Among the hustle and bustle of the end-of-semester, students and staff from across WKU united in the Downing Student Union for a first-of-its-kind event over their shared obsession: TopperFella.
The small, round collectibles have been hidden on campus since fall 2023, and for the first time, the community came together for TopperFella Trade Day, which allowed collectors and enthusiasts to grow their collections.
Wednesday afternoon’s trade day was the first official TopperFella-sanctioned event, which served as a place for collectors to meet one another while also serving as a fundraiser to help fund the continued production of TopperFellas “in the next academic year and beyond,” according to an Instagram post about the event.
Fellas are hidden across campus, with special, limited-edition versions being printed and hidden to create a sense of competition. The official TopperFella Instagram account drives engagement and searching by posting hints, announcing limited edition fellas and sharing additional information.
The trade day allowed collectors to barter with other enthusiasts to complete limited-edition sets while making connections and donating to support the long-term continuation of the TopperFella project. Monetary donations were accepted at a merchandise table, where attendees could support the project in return for event-exclusive merchandise, including stickers, Fella Stands and earrings.
For some trade day attendees, their love for TopperFella is rooted in the hunt.
“It’s something that helps me learn campus,” freshman film production major Michael Robinson said. “I’ve been in so many buildings that I would never go in otherwise. I’d never been in Grise (Hall), Music (Rehearsal) Hall, Ogden, Kelly Thompson (Hall); I’d never been in any of those before TopperFella. It’s such a good way to explore, looking in places you would never look at before.”
Robinson displayed his collection at the event, which consisted of roughly 121 Fellas. His collection includes everything officially released by TopperFella.
“I’m a collector at heart,” Robinson said. “It’s really fun to collect them.”
Others, including members of WKU staff, find their own fun in TopperFellas.
WKU Information Technology Customer Success Team Lead Charles Plemons said he began seeing Fellas near his office in Jody Richards Hall. Instead of amassing a large collection, Plemons finds satisfaction in finding TopperFellas, using his miniature painting skills to customize them and then rehide them on campus for other collectors to find.
“I got into miniature painting about two years ago, and I thought, ‘I bet that’d be cool if you painted it like a D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) miniature,” Plemons said.
Plemons enjoys creating something that has the potential to brighten someone’s day, and attending the trade day event introduced him to the larger community he is a part of.
“Seeing that just a few minutes with a paintbrush can brighten somebody’s day, I think that’s a great thing,” Plemons said. “And you see all these stories, people post videos and comments, they’re bringing friends or family in to come look for them, and that kind of thing, I think that’s great.”
Multiple attendees at the event expressed similar sentiments, sharing how searching for and finding TopperFellas can provide motivation and help make hard days easier.
“Going to class and the possibility of finding a TopperFella really helps,” junior psychological science major Riley Bryant said. “It’s motivating to be like, ‘oh yeah, I’ve got to go out and find the Fellas.’”
The Fellas’ unique, playful nature adds to this motivation and sense of purpose.
“I just think they’re so unique,” sophomore nursing major Jahna Rood said. “They’re little and full of whimsy. I just like that other people are so creative on campus, and I think it’s so interesting that people are putting their creativity into making other people happy.”
The sense of community and enjoyment was a consistent theme among the collectors and enthusiasts who attended the event.
“I think when I came in here (to the event), I was expecting maybe not as many people, and also I just didn’t expect it to be very welcoming,” sophomore music education major Ginger Pinotti said. “It’s definitely a loving group here, and I think it kind of shows how these little, tiny things, they’re silly, fun, bring people together, which is really cool.”
Sophomore music education major Lily Graves echoed this sentiment, expressing that she would not have crossed paths with many in this community without TopperFella.
“We all come from different majors, and I feel like the majors never interact with each other,” Graves said. “But I feel like this helps us actually know, ‘Hey, that person has another major. That’s kind of cool.’”
Part of the TopperFella appeal is the mystery of its creator. To preserve their anonymity, a TopperFella Ask Me Anything session was facilitated through an online chat room where attendees could ask questions of the creator.
It was through this chat room that the creator told the Herald they were surprised about the impact TopperFella has had on so many.
“It’s been a lot of work, but my heart is so full from the positive feedback,” the creator wrote. “I never expected any of this to happen, so I’ve been super impressed by the community really showing up today! I’m just happy that Fella really transcends interests and brings a diverse group of folks together.”
The event was staffed by volunteers who, one way or another, have developed relationships with the creator. Junior computer information technology major Keaton King, who worked the merchandise table, is one of these volunteers.
For King, discovering the creator’s identity occurred by happenstance, and through building a relationship, he was able to work the event and find a unique perspective on the phenomenon.
“I know how much work TopperFella puts into this and I know how much work the people around him put into this,” King said. “For so many people to show up and to build this community around it is absolutely incredible. It’s incredible because I remember when this was just a small idea, just a person in their garage 3-D printing stuff just for fun, throwing them around campus, and here we are.”
Cassandra Byrd, a senior majoring in biology and environmental, sustainability, and geographic studies, said she appreciated the initial purpose of TopperFella, raising awareness for resources on campus.
“I really liked the sentiment that, when he initially started, he would put the Fellas around campus resources to encourage people to go to those places, like the Center for Financial Assistance, TRIO, things like that,” Byrd said. “And he would put them there to encourage people to be in proximity to those facilities.”
The creator intends to continue growing TopperFella and hopes to continue providing enjoyment for the WKU community. At the rate it is growing, however, more hands may eventually be needed.
“I definitely want to keep expanding,” the creator wrote. “There’s a bit of a scaling issue right now, but I’d like to print about double the amount of everything for next academic year. This event should easily make that possible. I’ll probably have to recruit some Fella Ambassadors sooner or later, because I don’t think the one man show is going to be sustainable!”
Overall, the creator is proud of their work and is proud to contribute such positivity to the WKU experiences of so many.
“I’ve always believed in WKUs vision, and being able to contribute in my own little way has been super rewarding,” the creator wrote.
