eBay stim toys for Autism Acceptance Month / #redinstead:

Please note that this list is about giving folks affordable options for showing their red--nothing here costs more than a couple of dollars.

All items have free standard shipping, either worldwide or to most countries. Several of these items are knock-off versions of brand-name items (like the cube spinner and the tangle).

Boinks Fidget on Carabiner Clip - $1 USD.

Boinks Fidget - $0.78 USD.

Floam - $0.77 USD.

Watermelon Slime - $1.19 USD.

Fluffy Slime - $1.17 USD.

Mesh Stress Ball - $1.19 USD.

Strawberry Squishy - $1.26 USD.

Smiling Tofu Block Squishy - $1.50 USD.

Apple Squishy - $1.53 USD.

Orbeez Stretchy Frog - $1.39 USD.

Chain Fidget - $0.93 USD.

Batman Logo Spinner - $1.54 USD.

Curved Tri-Bar Spinner - $0.99 USD.

Standard Red Tri-Spinner - $0.99 USD.

Flower-Shaped Spinner - $1.17 USD.

Red and White Knock-Off Tangle Jr - $0.99 USD.

Red and Black Fidget Pad - $1.80 USD.

Stimtastic stim toys for Autism Acceptance Month / #redinstead:

Prices do not include shipping. All items ship from the US.

Wrist Coil Bracelet - $0.75 USD (for two).

Glitter Wand - $3.50 USD.

Boinks - $1 USD.

Zipper Bracelet - $1.65 USD.

Plush Watermelon Stim Toy Bag - $3.50 USD.

Watermelon Backpack Buddy - $6 USD.

Dulcimer Pendant Necklace - $4.50 USD.

Ch-U Tube Necklace - $5.30 USD.

Chewable Mushroom Pendant Necklace - $9.70 USD.

[image description: two photos, taken on a red watermelon slice pillow, of a white plastic and silver mesh tube cord. The cord is very similar to a narrow Boinks tube, save with unfinished ends and a metallic ribbon woven through the mesh tubing. First photo shows the cord woven on a cardboard spool with a green top; pertinent text on the top reads “The Magic of Christmas”, “Cord 5m” and a yellow “$2.50” price tag. Second photo shows a white person’s hand with their smallest/pinky finger stuck in one end of the tube, the rest of the tube pushed tight between pinky and thumb to show the mesh compressing together, like that of a Boinks tube.]

Mesh Tube Cord - The Reject Shop, $1.50 AUD.

Dimensions: 9 mm across, 5 metres in length.

Colours: Silver, gold, white.

I apologise for more Christmas, but I saw this in the ribbon box during the usual Boxing Day clearance. Stimmers, it’s five metres of a mini Boinks tube disguised as gift wrap cord. The cord is exactly like a thinner, finer, lighter Boinks tube, save with unfinished ends and a metallic ribbon woven through the plastic.

If you’re like me and have small hands for an adult, you can even poke a pinky finger into the tube for the tube to grip hold on the finger. Otherwise, you can stretch, compress, wind, twist, knot. Like a real Boinks tube, it doesn’t really flatten, so you can fold it and just squish it back into position. My favourite stims involve stretching and compressing.

The downside to this is that the ends are unfinished, so you’ll need to cut them off periodically if they unravel too much. It’s also less functional for stimmers with larger hands.

Knock-off Boinks Fidgets: eBay, $0.80 USD.

Dimensions: 10 cm long x 3 cm wide.

Listing has free standard international shipping.

This is one of those cases where the toy is pretty awesome, but it just doesn’t work for me. I mean, these are well made, there is no horrible plastic smell, and they work just fine. The mesh stretches really well and compresses easily. There’s no gaps in the sewing. The mesh tube is fun to stroke, and the marble moves smoothly up and down the tube. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about these toys.

The problem with me--and I recognise that this is a personal evaluation--is that I just don’t find them very stimmy. Moving the marble up and down the tube just isn’t interesting enough for me and doesn’t hold my attention. I can see them working really well for other stimmers, but I prefer the movement and manipulation I get in a Tangle Jr or a squishy.

Thank you so much, @communist-crow!

I am really glad to see it recommended - I know they have lots of things, but I hadn’t actually gotten any community feedback on the shopping experience, so I’m grateful that you could come in and give us this recommendation.

I’ve done a search for “fidget” with “free shipping” and there’s a lot of different listings, especially for spinners and fidget cubes. Chain fidgets for $0.94 USD caught my eye, as did this 5 set of Boinks Fidgets for $2.65 USD. Great for international folks who can’t really afford international shipping from conventional stim toy retailers but still want to try these toys out!

There’s also lots of listings for chewellery, but not all the listings are very specific about what chemicals the items don’t contain: “eco-friendly”, for example, doesn’t tell us anything useful as to whether the item is safe for chewing. I’d purchase only from listings that specifically state the product doesn’t contain (at minimum) BPA and phthalates, preferably with the words “food grade” used as well. Even then I can absolutely understand why folks would prefer to continue buying from Stimtastic, but it is an option for those wanting to explore inexpensive chewables with free shipping options.

Again, thank you. I am so glad to have positive feedback on Aliexpress!