Hatchimals: The hottest toy of the year might be sold out

The Christmas carols have been blasting through store speakers for weeks. The toy displays were out even before Halloween. You may think there’s still tons of time to get all your Christmas shopping done. But if the kid on your list wants this year’s hottest toy, you’re likely already too late. Hatchimals—cute fuzzy interactive stuffies that come encased in an egg—might not be back in stock until early 2017.

This sad statement pops up on the Hatchimals website: “The consumer response to Hatchimals has been extraordinary, exceeding all expectations. Some of our first shipments have already sold out. While additional product will hit retail shelves in November, we anticipate this inventory will also sell out quickly. We have increased production and a whole new batch of Hatchimals will be ready to hatch in early 2017. This is a special season and we don’t want anyone to be disappointed, nor do we support inflated prices from non-authorized resellers. We are working on creative solutions to help kids and their parents withstand the wait. In the interim, some retailers are developing pre-sale and/or rain-check programs for redemption in January. We will continue to update with program details as they become available.”

It looks like this might be something you can’t cross off your kid’s Christmas wish list. But don’t panic, there is a slim chance you can still get one this year (if you try really hard). If not, there are more coming soon! Take the company’s advice and beware of those trying to sell them for a lot more money to make a quick buck—the Canadian price is $80 at toysrus.ca.

For those of you wondering what exactly a Hatchimal is, it’s one of Spin Master’s newest and most popular interactive toys. They’re multi-coloured, speckled eggs that require you to rub them for a period of time in order to hatch them. And you don’t know what type of Hatchimal you’re going to get until it hatches—it could be a Penguala, Burtle, Draggle, Owlicorn or Bearakeet. Watch us hatch our Hatchimal (who we named Gizmo) below:

Hatching it is only half the fun. Afterward, your kid will have a new, interactive pet to raise in three stages: baby, toddler and kid. Your kid can teach their Hatchimal to dance, walk, and even sing “Hatchy Birthday!” Depending on the stage it’s in, it can even repeat what your child says to it.

But don’t despair if you can’t get your hands on one of these creatures. Check out our list of the year’s top toys that includes other nurturing toys, like Furby Connect and FurReal Friends, Torch. You can watch Torch in action here!

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