Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters continue to be the hot toy this holiday season. They are sold out in most stores. Toys R Us promises to have a limited supply of Zhu Zhu hamsters and is even using them to entice shoppers into its stores on Black Friday. Anthony Mason reports for CBS News on the hot toy. He visited Cepia, the small company that makes the robotic hamster toy. Cepia has added three more factories in China to try and keep up with demand. Take a look:
Toys R Us announced it will be opening its stores on Midnight on Black Friday. Stores will stay open for two hours for Midnight shoppers. They have deals that being at midnight and another round of deals that begins at 5 a.m..
Toys R Us promises to have some of the hot Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters toys available. They will be handing tickets out so people can purchase one of the robotic hamsters. Toys R Us says the first 100 customers in line at their local Toys R Us store on Black Friday will each be given a ticket for the opportunity to purchase a Zhu Zhu Pet. They also say "thousands of additional Zhu Zhu Pets" will be made available in Toys R Us stores on Friday. Toys R Us also says more will arrive in Decemeber.
Toys R Us provided this sample of some of the deals and doorbusters beginning at Midnight on November 26th and run until 1 p.m. on Black Friday, November 27th.
Free $50 Gift Card with the purchase of any iPod touch
Buy 1 Get 2 free on all Batman Dark Knight 6" Action Figures
Two Bakugan Season 2 Booster Packs for Only $7.99
Save $200 on Furreal FriendsS S'mores Pony - Was: $299.99; Now: $99.99
Save $80 on Little Tikes Jump 'n Slide Bouncer - Was: $229.99; Now: $149.99
Save $60 on Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage - Was: $159.99; Now: $99.99
65% Off Sleeping Beauty Styling Head Vanity - Was: $69.98; Now: $24.49
50% Off Vtech Learning Laptop - Was: $29.99; Now: $14.99
50% Off Nextar 2GB MP3 Player with Video - Was: $34.99; Now: $17.49
This list is a sample of Toys R Us deals that will begin at 5 a.m. on Black Friday and run until 1 p.m.
Save $100 on 12' Trampoline and Enclosure - Was: $279.99; Now: $179.99
Save $75 on Razor E300 Scooter - Was: $249.99; Now: $174.99
Save $60 on Flexible Flyer Kingston Swingset - Was: $159.99; Now: $99.99
Save $50 on New! Harley Davidson Rocker Ride-On - Was: $149.99; Now: $99.99
Save $50 on Coby 7" Portable DVD Player - Was: $99.99; Now: $49.99
Save $30 on Avigo Street Style/Spectrum 20" Bikes - Was: $79.99 (each); Now: $49.99 (each)
60% Off Star Wars Clone Trooper Blaster Game - Was: $49.99; Now: $19.98
O
ver 55% Off DS Guitar Hero On Tour/Decades 2-Pack Bundle - Was: $69.99; Now: $29.99
50% Off You & Me Little Twins - Was: $34.99; Now: $17.99
50% Off Select Wii Fit Accessories
50% Off Bakugan BakuBowl - Was: $26.99; Now: $13.49
Toys R Us will also be giving away 250,000 Crayola 64 Boxes with any purchase on Black Friday, along with access to receive an $18 Crayola coupon.
Toysus.com says visitors its Facebook page can access a special Toys"R"Us Black Friday application and submit an RSVP to receive a special sneak peek, on Monday, November 23 at 12:01am, of its in-store Black Friday deals. Toysrus.com will preview 100 "Mystery Deals" in-store deals beginning Wednesday, November 25 at 12:01am.
Bloomberg reports that Mattel's massive six-story Barbie story is Shanghai is falling well short of initial sales expectations. Mattel has lowered sales estimates for the store from initial expectations by over 60%. Bloomberg says Mattel has already had to lower sales estimates for the Shanghai store several times. The new general manager of the store says initial sales targets were "astronomical."
"The initial sales targets were astronomical," said Dann Murphy, who took over as general manager as his predecessor left eight months after the store opened. Targets for the six-story outlet’s restaurant and "retail experience," which includes designing personalized Barbie dolls, have been revised down three times since its opening in March.
Paul French, founder of Shanghai-based market research company Access Asia, told Bloomberg the store is open long enough that it should be working by now. He thinks the initial concept behind the store was wrong.
"Every retail store operates at a loss when it opens, but they've been open long enough that it should be working by now," said Paul French, founder of Shanghai-based market research company Access Asia. "They overestimated their brand recognition in China. I just think the concept is wrong."
Mattel has revised the overall sales target for the store to between 65 percent and 70 percent of original expectations, said Murphy. The store has started meeting its sales targets on product sales, including dolls and toys, after the targets were downgraded twice, he added.
Dann Murphy, the store manager, also told Bloomberg that the restaurant - the Barbie Cafe - is struggling because customers can't find it or aren't aware it exists. Murphy says, "Sometimes customers don't even know the restaurant is there. So they get to the sixth floor and are like, ‘Where am I?'"
It is possible the store simply offers too much Barbie and that Barbie products work better when they are sold at other retail outlets. Shanghai could also be too distant of a destination for many of Barbie's most loyal fans. The store does have a lot to offer for Barbie fans including a Barbie fashion runway, a design center where you can customize your own Barbie, and a full-service day spa featuring Barbie beauty products. If you are not in Shanghai you can explore the store on its website.
The Ball has joined the Stick (among last year's toy inductees) at the National Toy Hall of Fame. This year's other two nominees include the iconic Big Wheel and the Nintendo Game Boy.
The Ball has been with us a long time. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all had sports that involved a ball. The ball and stick have developed into more complex sports that are also played by adults.
Ray Lohr, head designer for Louis Marx, took apart a tricycle and then reassembled the parts into an upside-down trike. The Big Wheel's low-slung design allowed for superior handling. The Big Wheel was introduced at the 1969 Toy Fair in New York City and was a Marx bestseller for a decade. The originalbigwheel.com website claims to sell the original Big Wheel. There is also a listing here on Walmart.com and here on Amazon.com. However, it is unclear if the parts are the same quality as they were in the 1960s and 1970s. The original Big Wheel had the name Marx on the riding toy - as you can see here.
Nintendo Game Boy transformed the video games and popularized handheld gaming. The Strong National Museum of Play says, "no videogame platform did more to put gamers on the go than this invention." The Game Boy has remained a popular handheld console for over two decades.
The hottest toys early on in the 2009 holiday shopping season are the robotic Zhu Zhu Hamsters from Zhu Zhu Pets. Bloombergreports that the hot toys are selling out at major retailers including Walmart. Toys R Us CEO Jerry Storch told Bloomberg the Zhu Zhu hamster is the hottest toy he has ever seen during his four years as CEO. He also says old-timers tell him it is "one of the hottest toys in history."
"This is a Christmas where a lot of people didn't want to take big risks," Hornsby, 56, founder and chief executive officer of closely held Cepia LLC, said in a telephone interview. "You're gambling because you’re selling to kids. That’s a pretty fickle group."
The bet is paying off. U.S. and U.K. retailers, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp., Toys "R" Us Inc. and Tesco Plc, can’t keep them in stock. Target is limiting them to four per customer. Some parents are resorting to Amazon.com, where the critters sell for at least twice the $8-to-$10 price.
"It's the hottest toy I've seen since I've been at Toys 'R' Us, and old-timers tell me this is one of the hottest toys in history,” said CEO Jerry Storch, 53. He has been at Toys "R" Us for almost four years.
The touch sensitive Zhu Zhu hamsters typically sell for $8 to $10 but they are already selling for several times that at third-party outlets online. Some of Amazon.com's Zhu Zhu hamster listings from third party sellers are over the $40 and $50 mark. eBay's auctions listings have many in the $20 and $30 range. Hopefully, more of the tiny robots will arrive in stores. Parents aren't likely to pay $40 for an $8 toy in a recession. They are more likely to just look for an alternative toy.
Kelly Evans reports on the hot toy for the Wall Street Journal in the video below. She also says the robotic hamsters are selling out everywhere.
Kids love trying to stack their blocks higher and higher. They would be impressed with artist and children's book author Walter Wick. He stacked 117 toy objects on top of one little Lego block. This must have required a lot of patience. Walter Wick then sent little wind-up toys to try and knock over his toy structure. Take a look:
A new world record has been set for Dominoes. The display was crafted and broadcasted on Dutch television. It includes over 4.5 million dominoes. The Netherlands has been hosting an annual domino toppling exhibition called Domino Day since 1986. There is some pretty amazing domino art in the display. Take a look:
The 2009 Holiday Barbie doll is now in stores. This year Holiday Barbie is wearing a shimmering pale pink and golden lame gown. The gown is accented with a wrapped bodice and sparkling tulle. Barbie is also wearing chandelier earrings that contain pink gems. The 2009 Holiday Barbie is available here on Amazon.com. There is also a 2009 Holiday African-American Barbie Doll available. She's also wearing a pale pink and golden lame gown. Amazon.com is also carrying this Barbie.
Taylor Lautner is a doll. Mattel has created a Jacob Black doll as part of its Twilight series. The Jacob doll has six pack abs and appears to have forgotten to put on a shirt. Unfortunately, the Jacob doll isn't available until March 1, 2010; it will be released at the same time as the DVD of New Moon. You can pre-order the doll at
Amazon.com.
The Disney Store plans to open more than 125 stores nationwide at midnight on Black Friday, November 27th. From midnight until 10 a.m. customers can get 20% off all items, including already discounted merchandise. Disney has also released a list of most wanted holiday toys called the Disney Dozen, which it is selling for under $25. The list includes the Disney Princess Tiana Classic Doll from the Disney film, The Princess and the Frog.
Here are some of the other discounts the Disney Store is offering on Black Friday.
Special one-day pricing on great gifts include:
$5 deals: graphic character tee shirts (regular price $9.50), holiday ornaments (regular price $9.50 each) and character mugs (regular price $8.50)
$10 deals: Classic Disney Princess dolls (regular pricing $16.50 each), favorite Disney plush characters (regular price $14.50-$16.50) and colorful fleece throws (regular price $19.50)
$15 deals: a Disney-Pixar Cars' Lightning McQueen Runaway Racer (regular price $29.50), Toy Story Talking Buzz and Woody Deluxe Action Figures (regular price $24.50 each) and a Disney Princess Glamour Case (regular price $19.50), perfect for stashing princess jewels and other necessities.
Select Disney Princess and Disney/Pixar's Cars product $20-40 off during Black Friday weekend only include:
Disney Princess Darlings Castle, $49.50 (regular price $79.50)
Classic Disney Princess Dolls 8 Piece Gift Set, $69.50 (regular price $99.50)
Toy expert Laurie Schacht, of TheToyInsider.com, shared some of the hottest toys with Harry Smith on the CBS Early Show. She also provided some tips at the end of the CBS story. Laurie Schacht's hot toy list includes Zhu Zhu pet hamsters, Liv Dolls and Band Hero. Here's her list:
Schacht's List of this Season's Hot Toys:
Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters, $10
Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser, $28
Barbie Twilight Bella Doll, $25
Liv Dolls, $20
Battle Strikers Turbo Tops Tournament Set, $35
Band Hero Bundle, $200
Laurie Schacht told Harry Smith that the Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters are already hard to find. She says they are $10 if you can find them in stores but online stores are charging inflated prices. The Bella Barbie doll is apparently hotter than the Edward doll. Laure Schacht's also loves Liv Dolls and Battle Strikers. Take a look:
United Airlines and the American Cancer Society are teaming up for the third consecutive year. Holden Hugyou - a huggable, limited-edition 14-inch Gund teddy bear - was designed for this year's money raising effort. Holden is the cuddly younger brother of Maye I. Hugyou and Kenny Hugyou, who delivered smiles to nearly 18,000 children in 2008 and 2007.
For each contribution of at least 7,500 Mileage Plus miles or of a minimum of $50, volunteers - including United employees - will deliver a Holden Hugyou teddy bear to a child with cancer at hospitals throughout the country in February 2010. Contributions can be made through December 31 by visiting united.com/bearhug. Individuals who contribute $250 to the American Cancer Society through this initiative will also receive their own Holden Hugyou bear.
"The expressions of the faces of children receiving a teddy bear is worth a million miles," said Sonya Jackson, president of the United Airlines Foundation. "We are so grateful for the overwhelming response from our customers and colleagues, who together have raised more than 100 million Mileage Plus miles and more than $360,000 for the American Cancer Society for this program since it began in 2007."
Zizzle Toys claims its Myachi Original Hand Sack toy is currently the best selling action skill toy on the market. The main rule in playing with the toy that resembles a flat rectangular hacky sack is that you cannot use your palms or the let the myachi hit the ground.
Myachis are made and sold like Beanie Babies. A series of 6-12 different styles are made and then retired to create a limited edition out of each style sold. There are approximately 36 different Myachi Original Hand Sacks available for sale. Over 500 different sacks have been manufactured to date. Zizzle Toys says some retired Myachis sell for $50 to $300 each on eBay.
Myachis will be availabe at over 100 Toys R Us locations this Christmas. You can also buy them on the Myachi website. The retail price is $6.99. Parents may like them if they can get pull kids away from the tv or game console. You can see the toy in action below.
BarnesandNoble.com unveiled its newly designed online B&N Kids Store today at www.bn.com/kids. B&N also released three holiday top ten lists with the launch of the online store for children's books, toys and games.
B&N Kids Top Ten for Children's Books:
Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas
The Silver Spoon for Children
A Light in the Attic: Special Edition
The Nutcracker
A Christmas Carol (Sterling Unabridged Classics Series)
The Magician's Elephant
The Polar Express
The Little Prince
The Snowy Day
Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies
The New York Times examines
the latest battles in the doll wars. Now that the Bratz dolls are off shelves, due to Mattel's legal victory, there are new dolls rising up to try to knock Barbie off her perch. The Liv dolls and the Moxie Girlz are the two contenders who are best poised to give Barbie -- and Mattel -- a run for their money. So what makes Liv dolls and Moxie Girlz popular with pre-teens? Their look is different from Barbie's, for one thing. And they're not glamorous. The ride scooters and dress in the type of clothes you might find at T.J. Maax or Forever 21. There are no Bob Mackie designs for the Moxie Girlz.
Liv, is perhaps the most lavishly detailed of the new dolls.
"We wanted to create a collector-doll feel," said Mr. Varadi, who gave the Liv dolls glasslike eyes, glossy hair, interchangeable wigs and 14 points of articulation that make them easy to dress. He aimed to make Liv pretty but approachable by giving her slightly plump facial features and contours softer than Barbie's. "We went through five different sculptors" to create an alternative to Barbie's chiseled cheeks and pneumatic curves, he said, adding, "We didn't want Liv to look like she just came back from a plastic surgeon."
*****
Moxie is giving Liv a run for the money in part by appealing to girls' creative sides: Some of the Moxies come with clothes that can be hand-colored and sheared. "In some respects, these girls are designing the clothes themselves," Mr. Johnson, the analyst, said, "and that's a strong part of the dolls' appeal."
Bratz dolls were sometimes criticized for being heavily made up and suggestively dressed. Some child psychologists worry that the new dolls, which come with "necessities" from hair driers to handbags, pose another problem. "You are robbing them of the opportunity to use their imaginations," said Claudia Paradise, a New York psychoanalyst who works with children. "But that's big business," she added resignedly.
Both Spin Master and MGA say they are fostering self-expression by offering girls the chance to mix and match doll wardrobes as their whim dictates. To entice them, however, "you have to have the right types of clothes -- the distressed jeans, the lip gloss and the shoes -- those are crucial," said Mr. Silver, the Timetoplaymag editor. "Little girls pay special attention to details like that."
Barbie generates $3 billion a year, whereas the Liv and Moxie lines are each expected to generate $30 to $40 million this year. Will they challenge Barbie? Perhaps. But Mattel is hardly sitting around waiting to be destroyed by the Moxie Girlz. Virtual worlds, Christian Louboutin shoes, tie-ins with Mac Cosmetics...Barbie still has a few tricks up her perfectly tailored sleeves.
Toys R Us announced it will be opening its stores on Midnight on Black Friday. Stores will stay open for two hours for Midnight shoppers. They have deals that being at midnight and another round of deals that begins at 5 a.m..
The Ball has joined the Stick (among last year's toy inductees) at the 
Toy expert Laurie Schacht, of 
BarnesandNoble.com unveiled its newly designed online B&N Kids Store today at 
