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Donielle Flynn

Exposing The Soft Underbelly Of A Michigan Squishmallow Meet

Author Donielle Flynn
Trunk or Treat style at the Squishmallow meet

 I recently attended my first Squishmallow Meet.  Have you heard about these?  My daughter LOVES Squishmellows and she’s involved in FB groups dedicated to the Squishmallows.  What happens at a Michigan Squishmallow Meet?  Pretty much the same as ALL… because this is going on in plenty of states.  We even saw one when we were on vacation in Florida! Squishmallow collectors get together and trade, sell, and buy Squishmallows… in that order.  The predominant changing of hands comes through trades.  Sometimes a trade and cash are involved.  Don’t have cash?  I promise you that the majority of the attendees have Venmo or CashApp available.

Squishmallow Meet Rundown

I attended a Squishmallow Meet in Ann Arbor at Buhr Park.  I call it “Bruh Park.” lol  It was in a parking lot (pretty much all meet-ups are), but it was tucked inside the park so only those who knew about, knew about it.  We arrived a bit late (after brunch at Angelo’s) and there were already a good 15 cars lined up.  One attendee even had a TENT!  We hung out for a couple of hours while my daughter, Mackenzie, wheeled and dealed.

I stood around and tried to make small talk since I could not comment on pricing.  The cheaper stuff goes out on the ground with mats underneath… the trunk area is reserved for the “good stuff.”  Kenzie had a black and white cow with silver ears that people were definitely hot after, but no deal was made.  She showed me an online listing where that same Squishmallow had recently sold for $100!  She wasn’t asking that much for it, but still, no deals were made on the cow.  She did make several trades including this one:

Young woman holding to Squishmellows: a cat and a cow

Doni’s daughter, Mackenzie shows off her “new to her” Squishmallow fresh off of a trade.

Squishmallow People Watching

We met some really nice people and some really interesting people.  The guy next to us who popped the trunk on his Mini Cooper and set up shop was a unique one.  He was ALL business.  He had a great vocabulary, but do you need to say things like, “I don’t find the deal acceptable at this time.  If the Squishmallow is still present toward the end of the meet, we can discuss renegotiation.”  bruh.

There was also a lady wearing an old-school Hash Bash t-shirt that had holes in it.  I said, “Did you wear your holy Hash Bash shirt because it’s Sunday?”  She looked embarrassed that I called her out and then I said, “No, H-O-L-Y cuz it’s Sunday.”  That sucked.  I never feel great about having to explain a joke, but I did hit her with a Dad joke, so I guess I get it.  #BigJim

Overall, the people seemed happy to be there and when deals were brokered, you could see faces light up like they just bought their new best friend… that part was really sweet.  Side note, there were not that many children at the Squishmallow Meet.  Almost everyone looked to be over 18 years old.

Oh, I’m ALL IN NOW

My daughter asked me if I was bored at the event.  I told her that I wasn’t.  I was happy to be there to support her and the people-watching was something I won’t soon forget.  PLUS… my daughter could stand to downsize her collection just a bit… or A LOT.  I love her, but she has an insane amount of Squishmallows and I’m hoping she can sell those things OFF.  Look at the insane amount of Squishmallows these people brought… BOTH CARS are theirs:

two cars with trunks open display 50+ Squishmellows.

Oh wait, THAT’S US. F@#$.

Yeah… so that’s OUR DISPLAY.  The first two cars in the picture are all Mackenzie’s Squishmallows (then Mini Cooper dude).  Before you think, “MAN, that’s A LOT.” Those pictured don’t include the ones she left AT HOME.  There’s no way she’s parting with her Big Foot Squishmallows or some select others. Sigh.  I do get it.  It would be a less-than-truthful statement if I said, “I never collected an insane amount of Beanie Babies.”  I still have a big bin of those little money-wasters in my basement… ya know, in case they are valuable one day.  #never

What I Learned About Squishmallow Meets

I have now decided to help plan our own Michigan Squishmallow Meet.  I decided that their advertising campaign sucks.  These meet-ups are all collectors… collectors just like Mackenzie that are now looking to “downsize their collections.”  They need to sell some stuff off at bargain prices and get some exposure with less OCD collectors than themselves.  I’m working on a marketing and advertising campaign. It’s gonna be lit, b!@+hes.

Angelo's In Ann Arbor Is Closing

It’s the end of an era.  Angelo’s is closing in Ann Arbor.  I read about this initially on Mlive.com and freep.com (Detroit Free Press). Word has spread like butter on Angelo’s famous raisin toast.  Angelo’s is closing after nearly 70 years of being a delicious part of the Ann Arbor landscape.  I stopped in at Angelo’s for breakfast after Over Easy this weekend to see if I could find out more about what was going on. “Angelo’s” by Dick Seigel has been the closing song on Over Easy since its inception (to the best of my knowledge).

“Eggs over easy, hashbrowns, and you
We’ll have coffee, sausage, and hot buttered toast
Yes, this breakfast is really the most”

Angelo’s: Family-Owned And Run

Angelo’s is mostly family-run.  The staff that isn’t family is still like family.  Angelo’s has an amazing reputation for next to ZERO turnover.  I spoke to our server, Jim.  Jim has been a server at Anelo’s for 23 years.  Jim is also a preschool teacher, but he has always kept his side job at Angelo’s because “the money is insane” and they have treated him well.  I waited tables back in college.  After you’ve been a server, you NEVER stop noticing the service at restaurants.  One of the first things I saw at Angelo’s: ALL of their servers were moving and extremely good at their jobs. 

I wanted to speak with people more, but everyone was working so hard, I didn’t want to get in the way of their jobs.  I also had a ton of respect for the job they were doing and didn’t want to interfere, but I did manage to get a little intel.

Who Owns Angelo’s?

Stephen Vangelatos grew up in Angelo’s.  His parents were the original owners. According to Stephen, his dad bought the property in 1954 for $6,000… strangely enough from another man named Angelo (he had an ice cream parlor on the property also called “Angelo’s”).  Now, at age 65, Stephen has sold the property (Angelo’s and the bakery Angelo’s On The Side) to The University of Michigan for 4.5 million dollars.  Angelo’s final day open as a restaurant is December 23rd, 2023.

Why Was Angelo’s Sold?

Before you get mad about this establishment’s closing, know that Stephen approached UofM about selling. Stephen is 65 and he’s worked 7 days a week in the name of Angelo’s since the time he started working.  He’s run Angelo’s since 1980.  I can’t fault someone for working hard, wanting to enjoy their retirement, and taking care of their family.

Angelo’s Is Closing In Ann Arbor… So What Will Happen To The Property?

The RUMOR… I have it on pretty good authority, but again it is a rumor, that UofM will use the property for a parking structure.  I know, “Big Yellow Taxi” from Joni Mitchell instantly fills our heads. HOLD UP… you should know that they have expanded the UofM medical facilities in the neighborhood and there is not enough parking for staff.  Many of the medical staff get BUSSED in from another location in order to get to work.  UofM already owns the property adjacent to Angelo’s.  It makes a lot of sense.  I’m not judging or telling you how to feel, but I thought that info was important.

Additionally, the properties are over 100 years old.  There are some pretty significant issues that need to be repaired if the buildings are left standing.  As much as I went to Angelo’s hoping that I’d hear that UofM wants to keep it a restaurant, there’s not much (if any) hope of that happening.

Sam is one of Stephen’s nephews.  He also works at Angelo’s (along with his mom, Vicky, Stephen’s sister).  After the news broke, Sam told me that Angelo’s shirts sold out online within 24 hours.  Even on-site, they only had a few smalls left. Sam also said Dick Seigel had stopped into Angelo’s last week!  I was bummed to have missed the author of our famous Over Easy closing song.  Check out “Angelo’s” by Dick Seigel and scroll down for pictures.

It was a delicious meal at Angelo’s (guess what I ordered) and the service really was tops.

Angelo’s – Take A Look at a Part of Our History

 

Donielle Flynn has two kids, two cats, two dogs, and a love of all things rock. She’s been in radio decades and held down top-rated day parts at Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington DC radio stations throughout her tenure. She enjoys writing about rock news, the Detroit community, and she has a series called “The Story Behind” where she researches the history of classic rock songs.

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