If your kids' wishlist for Christmas includes a Hatchimal, you may be out of luck if you're looking to get it from your local Target or Walmart.
According to reports, the interactive toys have sold out in most branches of the major retailers and even some online sellers. The toy — which was recently released in time for the holidays — is an interactive pet that hatches straight from an egg so a child's "parenting" process starts even before the little critters come out of their literal shell, Brostrick reported.
Children have to encourage the Hatchimals to come out by interacting with the egg, singing to it, touching it, and talking to it until it feels like its time to come out. When it does, it also goes through three stages of life, from babyhood to toddler to childhood and before it enters the next stage, it sings Hatchy Birthday.
The cute critters are such a hit that parents are now scrambling to get one for their kids the best way they can. But with the item sold out in major retailers, there are reports that they are still available at some Toys R' Us branches. Amazon also offers the toys at a reasonable price while K-Mart is also an authorized distributor of the product.
There are also bidding wars starting over on eBay where the toys — which normally sell for a range of $50-$60 — are commanding prices ranging from $100 to $1000.
On Facebook Marketplace, prices are pegged from $100-$200.
"For the last four years, there has been nothing comparable to the instant sales success within weeks of launch as Hatchimals. The closest comparable new launch of a property would be Disney Frozen in 2013, which had a movie tie-in. Hatchimals is off to an even stronger start than Disney Frozen. This could be the 'Tickle Me Elmo' of 2016," Juli Lennett, U.S. toys industry analyst at The NPD Group, said in an interview with CNBC.
The toys come in five variants: Pengualas, Draggles, Owlicorns, Burtles, and Bearakeets.
