9 Toys That Will Sell Out
Major retailers like Target, Kmart, and Toys R Us are all advertising huge sales this season. The bad news is they're also scaling down their inventory from previous years, so they're not stuck with extra stock if shoppers don't show up in droves. Low prices paired with low inventory means must-purchase items are practically guaranteed to sell out, so we've put together a list of gifts you should buy early if you want to get them under the tree in time.
Zhu Zhu Pets
We'll start with the toughest purchase of the lot. Zhu Zhu Pets are the biggest toys of the year, and stores started selling out soon after their debut this summer. Kids fell in love with the motorized hamsters, and got hooked on building customized houses, slides, cars, and roads for them to scoot around on. The hamsters and their accessories were once readily available online, but now, even Toys R Us is tapped out. Not altogether extinct, Zhu Zhu Pets are still available through Amazon.com, but third-party sellers are raising the price tags as much as four times the original.
Read our full review of Zhu Zhu Pets in our Holiday Gift Guide
Battle Strikers
We're reluctant to admit the popularity of this toy took us by surprise. Each tester-family that received the sci-fi theme, spinning-top game reported their kids fell instantly in love with it and played it for hours, if not days. It seems every other grade -chooler in the country reacted the same way as our tester-kids, and the Battle Strikers are already best sellers at major toy stores.
For price, age recommendations, and a full review of The Battle Strikers Tournament Set, visit our Holiday Gift Guide.
Bakugan Maxus Dragonoid and Maxus Helio
The collectible Bakugan game-pieces that were so massively popular last year are just as coveted this year, and at the top of many grandsons' wish lists. The newest, and thus big-selling character in the series is the Maxus Dragonoid; a perfect gift for a grandson in search of a crown jewel for his Bakugan collection. There is also the rarer, and harder-to-find Maxus Helio, which is exclusive to Toys R Us, but currently out of stock on their website. Of course, it's also available at a marked-up price through third-party sellers on Amazon.com and e-Bay.
Read the review of Bakugan Maxus Dragonoid in our Holiday Gift Guide.
Liv Dolls
These dolls have a fashion-conscious and socially active backstory. They're aspirational for girls who have outgrown the fantasy of becoming a fairy-princess, but still young enough to look at life as one big shopping mall filled with flashy clothes, karaoke, and frozen yogurt. Even some of us grown-ups might feel a little envious of the Liv Dolls carefree lifestyle. The line of four dolls is hugely popular with girls 4 to 8 years old, and because the dolls have a slew of wigs, clothes, and fashion accessories, they'll likely elicit some very specific requests from your granddaughters. There are still plenty of dolls available right now, but again, all bets are off the closer we get to the holidays.
Read more about the Liv Dolls in our Holiday Gift Guide review.
Mindflex
Tween-age grandchildren want this game mainly because it's like nothing they've ever seen before. The game actually uses the player's brainwaves to move a ball around its little obstacle course. The price is a bit higher than most this season, and as the supply of Mindflex is all but snatched up, its online price only gets steeper. If you plan on buying into the novelty, we recommend buying in right now.
Read more about the Mindflex here.
Four more toys poised to sell out:
EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles 2.0 and EyeClops Mini Projector
Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire
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