For as long as there has been Christmas Hype there have been hard to get toys. And, with those toys come parents and grandparents willing to go to crazy lengths to get that toy for their child. Last year is was Dance Star Mickey and Harry Potter Lego Castle. This year new toys promise to go missing and then pop up with over inflated prices on eBay. It's become an American tradition.
Ninja Turtle Super Shredder toy was my most memorable toy hunt. Some of you probably remember getting one or wanting one. He was released sometime around 1985-87. I remember spending hours hunting, calling and searching for this silly $6 dollar toy. I finally was able to snag one after stalking ToysRUs employees, then showing up before the doors opened, racing to dig through a box of newly arrived Turtles to get one of the 4 that came in a case. Keep in mind, the internet did not exists for common folk at this time.
I got caught up in the hype and thought, my kid must prevail and have bragging rights to being the owner of this “prestigious toy“. I got that little rush when I brought my treasure home and carefully hide the sack on the top shelf of the closet. Super Shredder, to this day, still has a home among the dust in my attic.
Now, let me just say we raised our family in a very financially insecure time. In my short 30+ years of marriage, we have been through job loss, near bankruptcy and the heartache of having to give up our dream home due to financial loss. These are the times I learned creative ways to save, avoid spending and the priceless value of having a partner to lean on.
We sacrificed marital time as I went to work nights (not my best idea). Dented cans and refrozen food from the Rainbow Market and out of date bakery items at the Hostess Bake Shop were common dinner table items. I learned to clip those .10¢ coupons with care (no bar code needed).
Looking back on my Super Shredder hunt, I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to give the gift of one of life's most valuable lessons instead. After all, what better gift than to teach a child that we don't always get what we want.
Have you gone to crazy lengths to find a Christmas toy or do you have a memory of toy you got or didn't get as a child? Enjoy the hunt, but know that if you don't prevail you are still giving a treasured gift to the child you love.
Kathy says
November 16, 2011 at 10:07 pmLOL that is hilarious. I have not done that and hope never to do that. Kids don’t have to get everything and they need to know they can’t have everything. I have gone crazy in the past, but this year will be more mellow and I hope to enjoy this Christmas more…well I can hope.
Autumn says
November 16, 2011 at 4:06 pmJust two years ago my daughter saw a commercial for the pink Barbie camper and that was what she really wanted for Christmas. As Christmas approached we finally decided to get it for her (at over $70 it was quite a spendy gift for us!) but supplies had become very limited. I searched online at a ton of Walmarts to find one that had one in stock, sent my husband across town to go it, but it wasn’t on the shelves. I insisted to my husband that the website said it was in stock and that he needed to be persistent. About three employees and an hour later it was finally found in a back stockroom! Well, it has since become a dust collector as well! My daughter only played with it a few times and now it just sits in her room. Oh well, I think every parent goes through that, but it is a good lesson to learn.