Really? A fist-fight?

[Tama]

Over what, you may ask?

Like I've said before, I now work at the Bullseye unloading boxes and whatnot. Our schedule was shifted back 2 hours because of the holidays so when 8 am (store open) rolled around I got to watch a couple people run to the back of the store where electronics is.

Nintendo, I wondered?

Nope.

Hatchimals. From what I was told about the small crowd at the back, there was almost a fist-fight over the lack of Hatchimals.

I just don't get it. Go online and buy one from the scalpers if you're that desperate--it's cheaper than being arrested for public brawling!

[Slave to the Phone]

I had to look them up. Holy cow! Its cute and all but at least a hundred bucks each? I don't love any of my great nieces or nephews that much. Come to think of it, I never loved the original ones enough to go stand in line to pay that much money for a toy they will play with for a month and then forget about.

Every year, we hear about the hot toys causing this sort of drama, I really don't understand the mindset.

[notalwaysright]

I never wanted any hyped up toy like this as I kid. It's a good thing, too, because my parents wouldn't have killed themselves search for it. I remember wanting flannel sheets, or CDs or books. Pretty much the same as today, except the music would be electronic.

I once almost saw a fight at a Costco over hotdogs. Two people bought hotdogs at two different registers. It was busy and they had wait a minute while new dogs were heated. Then when some where ready both guys went and tried to grab them. The cashier took both their receipts and found they had bought them at the exact same time. They were seriously yelling about these hotdogs until one guy bowed out.

[cindybubbles]

Unfortunately, hordes of people acting like animals appears to be music to the ears of corporate, since 1,000s of people = $1,000,000s in sales.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

One thing I don't miss about retail: hot toys. Although the swamp never was the go-to destination for those.

[Ree]

OMG!!!
We had some and now we are sold out and can't get more. (Probably only had a couple to start in the first place because of the price point on them.)
We had no idea they were going to be THE toy of 2016.
I swear toymakers do that on purpose to drive up the price.
They put out a toy, then create hype, or heavily advertise it so every kid thinks they want it, and then they under-produce so nobody can get them.

[Pixelated]

Had to Google the damn things as I've never heard of them before this. Yes, they are cute, and yes, they hatch if the kids play with 'em ... and then it hatches ... and a week later it's collecting dust under the bed.

I don't understand the logic of these "kill-for" toys either. Yes, I had Barbie dolls as a child, but my mother didn't have to fight her way through a mob to get me the dolls OR their clothes. Which is good, as she wouldn't have done it.

Among my nine-year-old nephew's requests last Christmas were ... math workbooks.

Ye gods, and I used to think clothing wasn't a real gift!!

[Shotgun Chuck]

Among my nine-year-old nephew's requests last Christmas were ... math workbooks.

Kid's got a future, if nothing else...

[AccountingDrone]

Kid's got a future, if nothing else...

My favorite present when I was 8 was Portraits of Nobel Laureates in Medicine and Physiology ... <shrug> I got no problem with math books, I had a copy of Flatland: A Romance of Many Directions as well.

I had *issues* with math, I was an army brat and sort of bounced between schools. I went to one school in 3d grade, and a different one in 4th grade. In my old school in 3d grade I learned addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. IN the new school in 3d grade they also learned fractions and decimals.... so at the beginning of 4th grade in a brand new school they did what schools normally did, a one month long recap of what you learned the previous year. I did fine with +/-/x and division ... when it came to fractions and decimals I was clueless, so I sat there and waited to ask questions. The damned teacher assumed I learned everything the other students did and first treated me like I was deliberately not doing the work, then she sent me to the principals office for punishment. It took the principal all of about 5 minutes of asking a terrified and crying 9 year old kid what the problem was. After that, Mrs Blank the asshole teacher treated me like I was an idiot and effectively refused to work with me. SO I went from a kid that could do math to one that was terrified of math - to the point that when 10th grade rolled around I managed to avoid adding any math classes [like geometry...] and 11th grade rolled around and I avoided taking Algebra/Trig ... yet I managed to take Advanced placement biology, advanced placement chemistry and in my senior year I took geometry, algebra trig AND physics ... all it took was a chem teacher [who was actually degreed in physics and only teaching chem because he needed a job ... ] who understood I was terrified of math, why I was terrified of math and willing to work with me. I lucked out and Jerry decided to tutor me first period of the day instead of letting me sit there in his 'study hall' doing nothing. So 5 days a week, I had a custom tutor and I managed to pass with good enough grades to get a Bausch & Lomb science and math scholarship. [it sort of helped that my tested IQ in 9th grade was 165 .... and I happened to love studying random stuff instead of sitting around talking about Dallas or some other silly TV show]

[ladydyani]

Back when Furby was the BIG THING I stood in line for 45 minutes to get one for my daughter. Christmas morning she opened it up and was excited as hell. She was freaking 3 years old, she didn't need that satan machine.

Anyway, after we opened presents that morning she was carrying her Furby everywhere around the house and showing the furry devil where we slept and were vulnerable. "Dis the bedroom, dis the kitchen, dis the bafroom..."

I was in the kitchen washing dishes and I heard "Now go potty!" and a splash. She threw the demon doll in the toilet.

After 5 days in a bowl of rice we were ready to to test Furby. He still worked, although occasionally he would let out random screeching as the demons inside him tried to escape.

Five years later I was cleaning out my daughters toybox, donating stuff she never used or outgrew. I found the Furby. When I picked it up it whirred, then the satan doll opened it's eyes and said "Kah may-may u-nye!"

I am not ashamed to say I screamed.

[eltf177]

I got no problem with math books, I had a copy of Flatland: A Romance of Many Directions as well.

Loved the book, loved the movie! I still have my copy of the book but cannot find a copy of the movie for my own...

[Lovecats]

I remember when Cabbage Patch Dolls were the thing. That Christmas my girls got handmade ones from their Aunt and me. They did get the actual dolls later when people weren't so crazy.
I am so, so, so glad that I'm not working at Bullseye anymore (retired in 2014). Don't miss Black Friday or the Christmas madness.

[Akasa]

Hahahahaha!

I have a Furby story. We had a few friends over to watch some movies and a couple brought their Furby's. Those fuckers would not shut up! So we put them under a pillow.

A couple minutes go by and we hear:

"Paaaarty?"
"Paarty!"

Another couple minutes pass:

"Boring!"

We died laughing!

[Food Lady]

ladydyani, The phrases that get me are satan machine, showing the furry devil where we slept and were vulnerable, demon doll, and screeching as the demons inside him tried to escape. That's how I feel about Furby.

[Cai1987]

Loved the book, loved the movie!

OMG there's a movie? I need to see that. Flatland was one of my favorites as a teenager.