christmas toys

As always, hot toys for Christmas this year are going to be in short supply on the run up to the 25th.  It doesn't matter what it is, if it's advertised on TV your kids are going to want it! Today's children can be very determined and very insistent, and it is very difficult for some parents to say no.

Remember the 1996 movie, "Jingle All The Way" - where Arnie had to get his kid a hot toy?  That could be you! What is the best way to meet the little darlings' demands and keep them happy after Santa Claus has left?

You have three options: Search the stores hunting down this year's hot toy for Christmas, try mail order catalogs, or buy online. Here are some of the pros and cons of each:

Searching the Stores for Hot Toys for Christmas

Be quick! That's the best advice you can get. A really popular toy will be in a particular store for only a short period of time after receiving delivery of its stock. As the days march on to Christmas Day your chance of keeping your son or daughter (or both) happy will reduce in reverse proportion to the size of the crowds seeking the same toy as you are.

Christmas is on a Sunday this year, so you may have even less time than usual. If everybody's 5 year-olds are clamoring for Lego Walkie-Talkies what are your chances of getting one of the few in stock when there is a long line waiting for them? Lining up - that's a laugh! When it comes close to the Big Day, lines are forgotten and it’s a mad scramble - the biggest and fittest gets the prize!

You know what it's like, so do you really want to search the stores of the hot toys for Christmas 2011?  Imagine traveling from one mall to another - not just one store to another, but entire malls because all these hot toys are sold out. What comes first - your sanity and your health or your child's dream toy? Don't even try to answer that! The answer is obvious!

Mail Order Catalogs

Mail order catalogs are OK for toys, but not all will offer the really hot toys for Christmas, and instead offer their stock range of children's toys. Those that do are liable to sell out pretty fast, and in any case you don’t always get the best deal from a catalog, particularly those that pay commission to those that run them.

There is only one other alternative if you don't want tears on Christmas morning, followed rapidly by accusations of being deprived! I know, kids can be cruel when it comes to comparing the Christmas toys they got.

Buying Hot Toys for Christmas Online

Most people can use a computer these days, and it's not rocket science to click to an online toy store. In fact, in many cases you don't have to visit the entire store because there are websites online right now that focus on the hot toys for Christmas 2011, and at very good prices.

Not just that but they rarely run out of stock because these website have links to a number of potential suppliers. Not the stores you would use, but others that supply stock to online distributors. They have less overhead expense - in fact, likely none other than their website, and can therefore offer the hot toys at a lower price than you are liable to get in a shopping mall.

Here are some of the advantages of going online to seek out these toys that your kids are screaming for this year, and will be screaming even louder if they don't get them:

  • Save Frustration: you have no need to wait in long lines, waiting for hours and then find the last Dune Racer has just been taken.
  • Save Time:  You don't have to travel from store to store or mall to mall until you eventually find, or don't find, the toy you are looking for.
  • Comfort and Convenience: You can sit in your own home and choose the toy you want. You will learn immediately if it is in stock or not, and if not you can go onto to the next website. You can also check out some potential alternatives easily should your desired hot toy for Christmas run out completely, as has happened often in the past.
  • Lower Price:  Some stores raise their prices during the Holidays, but even if they don't you are still likely to get a better price online. Fewer overhead, staff and other costs that brick and mortar stores have to meet.
  • Easy Payment and Delivery:  See what you want, pay with a credit or debit card and arrange delivery - all from your sofa. Delivery can be made to a relative or neighbor by arrangement, so your kids don't see their fabulous Christmas present until Christmas morning.

So which would you prefer:  hunting down the hot Christmas toys for 2011 by spending hours searching the stores and fighting through the crowds, or sitting on your sofa in front of a warm fire making your choices, ordering, paying and arranging delivery? It's a no brainer!