time with her parents and had bought clothes, shoes, board games, and slime.

Pilot also went big on Buffett-branded swag.


Red trucker hats customized for the Berkshire meeting

Pilot was selling customized trucker hats for the meeting.


Theron Mohamed/BI

Pilot’s booth featured meeting-exclusive trucker hats, “Berkshire Blend” coffee, T-shirts emblazoned with Buffett quotes, co-branded boxes of See’s, and Buffett-inspired fortune cookies and Yeti tumblers.

A giant, red, Pilot-branded truck was also parked next to the stand with a cardboard cutout of Buffett in the driver’s seat.





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