As Lori Fowlkes' children first saw robotic Zhu Zhu Pets toy hamsters in September, all she remembers is the children getting excited and shouting, "Please! Please! Can we buy them?"
Seeing a fully stocked shelf, she decided to hold off until Christmas.
That was "before I knew that the hamsters would soon be off the shelves and more scarce than an H1N1 vaccine," said Fowlkes, 32.
Now she can't find them anywhere.
Zhu
Zhu Pets, which retail for about $10, are this year's bona fide
must-have toy, following in the footsteps of past crazes for Tickle Me Elmo and Cabbage Patch Kids. On resale Web sites like eBay and Craigslist, they fetch $40 or more. Vital accessories as the hamster car and funhouse are sold separately.
By
many counts, the toy is an unlikely hit. They're in a field crowded
with toy pets. The hamsters, which scurry around, make noises and drive
cars don't always work the way you expect and have a limited range of
action.
Wed Nov 25, 9:08 AM ET
FILE
- In this Oct. 1, 2009 file photo, a hamster from Zhu Zhu Pets, by
Cepia, is shown at the Time to Play Holiday 2009 Most Wanted List event
in New York. Zhu Zhu Pets, which retail for $8, are this year's bona
fide must-have toy, following in the footsteps of past crazes for
Tickle Me Elmo and Cabbage Patch Kids.
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