How To Find A Hatchimal: Where To Get The Toys That Are Flying Off Shelves This Holiday Season

Hatchimals in 2016 are just the latest example of a toy giving parents headaches. They’re wildly popular and kids all over the globe are hoping they may get one this holiday season. The only problem is that they’re also wildly difficult to get ahold of now.

So where can a parent go to find one of the animatronic birds that hatch out of eggs before the eyes of children?

The answer, unfortunately, may not be what a eager parent is hoping to hear. The toy-du-jour tends to sell out very quickly and has led some parents to line up for hours outside of retailers just to get their hands on one when new shipments are sent out.

If that sounds like a plan, the best course of action would be to call up the nearest retailer that sells the furry little monsters and ask when the next shipment will come in and when might be the best time to start lining up in hopes of getting one of the creatures. Even then, though, it may be difficult.

“The consumer response to Hatchimals has been extraordinary, exceeding all expectations. This is a special season and we don’t want anyone to be disappointed, nor do we support inflated prices from non-authorized resellers,” a note on the company’s website read Tuesday. “While additional product will hit retail shelves in December, 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.”

For those who aren’t interested in camping out for a child’s toy, there are some other options. Enterprising individuals have set up plenty of eBay auctions with the toys for two or three times the market price (depending on the specific auction). Some have buy it now prices that can range between $200 and $500 but others have been priced with relatively reasonable bid prices that aren’t more than 50 percent of the shelf price.