Hot Toys Already Selling Out
The day after Thanksgiving used to be the day that marked the big rush to shop for Christmas, but these days, retail outlets begin marketing for the big holiday right after Halloween. With only 49 shopping days left many are finding that the toys most in demand are already hard to find.
In years past such items as Cabbage Patch dolls and Power Rangers topped the list of scarce Christmas toys. This year has its own hot items that are disappearing from store shelves as quickly as they arrive.
The new Nintendo 64 has retailers around the country seeing big dollar signs. The sophisticated video game features three-dimensional graphics which gives players the impression of moving into the screen.
Store browser Aaron Marquis says the new Nintendo has a lot to offer the avid player.
The main system is priced at about $200 at a Fayetteville Target store. You can count on paying about $50 for each game cartridge. One clerk says the game systems are so popular, customers are practically buying them off the delivery trucks.
Shopper Lauren Parisi says she's not buying yet, but she's beginning to feel the pressure.
Action figures are also expected to sell well this year, although they should not be too difficult to find. The same goes for most Barbie dolls, but the $35 Holiday Barbie could pose some problems. One store gets 3-to-5 cases of the popular dolls each week, but is already selling out within a couple of days.
Store manager Pete Key says chances of getting one of the dolls as the holiday approaches are slim.
Sales have been picking up over the past week throughout the store and those who know say it's only going to get busier. Contributing to the early shopping start is the fact that there is one less week between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year than there was last.
