Warren Buffett’s shopping extravaganza kicks off with Squishmallows pit, 'Poor Charlie’s Almanack'

cnbc.com:

OMAHA, Nebraska — Warren Buffett's annual shopping event, the pregame to Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting, is wowing shareholders flocking to Omaha this weekend.

With over 20,000 square feet of showroom space and more than 50,000 items of inventory, the exhibit hall in downtown Omaha at the CHI Health Center features goodies from various Berkshire's holding companies, from Brooks Running to See's Candies and Jazwares.

Only shareholders can participate at the event and they can buy items at a special discount.

The annual meeting will be exclusively broadcast on CNBC and livestreamed on CNBC.com. Our special coverage will begin Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Jazwares, the American toymaker best known for its Squishmallows plushie line, was a hit last year when it first displayed its wares at Berkshire Hathaway's conference, including the debut of a Warren Buffett plushie. This year, the company expanded its exhibit in the convention hall, making it three times larger.

Some highlights include the latest Squishmallows toys for Buffett and Charlie Munger, a splashy Squishmallows pit, as well as other displays.

The Bookworm only had one book to sell this year: «Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger.» That was at the request of Buffett in honor of his business partner of more than 60 years, who passed away in November at the age of 99.

Berkshire acquired pilot training company FlightSafety in 1996. At Friday's shopping event, the firm brought a taste of what its training program looks like for professional pilots. Shareholders lined up to put on virtual reality glasses and experience the flight simulation training.

Truck-stop giant Pilot Travel Centers put up a big display with a real-sized