| Issue #36, December 1, 2006 |
These Gifts Are Going, Going...
Lest we forget the Tickle Me Elmo incident of 1999, early ordering of the hottest items on your holiday shopping list is more than just a good idea, it’s a safety precaution. To protect yourself against hypothermia from camping outside mall doors, bruises given by the elbows of fellow shoppers, and, worst of all, a broken heart brought on by watching the lady in front of you buy the very last gotta-have-it item. Place orders online or hit the stores for all those gift items that are in high demand this year, especially children’s toys and electronics. Sony’s video game player, the Playstation3, is in such high demand for this Christmas that it has already sold out. The PS3 was released on November 17, and by November 18, Matt Lavitan, a public relations manager for Sony, announced that a second shipment was to arrive the following week. People are so eager to get their hands on the PS3s that shipments are being sent directly from the manufactureers in Japan and China to retailers, instead of stopping at the warehouses first. The XBox 360 is another video game system that has already sold out this season. Keep an eye out for the new re-release date, planned for sometime before Christmas.
Though they have not sold out yet, this year’s favorite little kids’ toys are almost as high-tech. In fact, the popular Vtech V.Smile TV Learning System masquerades as a video game while teaching young children basic reading and math skills. Even this year’s most coveted Barbie is technologically sophisticated, relatively speaking. The Let’s Dance Princess Genevieve Barbie doll uses animatronic capabilities to demonstrate three different dance moves. For an extra eight dollars, you can also get her animatronic horse and carriage. Inspired by the DVD movie Barbie in the Twelve Dancing Princesses, this dancing, clopping duo is sure to be on many little girls’ wish lists.
Another automated mover for this Christmas is Elmo. He’s back and he still wants to be tickled. TMX Elmo (the Roman numeral X commemorates his 10th anniversary) slaps his knee, falls to the ground in laughter, and eventually turns off when the tickling gets to be too much.
While Elmo might rank second or third on the list, the number one spot is usually reserved for a pony (or the more conservative puppy). Now, both can wait under the tree in neatly wrapped boxes, no breathing holes required. Continuing in the animatronic theme of this Christmas, the Nintendog Trainable puppy and the My Furreal Friends Pony are convenient answers to extravagant wishes. The Nintendog, based on the popular videogame, comes in six different breeds and does an assortment of puppy tricks. The pony is large enough for a small child to ride and makes clopping noises as it lifts three of its four feet up and down. Even at $299.99, it is much cheaper, and neater, than a real pony.
Every little girl may want a pony, but adults have other things on their Christmas lists. Although books do not tend to sell out, it is still a good idea to order them now (if you shop online), as shipping rates go up as Christmas approaches. Sweaters and scarves do not disappear off of shelves entirely, but popular sizes and favorite colors often do. Shop for clothing items now to avoid getting stuck with the XXS sweater in olive and fuchsia.
To avoid getting stuck with seats in the last row of a Tuesday morning performance, buy concert and show tickets, whether as a gift or a holiday activity, right away. In particular, seats for the traditional favorites, such as Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular, are sure to fill up fast. Popular restaurants will also get booked solid as the holidays approach, so make Christmas-time or New Year’s Eve reservations soon. If you will be eating in with friends or family, place orders for cakes, pies, goose, turkey, and rolls with butcher shops and bakeries now, as many will not accept orders after a certain date. As long as you don’t forget cookies for Santa, you should be all set. Although, those you should probably wait to buy.
– Renée Donlon
 |
