The Santa PANIC List: Dolls and Toys Hard To Find Right Now!
Just available: The Santa PANIC List 2000
NEWS FLASH: If you want to see how much these toys and dolls cost NOW, in 2000, just scroll to the end of this article. Try to remember this if you absolutely don't need one of the toys or dolls listed on the 2000 Panic List before Christmas (I know; not much help if you have a child waiting for one...)
Every year, somehow it happens. We KNOW that
certain toys will be in short supply for the holidays, and that we should do 
our toy shopping early. But, somehow come the first week of
December, we take out Suzy or Sam's crumpled list to Santa from our pocket at Toys R US,
and their number ONE heart's desire is nowhere to be found!
Here is my list of dolls and toys already nearly impossible to find both at regular retail outlets AND at the Internet toy stores this holiday season. Below I have a chart which shows what these dolls and toys are selling for right now on eBay, the online auction house, and how their prices have changed since last week:
DOLLS
*Millennium Princess Barbie (Caucasian) and Teresa
*Toy Story Jesse Dolls (especially 11" and Talking/Yodeling)
*Holiday Woody (from Toy Story)
*Amazing Ally
*Barbie Airplane
*Barbie Cash Register
*Certain American Girl Items (Millennium outfit)
TOYS
*Pokemon Pokedex
*Pikachu Special Edition Game Boy (yellow)
*Any Game Boy (in MOST locales)
*Interactive Buddy
*Talking Electronic Pikachu (Furby-ish)
*Furbys (certain colors)
*Jeff Gordon Micro Machines
*East Bake Kitchen Playset on CD-ROM
*Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Factory
12/21 UPDATE:
A quick survey of my stores locally have turned up extreme shortages especially of
Jesse, Amazing Ally, Game Boy, and the Millennium Princess Dolls. However, the
electronic Pikachu turned up this week in Costco, and the Pokedex has been spotted at
retail in several locations in Los Angeles. Some of the most severe shortages this
holiday season have been caused by electronic microchip shortages caused by the Taiwan
earthquake. Also, electronic toys have the LONGEST lead times of all toys to
produce--hence the especially severe shortages of Ally, Game Boys, and the Barbie Cash
Register.
eBay Prices
A quick survey of final sales on eBay as of 12/21
for some of these items gives you an idea of how hard to get these toys are at retail; in
many cases, the eBay prices are double actual retail or more. The following prices
are from actual auctions that closed in the last two days, where the items sold (no
reserve or over reserve):
| DOLL OR TOY | 12/15/99 | 12/21/99 WEEK | 10/2000 |
| Millennium Princess | $100+ | $45 to $55 | $100 to $150. This doll is STILL hot! |
| Talking Yodeling Jesse | $50+ | $45+ | no quotes (and no interest!) |
| 11" Jesse | $40 to $50 | $35 to $30 | Under $20. Should have waited for this one! |
| Amazing Ally | $100+ | $100 | $50 to $60 (retail--easy to find in stores; but CHECK out the hard to get cheerleading set. |
| American Girl Millennium Outfit | $150+ | $300 | No quotes. Cannot find; very hard to get! |
| Barbie Airplane | $130+ | $75 | $40ish; basically retail |
| Barbie Electronic Cash Register | $150-$200 | $255 | $40; at or under retail. REALLY should have waited for this one. |
| Game Boy | $100 to $200 | N/P | Retail! |
| Talking Electronic Pikachu | $30+ | $45 | $10 to $15 at best. |
| Pokemon Pokedex | $45 to $60 | $35+ | $10 to $15. |
How I determined these dolls and toys are extremely hard to get:
1. I have checked various e-tailers and online auction houses, including Amazon.com, e-Toys, ToyTime and eBay.
2. I have gotten panicked e-mails from parents about several of the dolls and plush toys.
3. I surveyed toy stores in San Francisco, Chico, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, California.
4. I have reviewed various nation-wide media reports of hard-to get toys this holiday season.
SO, some of these toys are sold out everywhere, and some are only sold out regionally or at certain retailers. Some, like the Pokedex and the Jesse Doll, are nearly impossible to find everywhere.
Where can you hunt for these toys? Here is a list of places to start:
--Wal-mart
--Toys-R-Us
--K-mart
--Target
--e-Toys
--Amazon.com
--FAO Schwarz
--Links To
Specialty Doll Shops
--Links To Web Doll Shops
--Links to Online Auction Houses
Have you found some of these hard to find dolls and toys for your child this week at regular retail? Are there other toys I should add to this list? If so, please tell us in the Dolls Forum (share WHERE you found the toys!)
Also share in the Dolls Forum how you feel about these dolls and toys being sold secondary market on eBay and other online auctions right now!
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Photo and article by Denise Van Patten, © 1999. All rights reserved.
