November 8, 2007 | Retail gone wrong
I have never, ever understood the phenomenon of the “hot holiday toy.” That’s partially because my tightwad nature dictates that 90% of my holiday shopping is done by the time the big toy for the year rolls out, and partially because I just don’t feel it’s my parental duty to buy my kids everything for which they beg. (Because, seriously, if I did we’d not only be broke, we’d be living crammed into a house filled with sugary breakfast cereal and farm animals. That just seems like a disastrous combo.)
So last year’s furor over TMX Elmo made me shake my head a little, but the bid for this year’s hot Elmo—TMX eXtra Special Edition Elmo
This new Elmo is packed with hidden silly surprises that can only be discovered when kids play, pose and tickle Elmo in the right sequence!
Wow. That sounds awesome. There is nothing a toddler likes better than having to do something exactly the way someone else tells them to!
And second: $39.99? For a battery-eating stuffed animal? More power to you if you get one, I guess. Also, I have a bridge for sale that we should discuss. I’m willing to sell it to you cheap!
November 8th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
I followed the link, and it is priced at $99.99. I don’t think so. Glad you’re back. Even if it’s just temporarily.
November 8th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
We were sent a TMX last Christmas. Because my then 1-yo and 3 yo didn’t know TMX Elmo from Adam, their response to this gift was no different that to the dozen or so other things they unwrapped. The batteries were dying by December 27th, Elmo was sounded more like a drunk than a Muppet, and I unceremoniously donated him to Goodwill by New Year’s. It’s a really annoying toy. Can’t believe they’ve upped the ante and that the consumers are probably going to respond in kind.
November 8th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Hey, maybe next year they’ll roll out Elmo Triple XXX - Tickle Me, Spank Me, Tie Me Up Elmo.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I’d like to go on record as hating Elmo and his stupid whiny voice. Why doesn’t the Count have his own line of disturbing toys? I like the Count.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
The Count was totally my favorite character when I was growing up!
You can count me in (oh, the terrible puns) the group that hates both “hot” holiday toys and all the incarnations of this ridiculous Elmo toy.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Laura’s naughty.
November 9th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Okay, I’ve always loved Elmo, and I even have a couple of them, but I just followed the link and $97.98 is the current price. I don’t think so…
November 9th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
LAURA! OMG! Made me laugh so hard!
I think this whole concept is HORRIBLE… but then again, I did receive a cabbage patch doll from my parents when THAT was the must have toy of the season!
November 9th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Wow! I am so happy I can get back into WantNot again! My kids are grown now, but I’ve never gotten them the “in” toy. They were young in my pre-internet days, when getting the in toy meant stalking the stores, waiting in long lines, and risking potential riots. And we had to walk 20 miles to school, barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways.
Anyway, my then officemate did get his daughter whatever the in toy was when the Cabbage Patch Dolls were The Thing To Get. He came into the office very relieved because he had been able to score one for $100. “$100!” I exclaimed. “But the stores are selling them for $30″.
“Uh, mine came from the back of a truck”
“You bought your daughter a hot Cabbage Patch Doll for Christmas?!”
Laura — you owe me a new keyboard. I was drinking tea when I read your contribution.
November 9th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I think you mean you have a house for sale, not a bridge, ;o)
November 10th, 2007 at 9:50 am
I remember the kids’ Furbies. They were a psuedo-hot toy, and we actually enjoyed them.
November 15th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Oh. my. goodness. I just saw a commercial for this and they had blurred out parts of Elmo’s body to keep the “secret” of the clues or whatever. Am I the only one to find that disturbing? Like, you tickle this creature and follow his “clues” but the “clues” you follow can’t be seen on TV–maybe for reasons that other things are blurred out on TV? *chuckles* When the first “tickle-me-Elmo” came out, I was in high school and had a bunch of male friends—need I say more? *laughs*