Strollerderby : webkinz

Are these toys sold out?

Brett Singer — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

According to Gareb Shamus of Toy Wishes Magazine, these toys are what all the kids want. But, says Shamus, you can't get them, because they're sold out. I'm not sure that he's correct about that. We checked on seven toys here, now let's try eight more.

8. Clone Wars Voice Changing Helmet: Again, Amazon's got it, not even from a third-party shipper. But it's not Darth Vader. So what's the point? According to the product description, "Kids want to be clone troopers." (That's actually listed as a product feature. Odd.) I hope that this statement is not true. If it is, that is sad. Wanting to be Han Solo, I get. Wanting to be a Clone Trooper? Say it ain't so, Bo(ba).

9. Wall-E - U-Command, i-Dance and Transforming: i-Dance they have. Same with U-Command. (Couldn't find Transforming for some reason.) However, both are from third-party folks, and U-Command is over $150.00. That seems like a bad idea unless one of the commands is "rob a bank."

10. Club Penguin Plush and trading cards: Bingo! Club Penguin Plush, not in stock as of this writing. Available from a random person. Looks kind of ugly to me but what do I know. Trading cards they have from third party folks.

11. Webkinz – Plush: It might be tough to find the specific one your kid wants (Webkinz Platypus, anyone? I just made that up) but these are out there.

12. Imaginext – Superfriends: Amazon has it! At least, they have some of them, like this Batmobile. If these are from the same series of toys that my younger son has, I highly recommend them. It's like Batman-lite – more BatMite than Dark Knight. (If you get that reference, you earn points towards your Geek Gold Card.) Fun for kids and also dads. At least this dad.

13. Nerf - all the Nerf Blasters: Well, not ALL, since Amazon has this ominously named Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Dart Blaster. Weapon of kiddie mass destruction, anyone? Also not for the under 3 set.

14. Eyeclops night vision goggles: These look kinda cool, and are in stock. My problem with toys like these is that in my experience kids get bored with them pretty quickly. But perhaps your children are different.

15. Girl Gourmet cupcake maker: I'm not a fan of children making "real" food with dopey fake playsets like these. Why is that? Because I can't imagine that the ingredients of the "special cupcake mixes" are substances that occur in nature. This comment from Amazon, titled "What's that smell??" is telling and quite helpful: "At the end of the day, it was fun for them, stinky for all of us and too darn messy. You are better off with supervised baking then this junky mix." The commenter goes on to say that the product is a good idea but the "flavoring needs tweaking." I beg to differ, but hey, to each his or her own. I'm not against my children eating crap, but they should eat good old American pre-packaged crap that doesn't require further preparation.

So no offense to Mr. Shamus, but this stuff doesn't appear to be as sold out as he said. I'm thinking bad economy = easier to find popular toys. To be fair, many of the items were unavailable except through third-party sellers. But it seems like, with a little digging, you can get most of what your kids want. Not that the holidays are all about toys. But sometimes they are.

When Holiday Toys Attack

Half Price Toys at Target

Last Day For Free Holiday Shipping

Indiana Planned Parenthood Sells Gift Certificates

Miss Piggy Wants a Bailout For Christmas

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

They Say – Lots of Toys Are Sold Out – Or Are They?

Brett Singer — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:30:00 GMT

According to Gareb Shamus of Toy Wishes Magazine, these toys are what all the kids want. But, says Shamus, you can't get them, because they're sold out. I'm not sure that he's correct about that. Let's see what we can find in stock.

1.      Bakugan: My son actually got this as an early Chanukah present. Not bad but a little over-rated in my opinion. Basically you throw little balls into a plastic arena, and if the balls hit a particular magnetic card, they pop open. It's neat but only for the first hundred times. There are also rules that seem too complex for my taste, but I’m old and sometimes these games confuse me. Available at Amazon.
2.      Lego Star Wars and Lego Batman: Lego Star Wars is great. Lego Batman, feh. Don't bother. I'm talking about the video games, though, not the Legos themselves. In general I believe that any Legos are good Legos, so if you can't find Star Wars or Batman versions, just go with regular ones. If the kids complain, tell them they should be glad they're getting any presents at all in this economy. (OK, telling them that would be mean. But it's fun to think about, right?) Lots of options at Amazon, but it does appear that most are sold out.
3.      Star Wars Action Figures - All, particularly Clone Commander Cody and Ahsoka Tano: This reveals me to be a tremendous nerd, but I think I've outed myself as Dorky Dad a long time ago. Commander Cody action figures are sold out??? That just doesn't seem right. I mean, I remember when Boba Fett was hard to find. That I can understand. But Commander Cody? C'mon. Available at Amazon for a whopping $44.99. Crazy.
4.      Dora Magical Figures: I found these on Craig's List, although they're probably gone by now. (Note: I am not suggesting you buy something from Craig's List. Also not suggesting that you DON'T buy from Craig's List. That is what is known as a "covering my butt disclaimer". That's a legal term.)
5.      Ben 10 Alien Creation Chamber: Amazon has it from a third-party retailer. Sadly, it does not appear to create life-size "Island of Doctor Moreau" creatures.
6.      Hasbro - Marvel Transformers: I was unaware of the existence of these action figures, but now that I am, I must have them. I mean, my son must have them. Iron Man meets Transformers? Are you kidding me??? Amazon seems to have them in stock from third-party retailers. I… I mean, my SON, really wants these. All of them.
7.      Yo Gabba Gabba Dance Mat: Amazon's got it. It looks fun, but noisy. Also: "CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs." Which seems odd because that's an age I would think this product appeals to. But I guess not.

Hmmm... so far lots of stuff is in stock, although sometimes from third-party sellers. For eight more, check out part 2 here.

When Holiday Toys Attack

Half Price Toys at Target

Last Day For Free Holiday Shipping

Indiana Planned Parenthood Sells Gift Certificates

Miss Piggy Wants a Bailout For Christmas

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

Strollerderby Playdate: Boobies and Blood

Adrienne Martini — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:00:00 GMT

I've just returned from a lovely playdate with Heather at Oh My Stinkin Heck. We had coffee. We played with Play-Doh and Webkinz. But, mostly, we griped about the video store.

What's wrong with getting a couple of flicks to watch with the kids on family night? Plenty. Once you manage to pass the gauntlet of candy near the registers, you have to explain all of the DVD cases that feature headless women with enormous breasts or horrified women covered in blood. Now that's entertainment.

It's not that the questions that your kids will ask are hard to answer -- it's just that so many times the older kids take video boxes as illustrations of how the world is and don't ask questions. While the pictures alone won't force the tweens into a Girl's Gone Wild gig, they do add to the climate.

But Heather is a mom after my own heart. Not a prude, just aware of how powerful images can be. I do have just one word of advice, however: Netflix.

Webkinz Shortages? Oh Darn.

Karen Murphy — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:42:00 GMT

Instinctively I stay away from the more annoying toy trends. Cabbage Patch dolls? Bleah. Beanie babies? Puleeze. Webkinz? Not in this house, thank you.

And hey, I'm not the only one who feels this way: "Webkinz are the most annoying trend since Beanie Babies, which were the most annoying trend since Cabbage Patch Kids. They also are among the most cleverly marketed products ever."

I can't argue with any of that. Especially the last bit, which is apparently why the things are in short supply.

A few months ago I saw a display of Webkinz at a home and garden store, of all places. The display was empty. At the time I chalked it up to the fact that it was a home and garden store and not a toy store, but apparently the annoying little creatures have a life of their own (which is I guess the point).

So have you and your kids jumped on this trend? Do you think they teach kids lessons of responsibility or are they basically crack for kids and a colossal waste of time? And what do you think of hot toy trends in general?

Social Networking Sites Target 8-year-olds (Successfully)

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Sun, 27 May 2007 22:01:00 GMT

Interacting with online users in a 2D world. Sharing music. Swapping stories. Creating avatars. Keeping up with friends. Sound like you? Perhaps, but it's also true of a growing segment of the social networking audience: 6- to 8-year-olds.

Thanks to sites like Webkinz, Club Penguin, Barbie Girls, Nickelodeon's Nicktropolis, and Disney Extreme Digital, kids in this age group are spending about 45 minutes a month in front of computers keeping up with their social networking sites. While this may not seem like a lot of time, it cuts into TV viewing time which is exactly what these sites want. Parents: this is your wake-up call.

"These tweens have a crosshairs on their backs," said Liz Perle, editor-in-chief of Common Sense Media, a nonpartisan San Francisco organization that evaluates media. "The corporations know if they can get (young customers) now, they will establish brand loyalty for life."

Parents that once worried about older kids hanging out on MySpace now have cause to be concerned about their younger children. Perle believes that 6-years-old is too young to be social networking and that an hour of screen time is appropriate for 8-year-olds.

This still seems like a lot of time to me. My eldest (almost 5) is blissfully ignorant of the computer. I suppose it's because my husband and I are so addicted I'd like to postpone the experience with my kids for as long as possible.

Perle adds, "A 6-year-old should be learning how to work out social situations on the playground, where you can read someone's facial expression -- not on some two-dimensional Web site where if an (avatar of a) penguin doesn't want to talk to you, he turns his back and walks away."

Word.

My Very First Avatar

Kelly Mills — Mon, 07 May 2007 15:23:00 GMT

I guess there's this new thing called online communities that all the kids are into. Apparently they even have virtual worlds where you can adopt a persona called an avatar and do everything from slay demons with a broadsword to buy art using virtual money. What will they think of next?

Some very smart people realized that there's a market in creating virtual worlds for preschoolers. If you haven't heard, Webkinz are stuffed animals that come with a registration code, so you can log into the site and play with your stuffed animal in cyberspace. You earn virtual dollars by playing online games, which you can then use to buy things for your Webkinz doll. Think Sims for kindergarteners, with less of the frustration. You know, the kind you felt when your Sim was completely unable to score with any potential mates (I'm still bitter).

I am fairly anti-marketing for children, to the point where my child has seen maybe three commercials in her life and I think she believes her eyeballs will melt if she watches one all the way through. However, I'm not that freaked about this new development in kid consumerism. Because I recognize that toys are generally marketed to, well, kids, and my child is growing up in an age where virtual reality will be part of her life. We always try and practice critical thinking with advertising, pointing out marketing ploys, asking "Do you think the toy will do all that?" and having conversations about it. If Ganz is going to try and build brand loyalty, we'll discuss that, but with the current fickle climate at our house, I wish them luck in that endeavor. And I'm not particularly bothered by the fact that my child can play with her animal online, as long as we do it the way we do television and cake: in moderation. In fact, when my sister brought home a Webkinz animal, she and my child spent a nice hour poking around the site. Then my kid got bored and wanted to draw instead, while my sister spent the next three hours playing preschool games to earn enough money to buy a swimming pool. (Note to self: daughter is fine, but do not allow sister to play World of War-crack.)

Just so you know, I'm the permissive parent in the house, and if you think the Webkinz site is the devil's playground, feel free to share.

Webkinz Crack-Down at English School

Karen Murphy — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:06:00 GMT

I'm sorta glad my kids are still pretty clueless about Webkinz, which appears to be the newest form of crack for kids. Here's the deal: there are 44 different stuffed animal "pets" you can buy (collect them all!), and then register online at the Webkinz Cracksite to create a virtual version of your animal, interact with it online, create a room for it, play games, and chat with other little crackheads. Kids are encouraged to "check back every day" and to get their friends involved. I have to say though that these little guys are charmingly cute and the website seems well put-together with a lot of attention paid to creatng a Webkinz Addictive Empire (modeled after Disney, no doubt).

Apparently, these little guys are also creating quite a stir in schools, and a school in England has banned them entirely. I can quite understand. What with the "everybody else has one" phenomena, and the fact that some kids were using the school's computers to check in with their Kinz, it must have become rather disruptive. My children's school seems to frown on toys in the classroom (although my 5th grader seems obsessed with Lego Star Wars minifigs, and the 1st grade is overrun with bobbleheads -- ugh), which I find fortunate. What about your children's schools? Have the CrackKinz made an appearance?

Webkinz: The Online Toy That Will Eat Your Child's Brain

thezeroboss — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 11:04:00 GMT

This article by the Massachusetts Eagle Tribune's Krystal Hicks arrived at an uncanny time. My daughter Neve had her 10th birthday party last night at a local Embassy Suites hotel. (Which, by the way, my ; it costs as much as a traditional wife highly recommends for tweens and teens; it costs as much as a traditional party, and lasts a lot longer.) She came with two Webkinz, a clever marketing ploy by the Ganz collectible company. The dolls are a cross between old-fashioned dolls and a Tamagotchi: each stuffed animal comes with an online code that lets you "adopt" and care for the pet online

Hicks reports that the Webkinz craze has taken off, with many retailers saying they can't keep the toys stocked on shelves. I can see why: they're cheap ($10 a pop), and the free Web site is hella-good fun for the wee ones. All of my kids have become addicted to it. Hey, I'd rather have them hanging out here than on that goddamned Postopia - which is to "educational value" what Tammany Hall was to honesty in government.

Strollerderby : webkinz

Are these toys sold out?

They Say – Lots of Toys Are Sold Out – Or Are They? (Part 1)

When Holiday Toys Attack

Half Price Toys at Target

Last Day For Free Holiday Shipping

Indiana Planned Parenthood Sells Gift Certificates

Miss Piggy Wants a Bailout For Christmas

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

They Say – Lots of Toys Are Sold Out – Or Are They?

Are these toys sold out? (Part 2)

When Holiday Toys Attack

Half Price Toys at Target

Last Day For Free Holiday Shipping

Indiana Planned Parenthood Sells Gift Certificates

Miss Piggy Wants a Bailout For Christmas

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

Strollerderby Playdate: Boobies and Blood

Webkinz Shortages? Oh Darn.

Social Networking Sites Target 8-year-olds (Successfully)

My Very First Avatar

Webkinz Crack-Down at English School

Webkinz: The Online Toy That Will Eat Your Child's Brain