The rush to buy a ‘Puffer Jacket Snoopy’ shows just how far Gen Z’s obsession with the cartoon dog has gone

People are running to CVS stores all over the U.S. in hopes of finding a plush Snoopy toy that’s going viral now. The new stuffed animal, which comes dressed in a green-and-yellow striped winter hat and a pale-blue puffy coat, retails for between $13.99 to $16.99, depending on the store.

Unlike other sold-out toys this time of year, it isn’t getting scooped up by parents desperate to make their kids happy during the holidays. It’s not just a Gen X/millennial nostalgia craze, either, though those generations grew up watching the cartoon.

Instead, it’s members of Gen Z who appear to be on the hunt for “puffer jacket Snoopy,” recording their quests online.

A sighting of the new Snoopy has become so rare that, on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, people are alerting the masses when they spot one.

Others are daydreaming aloud about snagging the coveted toy.

The demand has become so great that some people are reselling the toy online after jacking up the price. With the rise of online resale apps, this practice has become more popular.

The Gen Z Snoopy craze may seem random, but it’s not new. Despite being born well after Charles M. Schulz created the cartoon beagle, the TikTok generation has been nutty for all things Snoopy for years now.

In April, people went gaga for a Snoopy-themed T-shirt released by the American Red Cross. Around the same time, the TikTok account known as Snoopy Sister (@snooopyiscool) also went viral for posting fun Snoopy content.

According to The Atlantic, that’s really just a small portion of the Snoopy resurgence.

On Snoopy Tok, Snoopy-obsessed people come together to post fan edits, montages and even Snoopy memorabilia.

The fandom sparked a culture piece in Nylon, “Why Is Snoopy Suddenly Everywhere?,” which analyzes why Gen Z seems particularly fascinated with the old cartoon.

Claudia Segovia, 25, who runs a TikTok account dedicated to Snoopy merch, has a theory.

“Gen Z is very aware of their inner child, and they’re spending money on these items,” Segovia told the mag. “Like, they have adult money now. Snoopy is becoming more popular. I’ve seen Snoopy in TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, or even Baggu and Miniso collaborations.”

Snoopy, a lovable cartoon beagle, first appeared in a newspaper comic strip by Charles M. Schulz in 1950. According to the History Channel, Schulz said he based the cartoon on a black-and-white dog named Spike that he knew as a child. Other members of the Peanuts gang, including Charlie Brown and Linus, were inspired by people he met in his personal life.

The comic strip became such a hit that it eventually was turned into numerous television specials that remain iconic today, including A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966). In 1983, the comic became a TV series called The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, but it went off the air by 1985.

Even though Gen Z wasn’t there to see Snoopy’s rise to fame, it’s clear they are here for his comeback. Not only does the new craze have people rushing to buy up all the puffer jacket Snoopys they see, but some are even calling out their local CVS stores on TikTok for being sold out of the must-have toy.

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