Toy trek: To go where all moms have gone before

In October, Toys R Us sent out a glossy circular titled “The One and Only Big Toy Book … your ultimate holiday wish list.” After a few pages of coupons, the good stuff. Listed as having a “hot price:” TMX Elmo, this season’s most sought-after toy. The “hot” price wasn’t listed in the circular, but a limit was: “while supplies last, limit 2 per customer.” Having searched high and low for TMX Elmo for her two-year-old son for Christmas, Byram Township’s Jeannie Brown raced to her computer and typed in item number 515040. The search asked her if she meant “515048.” No, she’d typed the correct number. Next, she typed in “TMX Elmo.” Nothing. Finally, she typed in, simply, “Elmo.” Sure enough, Elmo popped up in many forms but no TMX Elmo. He was already sold out. Brown’s search had begun a month-and-a-half earlier when she read an article listing this year’s hottest Christmas Toys. TMX Elmo capped the list, but he was out of stock at both Wal-Mart’s and Target’s on-line stores. Brown’s next plan was to elicit the assistance of one of her friends who is notorious for being able to track down just about anything. Track Elmo down, she did, but at $175 in a classified ad, more than quadruple his $39.99 list price. Two weeks ago, TMX Elmo was going for hundreds on eBay and other internet sites. By last Friday, the “buy-it-now” price had dropped to around $75, still nearly twice the sticker price. It wasn’t just Elmo. Parents and “big kids” alike went after Sony’s PlayStation 3 last Friday. Die-hards had no problem forking over $500 or more for the coveted console. Problems in production resulted in a shortage which led to some people camping out for days. At some stores, the crowds stormed shelves.At the Franklin Wal-Mart, an employee in the Electronics department had to remain anonymous “due to company policy,” but said the store had four PS3 units, and they sold in five minutes on the first day they were available. “Since then, we’ve been getting a few every couple of days,” he, adding that they are sold as soon as they arrive. In Franklin there were no stampedes. “People did camp out, but they were civil about getting in for their games.“ Sony had promised only 400,000 systems for the nationwide launch, so the chance of disappointment was high. Some line-waiters got not one, but several PS3, to resell. As early as a few hours after PS3 went on sale, it was going for several thousand dollars on the internet. By last Friday, the “buy it now” prices on eBay for PS3’s ranged from around $1,000 to nearly $2,000. Whether it’s TMX Elmo or another of the hot toys this season, it seems that every shopper has her own strategy. When it comes to getting the gifts she wants, Jackie Kaufman of Newton leaps into action every Black Friday with a systematic plan. Since she works in Nutley, the stores are en-route to work, so each year, she leaves the house at the crack of dawn to be there when they open with ear-marked circulars in hand to make sure she gets everything at the advertised price. This year, she hit Macy’s and Modells and said she was “very impressed with the sales man at Modells” when he let her use the discount on gift cards a day early. “He saw that I had everything researched and circled in my flier, so he let me do it a day early.” Some blame the media, others blame the manufacturers for making too few of the “hot” toys and games available. One mother of two boys from Hampton said, “The kids are so advanced today and the media hype just plays into that. They know what they want; it’s just really important, now more than ever, for parents to set limits.” Teri Shreiber of Budd Lake makes a reverse commute to shop. Instead of hitting the International Trade Zone or Rockaway Mall near her home, she said she’s “looking forward to coming to Newton” to shop. She’s hoping to find a few things for her grade-school kids, adding, “I can’t wait to go to Vivian’s on Spring Street for my mom and best friend. It’s not like a mall store. She has really unique stuff.” Layton’s Jennifer Spinks does a lot of her shopping here in Sussex County. Her son loves cycling, so “of course Matt’s favorite place for gifts is Sussex Bike Shop,” she said, “Jason [the owner] has lots of great bike-related gifts, especially the cute little kids’ bikes.” Spinks’ other son, Peter, loves gifts from Stokes Sport Shop on Route 206 on Kittatinny Lake. “They have lots of gifts for someone who is an avid fisherman or hunter, and the owner, Dean, can also order in anything you need that he doesn’t have in his store,” she said. No matter how they do it, area parents are doing their best to keep their kids happy. Jeannie Brown did finally find a TMX Elmo through the Internet for a very reasonable price. Fortunately, just before she completed the order, she read the fine print and discovered it was TMX Elmo, but the Spanish-speaking version. Back to the drawing board. Most likely, as with what happened the year of the Cabbage Patch Doll rush, TMX Elmo will be readily available at his $39.99 price in a few months. As for this Christmas, if baby Brown is to get a TMX Elmo, it’ll have to come from Santa Claus.