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[Scottie]

If you don't know what a Zhu Zhu pet is, it's a "smart" robotic hamster that basically uses Roomba-like logic to roam about and make farm noises.

They sell for a reasonable $9.95 list price, but if you want one (or the entire set of 4) be prepared to pay upwards of $50 each for them! Oh, and if you want the habitat that goes with the hamster, expect to pay $100 or more for that and all the accessories.

Just once, I'd like to be able to manufacture the type of hysteria that drives people to purchase things for 5 times their stated value... I think you take parents, media hype and a deadline (Christmas) then mix in demanding, pampered kids that don't see their parents enough and you get the sort of guilty determination to outdo all the other families...

Think of all the people who profit from this... the company who sells them well, sells out at their standard prices while the scalpers make double or triple their investment... it's a phenomenon where the money all ends up in the hands of the rouge resellers.

It facinates me. Anyone actually buy these things this year? Anyone desperately hunting them? My sister has me on the lookout for some.

[1dmf]

Especially if you throw in the fact we are in Global recession.

I expect to buy things for a quarter of the MRRP, not four times as much!

But like they say, there's one born every minute, and recession or not, there are plenty of people out there still with more money than sense!