Crazy Christmas Toy Hysteria
Nothing celebrates the spirit of Christmas like rampant commercialism. And we’re not talking about everyday commercialism, let’s go out and buy chocolates for mom. No. What we’re talking about is those crazy toys and gadgets that pop up from time to time that somehow grab people by the lapels and scream “You MUST buy this item as a Christmas present!”
Every year around Christmas time, there are a few products that are considered big sellers. These items are in demand as holiday gifts, so stores can expect to move stock with ease. Most of the time, these items don’t cause a lot of panic and hysteria and a general disregard for what the season is all about. However, there have been several items in the last few decades that make shoppers go crazy with the idea that they simply HAVE to buy it right now. The result is that these items sell out almost immediately after being placed on the shelves, general pandemonium and incredible lack of common sense as people offer exorbitant prices to anyone lucky enough to pick up an item while it was still on sale. the market. shelving. Here’s a look at some of the goods that have caused some Christmas panic.
Star Wars Action Figures (1977): The popularity of the Star Wars movie took everyone by surprise, and the toy marketing business was no exception. Until that time, film product lines were intended to include some playing cards and maybe some board games. Manufacturer Kenner purchased the rights to develop products for the Star Wars line and created a base set of four action figures (Luke, Chewie, Princess Leia, and R2D2). At Christmas, these figures had not yet been created, so parents would buy their children a cardboard box with representations of the characters included. The box contained a promissory note stating that real toys were on the way and the concept sold thousands of toys.
Cabbage Patch Kids (1983): Cabbage Patch dolls took the crazy holiday toy season to a whole new level. Huge heads, an adoption certificate, the designer’s signature on the butt, who wouldn’t want one of these amazing toys? Parents waited for hours in lines to obtain some of these dolls, especially the ones that were considered rare.
Game Boy (1989) – Building on the success of its game consoles in the mid-1980s, Nintendo Game Systems introduced the Game Boy handheld unit in 1989. The units were sold with the Tetris game, which had wide appeal to children and Adults. I like it. Additionally, the Game Boy unit could be played by up to four players at a time. The toy was highly sought after by parents who wanted to distract their children during long car rides and by people with mind-numbing cubicle jobs.
Tickle Me Elmo (1996): The lavish portrayal of the annoying little red monster from Sesame Street dates back to 1996. The toy giggled when squeezed, and if squeezed three times in a row, it would begin to shake and laugh hysterically. Manufacturers did not anticipate the toy’s incredible popularity, and it quickly sold out whenever new shipments became available, often leading to fights between parents in the store. There were reports of injuries and many newspapers claimed that people were reselling the dolls at highly inflated prices (this was in the days before E-Bay).
PlayStation 3 (2006): The third iteration of PlayStation’s popularity is apparent to anyone with any sort of connection to the outside world in the days leading up to Christmas 2006. The console’s developers have evidently taken advantage of the demand that low supply creates, and the limited number of systems shipped to North America sold out within hours, again causing mass hysteria and sometimes violence. Prices on eBay show that this console can sell for twice the price, with various deals on PS3 units priced at $760.
Although there are certain toys that sell better than anything else every year, the items that really create hype must have a combination of desire by the public, as well as limited quantities available. It seems as if, while most of the occurrences of limited quantity items have been unintentional, in 2006 Sony has at least taken notice of the game and created a hysteria of its own.