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Christmas

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Original poster

Sold out / impossible to buy toy trends over the years.

106 replies

lunaalice · 21/08/2023 13:51

I'm just trying to to think back.

I know recently it was PS5, Gaby's Doll House, the Guinea Pig.

When my kids were young it was Furby's and Fingerlings.

When I grew up 80/90s I can only remember my dad driving around trying to find me and my siblings a Tamagotchi.

OP posts:
DuckBushCityLimit · 21/08/2023 18:44

Merapi · 21/08/2023 18:40

I seem to remember a huge craze (not children but adults) for Beanie Babies a few years ago - in the late 1990's I think. What was that all about?

There's just been a movie released about it!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beanie_Bubble

The Beanie Bubble - Wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beanie_Bubble

Snugglemonkey · 21/08/2023 21:14

Needmorelego · 21/08/2023 17:19

@Snugglemonkey because we had people returning toys on Boxing Day for refunds because it wasn’t suitable for the child (ie Robot Dogs aimed at 14+ bought for 5 year olds), toys that you needed extra parts to really be able to play with it (and they didn’t buy extra parts), toys that they couldn’t actually use because you needed a lot of space and they didn’t have the space. And many other reasons.

At least the child is learning through that. If so.ething is age appropriate, I buy it.

Needmorelego · 21/08/2023 21:58

@Snugglemonkey well that’s your choice and your money. If you can afford that risk then that’s your choice.
I just know from my experiences there were a lot of disappointed children who discovered the colourful and shiny things they saw advertised weren’t really that great or were too complicated. Parents really need to know what they are buying, what the toy actually does, is it suitable, will you need to buy more ad ons etc.
If you (as a parent) don’t know these things you really should find out what it is before buying. However as you said if it’s age appropriate you buy it then you obviously are doing a bit of research first - so that’s sensible.
It’s amazing how many parents seemed to not do that.

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 21/08/2023 22:04

thebestsellingshow · 21/08/2023 14:21

I remember driving around trying to track down a singing and dancing Iggle Piggle for DD around 15 years ago! I got the last one in town!

I'd bought DS one of those for his birthday. Then by Christmas they were sold out everywhere. One of the school mums offered me more than we'd paid for it on the basis I could replace it after Christmas and he little darling would have what he wanted.
It didn't seem to occur to her that my little darling would be heartbroken to suddenly not have his favourite toy and want old enough to understand that he'd get a new one!

LadyGaGasPokerFace · 21/08/2023 22:08

@LittleGreenDuck we were in France and dh bought dd the Hatchimal that was sold out in the Uk. There were loads in this toy shop in Toulouse. It hatched Christmas Day never to be seen again. Crappy gimmick toy 🤦🏽‍♀️

PandaG · 21/08/2023 22:23

Late 1970's - Speak and Spell. Our family owned a toyshop, and my sister desperately wanted one. Our shop had sold out so Dad eventually bought one from a contact in the business. It was unheard if for us to get toys from im elsewhere.

When i was older and working in the shop part time... Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, My Little Pony, yes Cabbage Patch, Transformers...
Various consoles - Gameboy, SNES, later still Wii. I used to come hone from uni one day and be back behind a till the next day, I loved making suggestions to grandparents for Christmas presents!

flosset · 21/08/2023 22:31

I remember in late 90s/early 00s the Teletubby teddies were hard to get

Recently I remember trying to get a hatchimal for my niece. Nightmare

Floopyfloop · 21/08/2023 22:32

Tickle me Elmo
Our generation doll items

AlfietheSchnauzer · 21/08/2023 22:37

Eileen101 · 21/08/2023 18:25

I remember my gu-mam trying to find my cousin a Tracey Island. I think it was Thunderbirds....

What the bejesus is a gu-mam?

Floopyfloop · 21/08/2023 22:38

I remember buying an entire deluxe Elsa costume plus the wig and crown before the movie even dropped based on how pretty the outfit was.
Every kids party we went to for months after, I had people asking what wizardry I had performed to get the outfit!

AlfietheSchnauzer · 21/08/2023 22:40

The last thing I remember was the Barbie Day to Night Dreamhouse about 2/3 years ago. Managed to get one from Bargainmax and thank god I did as my DD had already asked Santa for it!

She still adores it even now so it was well worth the £229.99!

OliviaFlaversham · 22/08/2023 01:24

A few years ago there was a dancing monkey robot thing for babies/young toddlers which I searched everywhere for but was sold out. It is so odd how I cannot remember it well at all now, yet at the time was so ‘important’.

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 22/08/2023 09:28

@Snugglemonkey you've been thoroughly told.

Needmorelego · 22/08/2023 10:30

@FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee well when you see this “must have” nonsense from the other side for many many years you realise how ridiculous many parents are. Considering mumsnet is so “anti tat” I am surprised parents are happy to buy any old thing their children ask for.
The amount of parents who were surprised to discover Beyblades are spinning tops was hilarious.

WellDuh · 22/08/2023 10:37

TheBucktoothedGirlFromLuxembourg · 21/08/2023 14:02

Pink Nintendo DS consoles around 2007/08. All the mums of the girls in DD2's ballet class were scouring the shops for them.

Yes! My DD wanted one. All sold out from august time. Then suddenly 10 days before Christmas Argos had them in at a good price. Had no problem getting a black one for DS though. They still have them somewhere!

riotlady · 22/08/2023 19:52

I think my parents had a struggle getting an Amazing Ally when I was a kid- hideous talking robot doll. And then it didn’t work properly and my mum spent half of Boxing Day on the phone to customer services!

WheresTheRemoteControl · 22/08/2023 21:49

Tickle me elmo
A v tech discovery dome thing
And another And i cant remember what it was.
Searched everywhere for them for weeks. So thought sod it. Ill get for dc birthday in feb instead.

Walked in mothercare on 23rd dec and there were stacks and 3 for 2,

ITSSSSCHRISTMASSS · 22/08/2023 21:54

salmonlla · 21/08/2023 14:05

Quiet recently maybe 2/4 years ago? It was the LOL surprise dolls? I think it was a big egg shaped thing with mini dolls inside- I worked at Asda and remember the chaos when we got one or two in stock.

The big gold one. I was one of those parents, ringing round and visiting most shops daily to get 2. I swore never again would I hunt for the must have toy like that again.

Room4onemore · 23/08/2023 00:12

teletubbies, I remember going with my mom at 4am to queue up outside mothercare to get the teletubbies for my little brother and sister lol

JusthereforXmas · 23/08/2023 18:16

As a child we couldn't get a Furby anywhere that year, I got my xmas furby 2 weeks later. I think it was the only thing I ever specifically asked for and I instantly HATED it when I got it. I had gotten an Oogli in its place for xmas day and loved that instead lol.

Also I remember my mam going all over the county to get my brother a Tracy island. My DH parents did the blue peter and made a Tracy island because the couldnt get one (strange thing is there 14 year age gap between DB & DH yet it somehow hit both of them). I think she might have struggled with Telletubbies too.

And the Angry Bird years, I had people trying to swipe them out of my arms in shops.

My mam searched high and low to get a PS5 last year because she insisted we needed one.

I remember other kids going crazy for a specific yoyo when I was a kid, something about ball barrings?

Other than that I have seen insanity online surrounding:

  • Lol dolls
  • Fingerlings
  • Hatchmals
  • Prime
  • Charlie Bear (I seem to remember a friend desperately looking)
  • Magic Mixies (was that one?)
  • Doggie Doo (I remember my young cousin desperate for one)

Not sell outs but sometimes its a pain in the ass when what your kids are into doesn't have merch. Like my kids are crazy on Zig & Shark at the moment but they don't seem to do any merch yet.

gogomoto · 23/08/2023 18:22

There's usually something each year, I never got the "in" toy when I was a kid though and mine never even asked

Paul2023 · 23/08/2023 18:25

There was a massive craze in the early 90s in the UK for Teenage mutant hero turtles toys. I remember my parents looking around for them.
And Christmas 96 was Buzz Lightyear

Siddalee · 23/08/2023 18:44

JusthereforXmas · 23/08/2023 18:16

As a child we couldn't get a Furby anywhere that year, I got my xmas furby 2 weeks later. I think it was the only thing I ever specifically asked for and I instantly HATED it when I got it. I had gotten an Oogli in its place for xmas day and loved that instead lol.

Also I remember my mam going all over the county to get my brother a Tracy island. My DH parents did the blue peter and made a Tracy island because the couldnt get one (strange thing is there 14 year age gap between DB & DH yet it somehow hit both of them). I think she might have struggled with Telletubbies too.

And the Angry Bird years, I had people trying to swipe them out of my arms in shops.

My mam searched high and low to get a PS5 last year because she insisted we needed one.

I remember other kids going crazy for a specific yoyo when I was a kid, something about ball barrings?

Other than that I have seen insanity online surrounding:

  • Lol dolls
  • Fingerlings
  • Hatchmals
  • Prime
  • Charlie Bear (I seem to remember a friend desperately looking)
  • Magic Mixies (was that one?)
  • Doggie Doo (I remember my young cousin desperate for one)

Not sell outs but sometimes its a pain in the ass when what your kids are into doesn't have merch. Like my kids are crazy on Zig & Shark at the moment but they don't seem to do any merch yet.

The probable reason both your DB and DH parent's were "subject" to the Tracy Island hunt was that is happened twice

Once in the early '90s and then again in 2000. I remember because in 2000 they'd just relaunched Thunderbirds and my 5 year old was an avid watcher. I remembered what had happened back in the 90's and Anthea Turner's DIY version. So, even though he hadn't mentioned wanting Tracy Island- I bought it in September.

I remember that I had an unexpected* day off work and so went shopping without the kids. I went into Argos to see if they had any in and got the last one. I don't think they got anymore in stock after that. When Christmas got closer, it was the only thing on my son's list- was I relieved I'd got it already stashed in the wardrobe!

*I'm pretty sure it was 2000 because there was a blockade of petrol refineries in protest of the high price of fuel. All the garages ran dry at the beginning of the week, I was working in a school and my head closed the school on the Friday as lots of staff told her they had no fuel and couldn't get into work. 🙄 So, I had two lucky breaks that week

TheGirlWhoLived · 23/08/2023 18:47

The Elsa was my first foray into hard-to-find items. After then I got wiser but still struggled until the nth hour with a hatchimal. I’ve been an early adopter since then with lol’s and a surprise Guinea pig

SadBut · 23/08/2023 18:54

My DM being unable to get the Star Wars AT-AT for my brother has left an indelible memory
1979/ 80 ish