It's the "must have" toy that's causing tears, endless car trips, and parents to pay five times the retail price.
The Hatchimal – a furry, interactive toy that can peck its way out of its speckled egg shell – is mostly sold out across the world, panicking parents whose children have it at their top of their Christmas wish lists.
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Hatchimal: Must-have Christmas toy sells out
Parents around the world are discovering that this year's must-have toy, the Hatchimal, is virtually impossible to get in time for Christmas.
Fairfax Media spoke to store staff at Kmart, Big W, Target and Toys'R'Us across Sydney who said they were telling an endless stream of desperate customers the toy had been sold out for days, if not, weeks.
"We got some new stock [on Wednesday] but by 10am they were gone. In one hour, all gone," a Toys'R'Us worker said. "There won't be anymore before Christmas".
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Parents are sharing tales of their shopping wins and fails on social media, with many angered by the massive mark ups – as much as 500 per cent – by opportunistic resellers on websites such as eBay and Gumtree.
One costs between $80 to $100.
In the US, one woman splashed $US23,600 on more than 150 Hatchimals with the intention of reselling them on eBay at an inflated price and donating the profits to a cause close to her heart.
But her plan backfired when eBay and Amazon shut down her sale because it went against their policies.
Australian Toy Association president David Hendy said he wouldn't call it a "craze" yet, saying only 10,000 to 15,000 units had been brought into Australia.
"It's a very small number, so while it seems like a craze, it's really a case of not having enough stock," he said.
"I think it's a good product and there's definitely a demand for it."
It's understood Funtastic is the sole distributor of the Spin Master product in Australia. Hatchimals – described as a cross between a Tamagotchi and a Furby – was launched worldwide in October.
Spin Master said it underestimated demand and didn't support "inflated prices from non-authorised resellers". A new batch will not be available until next year.
It spent two years developing the toy, which requires a person to "tilt, tap or touch" it to coax the creature out of its shell. The toy can show when it's sleepy, sick or needs to burp.
"They don't know what's inside and they get excited about what they may get. There's this anticipation that builds," James Martin, Spin Master's head of global business, told The New York Times.
Industry experts have heralded it as a toy on par with Cabbage Patch Kids.
"Nobody knows why these things happen. They're an act of God," Richard Gottlieb from Global Toy Experts told the NYT.
But it hasn't all been good news. A British mother's scathing review on Facebook has gone viral, achieving 79,000 shares and 45,000 comments.
"It grew up from a baby to fully grown in a few hours, it doesn't talk, it just records the child's voice and plays it back, has a few games that are boring and once played they don't want to play again," wrote Kirsty Myerscough.
"All you can do is feed it by tilting it forward, stroke it when it gets cold and pat its head if it's scared. Overall not worth the money."
Fraudsters are also cashing in, with shoppers falling for "bait and switch" scams and cheap knock-offs.
Toys'R'Us' Alex Kirk confirmed the last shipment had been delivered to stores in the past week and that stock will be arriving next year.
Target's business manager of toys, Simon Cassie, said: "Our supplier assures us we'll be back in stock of Hatchimals late March, in the meantime parents still have the popular Furby, FurReal Friends or Little Live Pets for their kids in time for Christmas."
But there's still hope for those who want it this Christmas. A Kmart spokesperson said it encouraged customers to check their local store for stock availabilities.