And this stuff is highly profitable: desperate parents will pay a fortune for the must-have toy at Christmas.
We, however, think this is a smash-hit Christmas toy waiting to happen.
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Why do recently released bottles quickly find their way onto eBay at enormously inflated prices as if they were this season's must-have Christmas toy?
Of course, if you're not feeling such a high-tech setup, you could always place toy cars and Christmas ornaments beneath your doorways and window seals.
We saw a number of Electric Imp demos and appliance ideas at the booth including a simple hand-held "detonator" toggle switch with LED, seven-segment counter, water level sensor, servo-controlled gauge, RGB light, power socket, Christmas light, power monitor, toy washing machine, 16x16 LED display and receipt printer (the latter two being combined to show the avatars and tweets of anyone mentioning the Electric Imp) -- all Internet aware.
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But perhaps Lego should not strive unduly to keep up with electronic fashion: the big hit this Christmas at Hamleys, London's toy mecca, was a come-back story dating back to ancient Greece: the humble yo-yo.
Bain says KB's creditors have only themselves to blame because they undermined the toy retailer by selling supercheap toys exclusively to Wal-Mart during the 2003 Christmas season.
With demand up due to the poor economy and toy donations down, Toys for Tots, the Marine Corps' program that distributes Christmas toys to children in need, is facing one of its toughest years, according to Bill Grein, the Toys for Tots Foundation vice president.
The toy chain will appeal, protesting that by selling only the most popular toys, and only at Christmas, the discounters were free-riding on its marketing.
Target, Kmart, Toy R Us, Best Buy and many other prominent outlets sought to take advantage of the Christmas shopping season a little earlier than usual.
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