Give A Traditional Toy This Christmas

Although the Zhu Zhu Pets were just launched in August of this year, they have become a huge success already. Kids across the country have just gone nuts for the cute little robo hamsters that include artificial intelligence which permits them to interact with their surroundings, other Zhu Zhu hamsters and the kids who are playing with them.

Besides the fact that these robot hamsters are small, cute and furry, kids just love the interactivity. The 5 hamsters – Mr. Squiggles, Chunk, Pipsqueak, Patches and Num Nums – have a library of forty different sounds which they produce when given the right cue. For instance, if they go into the bathroom of their hamster habitat, they make tooth brushing sounds. If they enter their hamster bedroom then they make snoring noises.

Unfortunately, lots of retailers have quite deliberately set stock levels of toys in general at unusually low volumes this year. This is due in part to the current economic climate and partly due to the fact that stock levels were too high last year. A lot of retailers had to offer substantial discounts just to empty their shelves.

It’s easy to understand the reasoning behind the decision – but considering upon the evidence up to now, the retailers may have misjudged the mood of consumers. Popular toys such as the Zhu Zhu pets and Mattel’s Mindflex game are flying off the shelves. Demand is way higher than supply and it’s becoming hard to find these toys in the shops. This is only going to get worse the closer we get to Christmas.

Now having realised their mistake, many retailers are now ordering new stock. However, most toys are produced in Asia today. That means that delivery may well include a sea voyage of four weeks or so. Arranging new stocks in time for Christmas could prove difficult.

As a consequence of the imbalance between supply and demand, it is now possible to find Zhu Zhu hamsters on eBay for more than $ 150. That’s way higher than the normal ticket price – and these prices could rise even further as we approach Christmas. It does seem like an excessive price to pay for a kid’s toy which, although it is the latest fad, is very likely to be out of fashion in just a few short months.

If you don’t want to pay an excessive price for the latest trend, then you could always consider more traditional gifts this Christmas. Classic traditional toys such as Lego, Monopoly, Scrabble and Hornby Dublo train sets are classics for a reason. They are an ever popular addition to any kid’s toy collection and they will probably still be in use and giving pleasure long after this year’s craze is a distant memory.