THE 'CRACK' EPIDEMIC!
Parents shelling out big in Hatchimal toy craze
They’re furry, cute — and nearly sold out.
Meet this year’s most popular toy, Hatchimals, which are flying off shelves so fast, they’re nearly impossible to find.
Hatchimals are birdlike stuffed animals that actually hatch from a hard egg shell once they are played with long enough. Kids then teach them how to talk, walk and play through three phases of life — baby, toddler and child.
The interactive playthings — described as a blend of the popular ’90s toys Furby and Tamagotchi — have been vanishing as quickly as stores stock them since they were released by Spin Master last month.
They join a long list of impossible-to-find toys, from the Hula Hoop to Tickle Me Elmo to Zhu Zhu Pets.
And even though the holiday shopping season hasn’t even begun, Hatchimals are already almost impossible to find at national chain stores, such as Toys R Us, Target and Walmart.
Annabelle Santos, 20, spent weeks searching for a Hatchimal for her little sister.
“She really wants it. She asks for it every day. We’ve called every single store, and then we finally got a rain check,” said the Ridgewood, Queens, resident.
The Hatchimals retail for $49.99 at Toys R Us, but some people have gotten so desperate to get their hands on one, they are turning to secondhand sellers on eBay and Amazon.com, where the fuzzy toys are going for many times that amount.
“Does anyone else have a child who is desperate for a Hatchimal this year? I’m having sleepless nights about it!!” @fivelittledove5, a parenting blogger, tweeted.
Dozens of bidding wars have started on eBay, where parents are scrambling to win auctions that start at about $150.
A set of seven Hatchimals put up on Monday had attracted 10 bids, driving the price to $950 with three days left in the sale.
Spin Master has increased production but said it likely won’t be enough to get them on store shelves for the holidays.
“The consumer response to Hatchimals has been extraordinary, exceeding all expectations,” the toymaker said on its Web site. “We have increased production and a whole new batch of Hatchimals will be ready to hatch in early 2017.”
The Balloon Saloon, a partysupply and toy shop in Tribeca, isn’t expecting a new shipment until New Year’s Eve.
“About 10 people a day come in and ask for them,” said owner Sharon Herskowitz.
“The kids are upset.” Boomerang Toys, also in Tribeca, is turning away at least 10 customers a day. “We aren’t getting them until February,” said employee Bridgett Turney, 26.