the 'it' toy
Every year toy manufacturers strive to have the 'it' toy. That's the one that, the day after Thanksgiving, people come to blows over. It's the one where demand far exceeds supply and radio stations are auctioning off their coveted one or two, valued at about 15 dollars, for hundreds, for charity (which in itself is a pretty cool thing). It's what every parent wants for his or her child.
I remember snickering, when the youngster was about 2 or 3 and seeing the news reports on the 'Tickle Me Elmo' doll. It was the subject of brawls and radio auctions. People went nuts tring to get one of these things and to most of their chagrin on Christmas morning, the kids were thoroughly unimpressed. Something else Santa brought always seemed to be more interesting.
Then came the year of the Furby. The hype started way before Thanksgiving, how this thing was so cool, because it learned from it's owner, and had it's own laungage, and was the dawning of artificial intelligence in toys and of course, supplies would be limited. I watched with growing interest. If this thing is everything they say it is, it really is so cool. Then came Thanksgiving and the huge daily paper with all the sale crap in it. I paged through before the football games started while slow cooking the turkey on the grill.
There it was. It gripped me instantly. It sucked the rationality from my mind and turned me into one of those people I was laughing at a scant year before. Some toy store in the mall had 50 Furbys, and they were going to open at 6:00 a.m. Right then and there I decided, I'm going to be there! I will be one of the lucky 50 scoring a Furby. Santa is going to absolutely rock! The youngster will wake up Christmas morning, one of the few, the lucky, the Furby owners.
I set the alarm for something insane. 3:30 comes to mind. When it went off, I dragged my ass out of bed thinking, only for him would I do this. I got dressed and headed for the mall, and an education. I got there to see that I was, of all things, late. Real late, and it wasn't even 4 o'clock yet. The people were streaming in and the line was...well, longer than 50 people. Everyone was clutching pieces of paper representing their place in line. This was a whole shopping culture I never knew existed, yet here it was. I just stood there thinking, who are you people, yet realizing I was there...one of them. I quickly figured out I wasn't even close to one of the first 50, so I started trying to remember....OK, John, you're up at 4 in the morning and this ain't the only Furby resource in town. Think guy, what other sales papers did you see yesterday and how close are the stores to here? Target! Target's close to here. It's right across the parking lot! So I ran...only to see another line...a longer line of day after Thanksgiving shoppers, encircling the Target store. Noooo, that's not the answer and it's not looking better. I'm moving backward in my quest. Where else? Oh yeah, there's a Montgomery Ward in the mall. I think they had something in the paper. Let's try there.
I walk through the front door and get handed a box of free ornaments for being one of the first gazillion people to shop there that day. Already things are looking up. I now have something to show for my complete lack of rational thought. It's no Furby, but I at least know I'm not going home empty handed. Then I see it. The line. On the good side, unlike Target, it's indoors. Like Target, it's length is intimidating. But hey, it's now about 4:30 in the morning. At this point, where else do I have to go? So I find the end of the line (in itself a daunting task) and start making friends with those around me to pass the time. About an hour or two later, we start to snake our way around the store, through the aisles (which I'm sure was intentional, but ineffective) as the line actually starts to move. Soon we realize that we are on the first floor and the line continues to the second floor, in a copy of the Disneyworld line trick. Now, everybody realizes the line is longer than they imagined, yet nobody's going anywhere because we already have a time investment in this thing. Then we see the fruits of our labor in the hands of others. People leaving with honest to God Furbys, jumping around with glee. Once our part of the line moves upstairs, we're still snaking through aisles, but we can see how the rest of the drill goes. First you get to pay for the Furby and are handed a receipt, only to get in another line to actually trade the receipt for the little fur ball. Things are not looking so bad though. The lines are moving and people are getting toys. It's now after 6:00 and I can see the cash register. The mood around me is hopeful. This could actually work and then, came the announcement. We're out. That's all folks! We should get more, so we'll start a waiting list if you would like to add your name, but that's all we have for now.
They're out? They can't be out! I can see the register. I'm only...maybe 40 or 50 people short. This can't be happening! Then I watch half the people in front of me leave. I'm thinking, what are you doing? You got up at some stupid hour to be here. No, you don't have what you came for, but at least put your name on the list. Leave with a hope instead of nothing. I'm not going anywhere until my name's on that list, and so it was. I became number 18 on that waiting list, and walked out with some free ornaments and a piece of hope.
So I headed home, stopping at Dunkin' Donuts because at home, everyone is still asleep. It was still way before 7:00, and my parents were in town for Thanksgiving. Everyone would at least wake up to donuts while I get some rest. I walked in with donuts, a box of ornaments that look increasingly like a sun, moon and star to promote some perfume, and a slip of paper marking my spot on the waiting list, and went back to sleep.
Everyone was happy with donuts and three days later, Wards called and said they had my Furby. Score! I went immediately to the mall and claimed my prize.
Christmas morning came and the youngster unwrapped the Furby while I watched and waited anxiously for his reaction, pushed it aside for a Tonka truck and never looked back.
I promised myself I'd never be up at 3:30 in the morning the day after Thanksgiving again, and that's a promise I've kept.
I remember snickering, when the youngster was about 2 or 3 and seeing the news reports on the 'Tickle Me Elmo' doll. It was the subject of brawls and radio auctions. People went nuts tring to get one of these things and to most of their chagrin on Christmas morning, the kids were thoroughly unimpressed. Something else Santa brought always seemed to be more interesting.
Then came the year of the Furby. The hype started way before Thanksgiving, how this thing was so cool, because it learned from it's owner, and had it's own laungage, and was the dawning of artificial intelligence in toys and of course, supplies would be limited. I watched with growing interest. If this thing is everything they say it is, it really is so cool. Then came Thanksgiving and the huge daily paper with all the sale crap in it. I paged through before the football games started while slow cooking the turkey on the grill.
There it was. It gripped me instantly. It sucked the rationality from my mind and turned me into one of those people I was laughing at a scant year before. Some toy store in the mall had 50 Furbys, and they were going to open at 6:00 a.m. Right then and there I decided, I'm going to be there! I will be one of the lucky 50 scoring a Furby. Santa is going to absolutely rock! The youngster will wake up Christmas morning, one of the few, the lucky, the Furby owners.
I set the alarm for something insane. 3:30 comes to mind. When it went off, I dragged my ass out of bed thinking, only for him would I do this. I got dressed and headed for the mall, and an education. I got there to see that I was, of all things, late. Real late, and it wasn't even 4 o'clock yet. The people were streaming in and the line was...well, longer than 50 people. Everyone was clutching pieces of paper representing their place in line. This was a whole shopping culture I never knew existed, yet here it was. I just stood there thinking, who are you people, yet realizing I was there...one of them. I quickly figured out I wasn't even close to one of the first 50, so I started trying to remember....OK, John, you're up at 4 in the morning and this ain't the only Furby resource in town. Think guy, what other sales papers did you see yesterday and how close are the stores to here? Target! Target's close to here. It's right across the parking lot! So I ran...only to see another line...a longer line of day after Thanksgiving shoppers, encircling the Target store. Noooo, that's not the answer and it's not looking better. I'm moving backward in my quest. Where else? Oh yeah, there's a Montgomery Ward in the mall. I think they had something in the paper. Let's try there.
I walk through the front door and get handed a box of free ornaments for being one of the first gazillion people to shop there that day. Already things are looking up. I now have something to show for my complete lack of rational thought. It's no Furby, but I at least know I'm not going home empty handed. Then I see it. The line. On the good side, unlike Target, it's indoors. Like Target, it's length is intimidating. But hey, it's now about 4:30 in the morning. At this point, where else do I have to go? So I find the end of the line (in itself a daunting task) and start making friends with those around me to pass the time. About an hour or two later, we start to snake our way around the store, through the aisles (which I'm sure was intentional, but ineffective) as the line actually starts to move. Soon we realize that we are on the first floor and the line continues to the second floor, in a copy of the Disneyworld line trick. Now, everybody realizes the line is longer than they imagined, yet nobody's going anywhere because we already have a time investment in this thing. Then we see the fruits of our labor in the hands of others. People leaving with honest to God Furbys, jumping around with glee. Once our part of the line moves upstairs, we're still snaking through aisles, but we can see how the rest of the drill goes. First you get to pay for the Furby and are handed a receipt, only to get in another line to actually trade the receipt for the little fur ball. Things are not looking so bad though. The lines are moving and people are getting toys. It's now after 6:00 and I can see the cash register. The mood around me is hopeful. This could actually work and then, came the announcement. We're out. That's all folks! We should get more, so we'll start a waiting list if you would like to add your name, but that's all we have for now.
They're out? They can't be out! I can see the register. I'm only...maybe 40 or 50 people short. This can't be happening! Then I watch half the people in front of me leave. I'm thinking, what are you doing? You got up at some stupid hour to be here. No, you don't have what you came for, but at least put your name on the list. Leave with a hope instead of nothing. I'm not going anywhere until my name's on that list, and so it was. I became number 18 on that waiting list, and walked out with some free ornaments and a piece of hope.
So I headed home, stopping at Dunkin' Donuts because at home, everyone is still asleep. It was still way before 7:00, and my parents were in town for Thanksgiving. Everyone would at least wake up to donuts while I get some rest. I walked in with donuts, a box of ornaments that look increasingly like a sun, moon and star to promote some perfume, and a slip of paper marking my spot on the waiting list, and went back to sleep.
Everyone was happy with donuts and three days later, Wards called and said they had my Furby. Score! I went immediately to the mall and claimed my prize.
Christmas morning came and the youngster unwrapped the Furby while I watched and waited anxiously for his reaction, pushed it aside for a Tonka truck and never looked back.
I promised myself I'd never be up at 3:30 in the morning the day after Thanksgiving again, and that's a promise I've kept.
John put this out here at 9:22 AM
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