Give Me a Break: Elmo Dept. 5
From today’s Local Rag:
Going online, shoppers soon learned that the shortage was made even worse by a raid on retail outlets by speculators who had listed an army of Elmos on eBay.
More than 20,000 T.M.X. Elmos – the initials stand for Tickle Me “Extreme” – were for sale on the Internet auction site at 5:35 p.m. yesterday, according to eBay Marketplace Research, which monitors listing, bidding and pricing on the site. And more than 7,000 Elmos had already been sold, at prices up to $355.
(snip)
“I’ll probably buy one on the Net,” Garrison said, though the major retailers weren’t offering much hope there, either. “I don’t even know what it does. I just know the first Tickle Me Elmo was a big success.”
Who the heck are the parents here?
Of course, I’m the guy who, back in the Power Rangers days, showed up early at the last remaining store in Upper Delaware with Power Rangers costumes to get one for Second Son.
It was the Red Ranger, if I recall correctly. And that Hallowe’en, we had more Power Rangers on our street than Ney has bribes.
But, dammit, I paid list price and not a penny more.
September 22, 2006 at 9:08 am
The parents are the same people that still trade in Beenie Babies.
September 22, 2006 at 6:49 pm
I didn’t realize anyone still traded in Beenie Babies.
But a lot persons lost their shirts in thinking of them as an investment opportunity.
September 22, 2006 at 8:32 pm
I was once caught innocently in the crossfire of a Cabbage Patch Doll riot. I had intended on exiting a department store in Peoria and swung by the toy department just as it hit. One second I was in the Christmas spirit, the next I was praying for my life, surrounded by the kind of people who would probably trade in terrorism futures.
September 24, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Oh, yeah, Cabbage Patch dolls.
I’m glad you got out of there alive.
September 27, 2006 at 4:57 am
It was, indeed, the red ranger. Danny and Johnny Frank were also Jason (his civilian persona), as was Bobby Rosen and, I think, Jason Tatom.
I remember I went to each house a few times. Oh, what a wicked child I made.