Zhu Zhu Hamster - Are you kidding me???

[thrillme]

I was just reading a news report on CNN that stated the Zhu Zhu Hamster is predicted to be THE toy for Christmas. Of course I'm "curious"...(I've only got a 14 year old boy who would have "no interest" in this but...I was curious)...

Thus...I looked it up...

These things are going for $40-60 for just a single HAMSTER...the "accessories" can be $70-200...are you kidding me???

I don't really buy into the hype...and run out and buy whatever but...I guess I like to "READ" what the "predictions" are and see if it pans out...but really now...overpriced doesn't even seem to cover it...or perhaps I'm missing something. For that price this toy better come with it's own "blue fairy".

[Disney4us2]

I got my DD her hamster (for her birthday:mickey:) for the retail price of 9.99 at ToysRUS. Of course I waited in line for 3 hours to get just one of 100 being offered. She just loves it . Your right, your DS would not like it. It is a girly thing.

For those who buy it at inflated prices, I guess it is worth it to them. The price is just as high as you are willing to bid and pay.

[Tinksalot]

I bought 2 hamsters and an accessory a few months ago before the prices started going up. :thumbsup: I'm sure my 6 yr old granddaughter will love them! All the fuss about these toys made me think back to when people were trying to get a hold of a Cabbage Patch Doll. :shake:

[MNNHFLTX]

The original price of the hamsters (and the accessories) was not exorbitant, but some capitalizing people/stores are jacking up the prices. Makes me thankful that I have a kid that's past the age for interest in these things! (Although I was never really into chasing down the hottest toys at Christmas even when he was younger either.)

[kakn7294]

I have one, snagged from eBay a couple of months ago at twice retail price. My DD will be getting it tonight for her birthday. At our local Toys R Us on Black Friday, people were taking the tickets to get 1 of 100 available then selling that ticket to the highest bidder in line. On Saturday night, I worked (as a nurse) from 7p - 7:30a. In the middle of the night, I checked my e-mail and saw that Toys R Us would have 50 at 7a. I took a chance that they might actually still have 1 and got to the store at 7:45a, still in my uniform which has the hospital name on the left chest. The woman at the service desk was so rude! She "informed" me that those 50 were long gone and that they had a line at 5:30a and I should have been there then. I just smiled sweetly and replied "I'm so sorry. At 5:30 this morning, I was at work and was busy saving lives. Guess I shouldn't have been..."

[thrillme]

I guess I think their cute and if you can get one for $9.99 super cool. But what I saw on "Amazon"...$40 for the white one and $69 for the others was well....uh...WOW...

I was mad at myself during the Tickle Me Elmo craze. I had a chance to buy one or two...(I had happened to be at Walmart when they were putting them out)...SIGH...I could have bought the whole lot of them...sold them on Ebay for $200 each and paid for all my christmas gifts, my house, my car...(well maybe a little exaggeration... LOL :blush:)...nah...I probably wouldn't have but if I had the power to go back in time...welll.....maybe.

SIGH...I guess I just wish that ONCE I could be "ahead" of the "game" and be able to buy a handful of the hottest item and make a few bucks for ME instead of every other greedy person. Mine, Mine, Mine!

[beksy]

SIGH...I guess I just wish that ONCE I could be "ahead" of the "game" and be able to buy a handful of the hottest item and make a few bucks for ME instead of every other greedy person. Mine, Mine, Mine!

off topic, but does anyone else have a Pocahontas song going through their head now? ;)

[kakn7294]

The attitude of some people who are looking strictly to profit from these toys is frustrating to me. There was a man in line at Toys R Us on Black Friday who was selling his ticket (not even the actual toy at that point) to the highest bidder in line. He said he was making his Christmas better by making extra money to spend and he didn't care whether he ruined some little girl's Christmas when her parents couldn't get her a Zhu Zhu because they couldn't afford one at $50 - 80 each. He wasn't the only one who took the tickets with the intent to resell them either. As soon as someone in line opened their mouth and told everyone what they were and how much money they could make from them, everyone took the tickets and tried to sell them if they truly didn't want the toy. It's not right for these poor kids who want them and their parents who can't get them.

Off my :soapbox: now!

[DVC2004]

'Tis the season to be greedy! Totally sad. It's things like this that upset me because kids don't understand- especially small kids. My kids are older and don't want these, but I remember this same thing over 10 years ago with Tickle Me Elmo. They were maybe $15 or $20 a piece and people would buy them up and try to sell them for $100 and up. Even at our local Toys R Us, I remember a guy who was related to an employee there bought up a bunch and then went outside and set up shop on the grass in the front of the parking lot to sell them at a ridiculous amount. He got caught and was asked to leave but I am sure he just went elsewhere.

:(

[Tinksalot]

It's too bad during the holiday season that people can't find it in their hearts to donate one of these "in demand" toys instead of trying to make a "buck". :shake:

[sisterdisco]

For what my 2 cents are worth....
It is a craze now that will be tomorrows junk.
My dog would eat that in a heartbeat.

My S-I-L asked me to look in my town for them. Our work has a small store and the mgr told me he ordered 4 and he would save 2 for me. Well...the shipment never came. They girls in the store told me that they could not supply WalMart w/ the contracted amount, so they were pulling everyone elses orders to supply WalMart!

[Kenny1113]

My friend was able to get 2 for her dd without a problem on black Friday and paid retail price! Another friend had gone a couple of days later and they were out!

[TinyDancer]

Off the original topic, but on the topic of people being mean to make a buck... When the baby panda was born at the DC zoo a few years ago you had to register to get the free tickets to see it. People would get the max amount, then were selling the FREE tickets at upwards of $100 a pop!!!! Some people really have no shame.

[Iluvpooh]

I have 2 DDs 5-6 and the only thing they asked for was those stinking hamsters for their B-days back in August. Well, they didn't have them, but I saw them in Wal-Mart in September and bought one of each kind to put up for Christmas. I went back a few days later and bought the "house" parts.
I didn't know they were going to be a hot toy, and I don't really care. I would not pay above retail for them. I made the mistake of mentioning to a friend that I had all of them and I have had sooo many Moms call me and ask me to sell them. Now they all think I'm evil because I won't sell my kids presents so their kids can have one.

[magicofdisney]

It is always something.

Remember when the Wii, XBox 360 and PS3 were going for well over a grand?

[beksy]

What are these? I've seen cute pictures but do they do something?

[Dulcee]

Any parents out there remember furbies??

My younger sister and I HAD to have one for christmas the year they were big. My parents came through and found them, we hated them. Scared the heck out of us. lol

That being said, my Mom is thrilled her children are well past the age of wanting the IT toy.

[DizneyRox]

Feds probing chemical levels in Zhu Zhu Pets
Consumer group claims toys contain unsafe levels of heavy metal antimony

From msnbc dot com....

[thrillme]

Well the "chemical levels" are deemed to be "safe". So no worries there. I guess they are only "SUPPOSED" to be around $10.

Yes I'd LOVE to be able to get a HOT item and sell it for a ridiculous price but would I REALLY do it. Nah...probably not. I'm always too afraid I'd be stuck with something that doesn't turn out to be HOT and I'd end up giving it away. After the Elmo craze I tried to "guess" the item...I really can't remember what it was but I bought two. One sold on Ebay for it's regular price and the other I gave away to a friend for their child.

Really and truly I don't have a big problem with the people that do buy these items and sell them for a ridiculous price as much as I have a problem with people who actually "support" these "horders" by paying the price. There was one guy here in town that paid somewhere around $1200 for a Elmo during that craze. WOW.

There were a LOT of things I wanted for Christmas and didn't get. It really wasn't the end of the world. I always had the really important things that excited me about Christmas: Lots of extra hugs from visiting relatives, Grandma's homemade noodles and special fruitcake (hers was actually GOOD :thumbsup:), a beautiful christmas tree with LOTS of lights (I always got to sleep in the living room with it).

I have a feeling these hamsters will be out like crazy after christmas...a cute little "gift certificate" for the "pick of the litter" as soon as they're "born" could be kinda exciting as a plan B.

[kakn7294]

I got my order from the 'net, my aunt got the 4 pack at Toys R Us for me, and yesterday when I was in Walmart, they had individual ones so I picked up the one my 14 yo DD wanted. We're having a Zhu Zhu Christmas - and I never paid more than regular price for any of them.

[Disney4us2]

It will be a Zhu Zhu Christmas here too. I got one for DD for her birthday 12am on Black Friday at ToysRUs. I got the giant fun house (very cute). If you have a TRU rewards card you were notified when the Zpets were available. I picked up Chunk the white one for Christmas, and a few more accessories. I didn't find it that hard to find the things I wanted. The only things we are missing now are the hamster ball (tried our real hamster ball and it didn't work well), and the skateboard playset.

Mostly I am more excited that I got DD a Wii for Christmas and it is a total suprise for her. and the thing she really wanted was the Fun Slides Carpet Skates.

I know after tomorrow or at least the new year the Zhu Zhu's will be easy to get. The big rush to have it under the tree will be over.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[Kenny1113]

I Don't think the "craze" is there anymore. I bought 4 hamsters without a problem on mon. I went online to eBay to see how much they were going for...there were a lot of them for retail price and zero bids and only minutes to go in the auction! (maybe too close to Christmas?)

[DonLefNY]

My wife bought two at Toys R Us Tuesday. No line, no mob. $9.99 each.