The Story of Moonlight Mouse

Owner: Maria Le

Moonlight Mouse started as a eBay store in 2015, and it has grown into a well-renowned online store reaching audiences on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy. The name represents my acute insomnia and my zodiac sign of the rat/mouse. One of the most rewarding feelings is being able to share your hobby with others. It makes me happy helping my customers find their childhood Tamagotchi, or a gift for their grandchildren. It lets me know pieces of my collection will be cherished and passed on to new generations to come. I strive to provide excellent customer service and a fast handling time to ensure an easy transaction. Every package is securely wrapped with extra goodies for a nostalgic therapeutic tamagotchi feeling!

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Similar to many collectors, I grew up playing with Tamagotchi. I started seriously collecting during my Freshman year in college. At the time, I wasn’t aware of any communities or groups, nor did I have any “tama friends.” This was my secret hobby, and I was embarrassed because others might find it childish. As a student, I was faced with the dilemma: “How can I afford this?” I slowly started selling some of the ones I didn’t play with anymore (even though I didn’t want to) in order to budget. It was a bittersweet feeling because it was painful parting with them and rewarding when they sold because I didn’t follow a selling matrix; I valued them at a price I was comfortable.

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A couple years later, I made some tama friends and joined a community. At first it was a positive experience knowing there were others like me, but then I realized it wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of. It can be difficult to be a collector and a seller, especially when you have that one thing someone else wants. I made some mistakes and trusted people I shouldn’t have, and experienced cyberbullying in the process. I became friends with someone who was obsessed with me, betrayed me, and tried to control and monitor my purchases. If I didn’t say anything to them, they would accuse me of hiding stuff, or ask me “who do you know?” It was toxic. I felt like I was being watched under this umbrella of people who wanted to keep tabs on what was in my collection or how much I paid in order to control the value of a collectable. It made me unhappy and forget why I was a Tamagotchi collector in the first place. 

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Since then, I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting & Finance, and founded Moonlight Mouse, an Asian American Woman owned business. This is something I’ve always dreamed about, and I never thought it would be possible to specialized in something I’m also passionate about. I’ve moved passed the traumatic experiences, and I realized not everyone is going to “like” you. I find myself enjoying my collection more, and with or without the support of a group, Tamagotchi is a piece of my identity. Tamagotchi has transcended moments in my life from growing up in a low income household, and being a first generation college student graduate. I’m now ready to share my collection and journey with you. My advice is "Never stop dreaming."