The signature design element is (per the name) the act of hatching. Hatchimals are the ingenious combination of those two worlds - innovative tech combined with an interface and look designed to appeal to younger kids. On the other, they build complicated, technical toys for older kids like Air Hogs, a line of flying toy planes and helicopters, and the voice-activated Zoomers menagerie, some of the most advanced toy robots on the market. On the one hand, they create blockbuster TV show tie-ins (like the PAW Patrol line of canine first responders) and buy up vintage brands like Erector Set and Etch A Sketch. Spin Master has become one of the major players in the toy industry since its founding in the mid-’90s.

Evil un-geniuses, like the woman who wrote * Water for Elephants*, bet tens of thousands of dollars on aftermarket Hatchimals in hopes of flipping them for even higher prices, only to run up against the new restrictions placed on the toys by resale sites.Ī plush robot that comes trapped in an egg Evil geniuses, like the Zappa brothers from Arizona, cashed in on the hype by stockpiling Hatchimals (before stores started limiting sales to one per customer) then reselling them for more than $150 a pop on eBay.

Smart parents smelled the oncoming craze and snagged one early. They sold out (at $59.99 MSRP) almost as soon as they reached shelves in October of this year. With Hatchimals, Spin Master, the Toronto-based company behind the toys, has had a surprise hit. After you warm it up, move it around, and knock on the shell (and it knocks back), the Hatchimal starts to peck its way free with its spring-loaded beak. As soon as you take it out of its packaging, it comes to life - you can see its eyes glow through the shell, and hear it make cooing sounds. If you are not a child, don’t have a child, or don’t know anyone with kids, there’s a chance you’ve never heard of a Hatchimal, the must-have toy for Christmas this year.Īllow me to introduce you: the Hatchimal is a plush little robot that comes trapped in a sealed, football-sized plastic egg.

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