From a Nationwide Hacky Sack Shortage to FREE NOT-A-HACKY-SACK™:

How One Inventory Mishap Became Our Favorite Story of the Summer

Every small business has a story about the shipment that went wrong.

Ours began with a mystery.

Earlier this year, we noticed something unusual at Alki Surf Shop. Hacky sacks—also known as footbags—were suddenly flying off our shelves. Online orders started arriving from customers across the United States, while local demand increased at the same time.

It didn't feel like a coincidence.

Curious to understand what was happening, I turned to Google Trends. The data showed a dramatic, near-vertical 700% increase in nationwide searches for "hacky sack" compared with the previous year. Within weeks, all three of our longtime wholesale suppliers had sold out, confirming that the surge extended well beyond our little corner of West Seattle.

Around the same time, the movie Project Hail Mary was released in theaters and prominently featured a hacky sack. While there's no way to prove the film caused the spike in demand, the timing was certainly intriguing and became another interesting piece of the puzzle.

With summer approaching and our inventory disappearing, we ordered replacement hacky sacks through two Amazon Business sellers.

The boxes arrived.

The hacky sacks didn't

Instead, we opened the shipments to discover approximately 70 colorful crocheted balls stuffed with polyester fiberfill. They were roughly the right size—but completely unsuitable for kicking.

Initially, both sellers wanted us to return the merchandise to China before issuing refunds. After researching Amazon's policies, we filed A-to-Z Guarantee claims. Amazon contacted both sellers, who ultimately issued "returnless returns," refunded our purchase price, and allowed us to keep the merchandise.

Now we had six dozen colorful crocheted balls and no idea what to do with them.

Then inspiration struck.

Rather than throw them away or try to sell them as... "what?", we put them in a basket near our checkout counter with a curious sign:

FREE NOT-A-HACKY-SACK™ with a $25 purchase.

The reaction has been great.

Customers laugh when they hear the story. Kids immediately want one. Complete strangers strike up conversations at the register. Something that began as an inventory mistake has become one of the most memorable experiences we've created in the shop.

As my husband and business partner, David "Kahuna Dave" Horsfall, often says:

"People come into the shop expecting souvenirs, but they also leave with stories."

That simple sentence perfectly captures what Alki Surf Shop has always tried to be.

Looking back, this wasn't really a story about hacky sacks.

It was a story about curiosity.

Sometimes independent retailers notice unusual buying patterns before anyone else does. Sometimes asking one extra question leads to an unexpected answer. And sometimes, when a shipment goes spectacularly wrong, the best solution isn't to hide the mistake—it's to embrace it.

We thought we were chasing inventory.

Instead, we found a story.

If you're visiting Alki Beach, stop by and say hello. If there are still a few FREE NOT-A-HACKY-SACK™s waiting in the basket, one just might go home with you. (Note: Cat not included.)

PS. Alki Surf Shop is located at 2622 Alki Avenue SW in Seatle, WA 98116. Our hours are eclectic so it's a

lways best to call: 206.403.1901. You can also take a peek at our website: www.alkisurfshop.com.