Nomonkeyingaround:TherealreasonbehindtheFingerlingsshortage

Terri Peters TODAY Contributor

Afreshholidayseasonbringsjoy,cheer,andanewmust-havetoythatisimpossibletofind.EntertheFingerlings—anadorablecollectionofmonkeys,aunicornandasloththatare2017'shot,hard-to-findtoy.CreatedbyWowWee,Fingerlingsarebabyanimalsthatclingtoachild's

finger,makecutenoisesandandreacttosound,motionandtouch.Andstores,ofcourse,cannotkeepthetinyplasticcrittersinstock.Confused?Itwasn'tsolongagothatmomswerejockeyingforchubbydollswithplasticfacesthatgrewonaveggiefarm.Thisisthesamedeal,saidJamesDion,presidentandfounderofretailconsultingfirmDioncoInc."There'sjustaboutbeenoneeveryyearforthelast35years,"DiontoldTODAYParents."IthinkitstartedwiththeCabbagePatchKiddollsbackintheearlyeightiesand

it'sbeenhappeningeveryyearsince,whetherit'stheFurbyorsomeothertoydujour."DionsaidthattheFingerlings'pricepoint—justalittleover$10—combinedwiththetoys'

impressivetechnologicalcapabilitiesmakesitauniqueitem.

Andoncestoresselloutofatoy,whetherornotthey'llgetmoreinstockisunpredictableanda"crapshoot,"hesaid,becauseretailersplacetoyordersbetweensevenandeightmonthsbeforetheholidayseasontoallowtimeformanufacturerstofillandshiptheirorders."Everyretailerhasgottheirfingerscrossedthattheitemstheyselectedaretheonesthatwillbechosenbytheconsumers,"saidDion."Foreveryoneoftheseitemsthatmakeit,thereare

twoorthreehundredothersthatdon'tandaresittinginawarehousesomewhere."Forthetoysthatdo"makeit,"likeFingerlings,Dionsaidthatgatheringthenecessarysupplies,spaceandmanpowertocreatemoreoncesuppliesrunlowisdifficult."Asaparentitdrivesyoucrazy,"saidDion."Thesekindsoftoysbecomeunicorns.They'reblackswansandifyoudon'tgetthemattherighttime,there'snoguaranteeyouwillgetthemlater."

Currently,Fingerlingsarefetchingaround$40oneBay.Someambitioussellersaremarkingthemupintothetripledigits.Keepinmind:It'sstillNovember.

NewHampshiremomBrennaJenningssaysshepurchasedaFingerlingmonthsago,buthasyettohearher9-year-olddaughtermentionthetoy."Iboughtonebecauseeveryonewasfreakingoutaboutthem.IhavenoideawhatI'lldowithit,"saidJennings."IhiditandIdon'tknowwhere."

"Twoofmyfriendspostedaboutitbeingthe'it'toymonthsago,"saidPennsylvaniamom-of-threeLynneGetz."Ilaughedandthought,'Sure,whatever,'anddidn'tbitebutnowmykidswantthem.Damnit."

KathyFrank,aFloridamotherandgrandmotherwhoremembershuntingdownCabbagePatchKiddollsintheeighties,saysshewillcontinuetohuntforFingerlingsforherthreegrandchildren."ThegrandkidssawthemmonthsagoandIsaidI’dthinkaboutthemclosertoChristmas—maybeIwaitedtoolong,"saidFrank."OfcourseI'mstillgoingtolookforthem...I'llgotoalmostanylengths."SowhatdoesWowWeethinkaboutthesuccessofFingerlings?AndisthetoymanufacturerplanningtomakemoreintimeforChristmas?

"SinceourlaunchinearlyAugust,thefanresponsewe’vereceivedforourFingerlingsbrandhasbeenphenomenal,"saidSydneyWiseman,brandmanageratWowWee."WewanteveryfantohavetheirownFingerlingsfriendasweheadintotheholidays,whichiswhywe'reworkingverycloselywithourretailpartnerstoensurestoresacrosstheU.S.arestocked.""However,aswehaveseeninthepast,thehottesttoysoftheholidayshoppingseasonthatareinthegreatestdemanddodisappearquicklyfromstoreshelves."