I just couldn’t click fast enough. I am tracking all stores through a website that someone has set up to track the availability of these items at all major toy stores:

http://www.nowinstock.net/zhu-zhu-pets/

Unfortunately, the alerts they send to my e-mail are delayed so it hasn’t helped much. And, the “browser alerts” (you keep the website minimized on your computer and an alarm sounds when an item is in stock) haven’t been perfect – sometimes I get them and sometimes I don’t.

I did get an alert this morning on my e-mail from E-Toys – they had a gift pack with hamsters and an accessory – but I was driving into work when it came through and they were sold out by the time I got to the office. Argh…

So, I’m feeling a bit hopeless and tired…Hopefully, I can get one for my 7 year old before Christmas…

Right now, I am very frustrated about the fact that people are having a ball with this on e-bay and Amazon. There are a ton of people out there trying to snatch them up for the sole purpose of reselling them at quadruple the price. If you think about it, the e-bayers are making more money off this toy than the manufacturer who makes the toy and the retailer who sells it originally. It’s nuts !

I am tempted to start my own website, snatch a ton of them up myself and sell them to moms and dads at retail prices – limit one per customer. Thought I would convey the idea since you already had a website geared for parents. I am serious !!! If I got a hold of more than one, I would gladly sell them for retail to any loving parent.

What is happening with these toys is just wrong. I refuse to pay $40- for a $10- toy and frankly, if I buy just one and an accessory through e-bay, I will exhaust my Christmas budget. I think a lot of people are in the same boat as me, unfortunately.

Thought I’d convey my thoughts and just get it off my chest this morning, Gloria