# Pogs craze

> A Hawaiian milk-cap game reached 5 million UK packs sold, its manufacturer reported.

- Owner: null
- Kind: Game
- Sector: Toys & collectibles
- Seed date: Apr 1991
- Milestone date: 1994-12-21
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 38 (Niche, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Collectible set, Scarcity drop, Visible in use, Controversy, Dupe economy

## Summary

A Hawaiian classroom revival reached mainland retailers through giveaways and competing cap makers. Schools banned play for keeps. December sales claims anchor this case; WPF needed rescue finance the following year as demand fell and stock accumulated.

## Timeline

- Apr 1991 — Blossom Galbiso (Retail) — Blossom Galbiso introduced the milk-cover game to her pupils at Waialua Elementary School in Oahu.
- Sep 1992 — Honolulu Police Department DARE programme (Retail) — Sgt. Greg Hunt issued a privately funded, limited edition of 100,000 caps for DARE classes.
- Apr 1993 — TROV USA / Bill Hodson (Retail) — Hodson began promoting the milk-cap game on the mainland after learning of its popularity in Hawaii.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/pogs

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Pogs craze.” Case HIS-01646. Spread Score v1.3: 38/100. Updated 2026-10-24. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01646