Hatchimals flying off store shelves, parents desperate to find the hot toy

One of the hottest toys this holiday season is Hatchimals and frantic parents are scouring stores across the country trying to get their hands on one.

What are Hatchimals? Its sort of like a Furby that hatches from an egg but way more high-tech. Children can interact with the stuffed animal and teach it to walk, talk and play. It hatches from its egg when you rub its glowing shell.

Hatchimals are on many wishlists this year, but good luck finding one. The normal price is under $50 but it is sold out at virtually all stores and major retailer websites. Parents are in a panic trying to get one before Christmas and some websites like Craigslist and eBay have sellers listing Hatchimals for sale for $250 to well over $1000.

Hatchimals issued this statement on its website:

The consumer response to Hatchimals has been extraordinary, exceeding all expectations. Some of our first shipments have already sold out. While additional product will hit retail shelves in November, we anticipate this inventory will also sell out quickly. We have increased production and a whole new batch of Hatchimals will be ready to hatch in early 2017. This is a special season and we don’t want anyone to be disappointed, nor do we support inflated prices from non-authorized resellers. We are working on creative solutions to help kids and their parents withstand the wait. In the interim, some retailers are developing pre-sale and/or rain-check programs for redemption in January. We will continue to update with program details as they become available.

Consumers are advised to check with retailers each week to find out when a shipment is coming in.