Tips for finding hot sold-out toys this holiday season
Charles Jones feels a bit defeated.
He is looking for two Hatchimals for his 6 and 8-year-old daughters and doesn't want to disappoint them.
"It's sad," Jones said. "You don't want to be the bad parent that doesn't get what your kids what they asked for all year."
He says he has checked just about every Target and Walmart in town looking for a Hatchimal.
What's a Hatchimal? It's an interactive egg that requires nurturing before it hatches into a creature.
It's got some parents in a frenzy, as does the Nintendo NES Classic Edition. That's hard to find, too, and the free market is definitely getting in on the craze.
We spotted Hatchimals that retail for $59.99 listed for sale online for more than $200.
So how do you get your hands on the hot toys? It's not easy. There are blogs posting strategies, but with no definite answer.
Here's how you can help your chances:
First, get online and subscribe to alerts on specific toys you want to buy, that way when the item comes in, you get an email.
Next, it pays you to befriend the store manager, because many times, they will have the scoop on shipments.
Sometimes, though, the managers don't know exactly how much inventory they get each day.
On one day at Target, two Hatchimals came in, but no Nintendo NES. The previous day, six Hatchimals made it in, and one Nintendo NES.
Your best and the most aggressive approach is to come in first thing in the morning before the doors open and then you might -- big might -- maybe have a chance at getting that hot toy.
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