1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Hello, Seattle and surrounding Greater Seattle area. We love you. 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: That's why we come to see you every January, and 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: we're doing that again this year coming up yep, Thursday, 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: January six, We're going to be at the More Theater 5 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: and you can get tickets and info by going to 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: s y s K live dot com and follow all 7 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: the links there. You can also go in person to 8 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: the box office of the Paramount Theater, who is apparently 9 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: selling tickets to our show at the More Theater to 10 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: get around a lot of those online fees. That's right. 11 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: So we'd love to see you there. We have rubbed 12 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: our stank all over that theater and we want your 13 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: stank on that theater as well. Yep, we'll see you 14 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: guys in January. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a 15 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hey, and 16 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, and there's Charles 17 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: if you choke, Brian over there there, Jerry over there, 18 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: and this is Stuff you Should Know. Early Christmas a dish. Yeah, 19 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: we're kicking it off early like the rest of the 20 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: retail world, do you, uh yeah? Man. This year you 21 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: could find Halloween Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff in stores at 22 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: the same time, like it was just the most normal 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: thing in the world. But, um, you don't follow me 24 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: on Twitter, and you should. I'm not on Twitter. Well 25 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: that's what I'm saying. You should get on Twitter to 26 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: follow me. But at seven thirty in the morning on 27 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: November one, the day after Halloween, I tweeted Merry Christmas. 28 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: I got a lot of hate back for it. Yeah yeah, 29 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: you people like that, Yeah, pretty much just troll I got. Yeah, 30 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: well that was my plug for Twitter. Oh yeah, yeah, 31 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: here we go. So, uh, let's see back, Chuck. You 32 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: were twelve, okay, I was seven. Um, you didn't have 33 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: a cabbage patch kid, did you. Well, there's just right 34 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: there if you really want to know. I think you've 35 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: told it before, but let's have it. Well, we bought 36 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: my sister one of the very first little people is 37 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: what they were called before they were cabbage patch kids 38 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: and Helen Georgia when they were handmade by Xavier Roberts, 39 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 1: who I recently learned stole that idea from a woman 40 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: and uh it took it as his own and made 41 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: millions of dollars off of her idea. Yeah, I mean 42 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: I wanted to maybe we'll do a short stuff about that. 43 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: I wanted to do a full length episode. But we 44 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: I mean, we definitely talked about that because I think 45 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: we have talked about like must have toys of the past, 46 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: and and maybe last year's or the year before Christmas edition. Yeah, 47 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: and we had she got this doll. Its name was 48 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: Chuck Um, which was kind of funny because that's my name. 49 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: And uh, it was a big deal. I think it 50 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,119 Speaker 1: was like the number seventy something or eighty something made 51 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: and now it's worth a lot of money. Does she 52 00:02:55,240 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: still have it? Oh? That's great, Um. And we'll fish 53 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: with Cabbage Patch Kids and then I'll take issue with you. 54 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: So go ahead, Okay, I know what you're gonna take 55 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: issue with. Oh I don't know if you do know, 56 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: let me so, let me, let me. Let me start. 57 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: So back in Cabbage Patch Kids were like the must 58 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: have toy of the Christmas season, and from what I 59 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: can tell, they were the first must have Christmas toy. Ever. 60 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: Now that's not to say there weren't extraordinarily popular toys 61 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: at around Christmas time before Star Wars very famously offered 62 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: their Early Birds Certificate package, which was basically an empty 63 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: box that said, at some point in the future you 64 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: will get Star Wars figures instead of this empty box. 65 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: One of the great great marketing gems of all time. 66 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: So that was a thing all the way back in two. 67 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: Mr potato Head was a hot toy that year. Robert 68 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: the Robe was a hot toy in And when you 69 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: say hot toys, it's tough to to overstate that like 70 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: Robert the Robot had T shirts in the fifties. Didn't 71 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: even know people wore T shirts in the fifties. He 72 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: was in a movie. Um like that, there was there was, 73 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: These were big deal toys. But my premise is this, 74 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: this is my thesis. Okay, this is my own so 75 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: I'll take the hit if it's wrong. But that in 76 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: just the same way that there were hit movies like 77 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: The Godfather or like ben Her before Jaws came along, 78 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: there wasn't such a thing as the summer blockbuster until 79 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: Jaws came along and made the summer blockbuster a thing. 80 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: There wasn't such a thing as the must have toy 81 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: of Christmas until the Cabbage Patch Kid came along and 82 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: made that a thing. Okay, so what issue are you 83 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: going to take I can't take it any longer. You're 84 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: driving me crazy. Well, I don't think it was. I 85 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: don't think it was Cabbage Patch. It's that was the 86 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 1: must have toy, the first must have toy. That's what 87 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: I take kiss you with the first Well, I don't know. 88 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm just speaking from my own life, Van, 89 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: and I definitely think Star Wars counts because if you 90 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: can sell an empty box to a kid for Christmas, 91 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: then that that's pretty strong position as it must have thing. 92 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: And by the way, if you're listening, the reason they 93 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: sold empty boxes is because they didn't know Star Wars 94 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: was gonna be a big thing. So Kenner didn't have 95 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: as many of these made in the run up to 96 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: the film release pre Christmas. Uh so they got caught 97 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: with their pants down and they realized that there was 98 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: a big demand, a huge demand. They sold like million, 99 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: no million boxes, I'm trying to yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, 100 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: I don't know forty million Star Wars toys at that 101 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 1: inside of a year, so okay, yeah, I'm not surprised 102 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: to hear that. And did you know that you can 103 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: even buy these empty box kits on eBay? Now? Oh yeah, 104 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure that's all enlisted for Bucks. I'm not at 105 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: all surprised. Uh. And then, just very quickly, I also 106 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: want to point out that the biggest, most in demand 107 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 1: toy of my young life was the Atari pac Man cartridge. Boy, 108 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: that's sold seven million cartridges. Okay, great, Great, the numbers 109 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: don't lie. That's a big, big number, seven million, forty million. 110 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: You can toss big numbers out all day long. But 111 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: let me ask you this. For that empty box of 112 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: Star Wars for the Atari pac Man cartridge, did a 113 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: woman have her leg broken because the crowd trying to 114 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: get their hands on those things turned violent? Or before 115 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: you answer, in addition to that, did a department store 116 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: manager in Charleston, West Virginia have to arm himself with 117 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: the baseball bat to defend himself from his very customers 118 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: who are trying to get to the Star Wars empty 119 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: box or the Atari cartridge? I would guess that the 120 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: answers no, Well, I think human behaviors have changed over 121 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: the years. I don't know. Three well, I guarantee I 122 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: could find one violent incident about the Atari cartridge. I'll 123 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: bet you couldn't. Well, you know there wasn't then, because 124 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: there was they met the demand. Okay, so that's a 125 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: big part of it too, right, So there have been 126 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: well let's just move on from this the cabbage Patch 127 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: cabbage Patch kids if not worthy first, which they were? 128 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: Did you have Yeah? Yeah, Webberdno, you had a cabbage 129 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: Patch kid. Yeah. I ended up taking his head off 130 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: and giving him a mohawk as I grew older. But 131 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: because not to be too like gender binary here, but 132 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: I didn't know a lot of boys that wanted the 133 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: cabbage Patch kid. What I've I've always broken the mold chuck. Well, sure, no, 134 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: I mean there's nothing wrong with it. I grew up 135 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: with William wants a doll on free to bu and me, 136 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: so I get it. But that's why I just don't know. 137 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: I think it must have Christmas toy would be one 138 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: that everybody wants. Yeah, as far as I knew, everybody 139 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: wanted a cabbage Patch kid. We'll just put this one 140 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: to bed, like a cabbage Patch kid with a mohawk. Yeah. So, 141 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: um right, well that was a big thing. Like there 142 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: was there was some hallmarks to the idea of a 143 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: must have toy that were surrounding Cabbage Patch Kids. Violence 144 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: is one, Um, there was a lot of buzz that 145 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: was picked up by the media, and one of the 146 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: ways that that was generated was by UM, I think Coliko, 147 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: who owned cabbage Patch Kids at the time, sent these 148 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: dolls directly to reporters. That was a big one. UM 149 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: and the fact that there was not enough supply to 150 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,599 Speaker 1: meet the demand. These things kind of came together to 151 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: make Cabbage Patch Kids and must have Christmas toy and 152 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: this has been carried on as a tradition ever since then, 153 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: ever since that very very first time with Cabbage Patch Kids. Uh. 154 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: There were Nintendos that dominated back in eight uh and 155 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: three years in a row, Nintendo had three different products 156 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: that were like the must have Christmas toy, UM, that 157 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:13,319 Speaker 1: first game console huge, the Game Boy Huger it felt 158 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: like uh, and then of course possibly the best game 159 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: gaming system of all time if you look at just 160 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: relative to the time, the Super Nintendo Console. I don't know, 161 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: man in sixty four was pretty great with Golden Eye. 162 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: Oh God in sixty four was great. Yeah with gold 163 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: and I I mean like it would have been, you know, 164 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 1: fine on its own, but the fact that Golden Eye 165 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: existed was the thing that made in sixty four to 166 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: me that game blew my mind. Um. Yeah it was great, 167 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: especially the Battle Royal where you could play your friends. 168 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: Oh man, that was finn. Yeah, we called it Hunt 169 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: and Chase. Yeah. I used to get so mad in 170 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: those like that's the only time I ever got mad 171 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: playing video games because I don't do that thing where 172 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: you play online and you can you know, you can 173 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: exact revenge on people. So I did not take it 174 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:00,719 Speaker 1: well when my friends stock behind me and shot me 175 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: in the head. Right, Yeah, that was always a bummer. 176 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: What about Tickle Myoma? That was a big one, thanks 177 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 1: to Rosie O'Donnell. That was a little old for that. 178 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: Oh really, that was in my mid twenties. I had one. 179 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, well you were high school, not really, yeah, 180 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: this was this is post high school even. But this 181 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: was such a craze that there was that um characteristic 182 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 1: violence where a Walmart employee was trampled while he was 183 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: trying to restock the display um late at night, I believe. 184 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: But he had a pulled hamstring, injuries to his back, 185 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: his jaws, knee broken, rib, a concussion, um. And it 186 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: continues on like I haven't read about any violence from 187 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: hatch a Moles, but from two thousand and sixteen to 188 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,680 Speaker 1: two eighteen. They were the if not one of the 189 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 1: top um must have Toys of the year, and so 190 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: hatcher molesw come because you have to put it in 191 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,319 Speaker 1: a dish or a bowl that you eat out of, 192 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: and you have to leave it there and leave it 193 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: there and leave it there, and then it hatches into 194 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: a garbage toy. Oh. So my experience is that it's 195 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: they're they're pretty, They're good. Oh yeah, yeah, so you 196 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: you like your hatch the mole? Yeah? Are you talking? 197 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: Is it like animatronic? Huh? Is it animatronic? I'm talking 198 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: about hatch the moles. Yeah, it's it's so okay. So 199 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: I don't know anything about the dish. I just my 200 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: experiences from my niece, and I don't remember any dish. 201 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: Oh wait, this isn't the Are we talking about two 202 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: different things. This is the thing you put in water. No, no, no, 203 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: electrocute yourself when you touch it. Okay, maybe I'm thinking 204 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: about some melts. This is like an animatronic thing that 205 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: hatches from an egg, but like you have to like 206 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: teach it and train it and raise it and give 207 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: it attention everything. It's a bit like the tamagochi but 208 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: like an animatronic pet. Oh, I got you now, I'm 209 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: thinking of the thing that you It's an egg that 210 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: you put in water and after a few days it 211 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: hatches into a garbage toy. Yeah, no, that's that's not 212 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: the hatch moles are much different. So so there's this 213 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: tradition of them must have Christmas toy um and you 214 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,839 Speaker 1: can find all you want about them every year because 215 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 1: they're everywhere all the time, and the media reports on 216 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: this kind of stuff, and they're on TV, and there's ads, 217 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: and there's like social media stuff. Now, but there's like 218 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: a really big question that doesn't have a lot of 219 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: press associated with it, and certainly no studies or anything 220 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: that I could find. But there's a question, Chuck, like, 221 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: how does a toy become a must have Christmas toy? Well, 222 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: let's take a break and look get to the bottom 223 00:12:34,440 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: of it. Right after this, that was quite a set up, 224 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: I think. So. So back in the day when you 225 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 1: were shopping for Christmas, if you were a kid or 226 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: a parent, it didn't matter do you knew exactly what 227 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:12,319 Speaker 1: to do, you knew exactly how to do it. There 228 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: was no no frills, no nothing. It was all just 229 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: holiday joy and the goodness of the Christmas holiday season. 230 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: That's right, That is correct. And you learned what you 231 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:27,439 Speaker 1: wanted if you were a kid from two things. Saturday 232 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: Morning cartoon commercials and uh, whatever your catalog was. The 233 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: Seer's wish Book is certainly one service. Merchandise catalog was 234 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: another big one for us. Yeah, there's a Montgomery Awards catalog. Yeah, 235 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: of course. And um you put this together and you 236 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: introduced me to a website called wish book Web that 237 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: might as well be called um time suck dot com. 238 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,959 Speaker 1: Yeah it's pretty great, isn't that because someone has gone 239 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: through and scan end Uh is it just year's wish books? No, No, 240 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: it's Sears J. C. Penny and Montgomery Ward. And then 241 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: I think there's the occasional what store is that here there? Right? 242 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: They have scanned these entire wish books up to nine, which, 243 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: from everyone knows, is the cutoff date for nostalgia. That's right, 244 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: from the earliest days of nineteen thirty three. And boy, 245 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: let me tell you, dude, and I know you know 246 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 1: this because you've done it. If you go through and 247 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 1: spend a few minutes clicking through these things, in the 248 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: years where you were like six to twelve waves of nostalgia, 249 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: nostalgia wash over you, like like John Hodgeman would succumb 250 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: to these waves. Yeah, I know, it's amazing. I remember 251 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: some specific pictures. I remembered the I mean the NFL 252 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: section alone brought tears to my eyes and I forgot 253 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: how much they hyped football back then. You just can't 254 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: stop crying. It was crazy that the clothes, the alarm clocks, 255 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: the clock radios, the the tech section. Um, it was 256 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: just it was off the charts for me looking through this. 257 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: I almost did nothing else today. Yeah, I know it is. 258 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: Wish book Web is pretty awesome. Like somebody went through 259 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: and scanned every single page of these several hundred pages 260 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: each catalog's for decades worth of catalogs. It is. It 261 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: is God's work. And just to get laughs by like 262 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: seeing the the two four year olds posing in bathrobes, 263 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: like it's really really funny, right, well, it's got like 264 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: a pipe that blows up. God. This is just amazing. 265 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: What a great website. So so wish book Web is 266 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: kind of preserved how you used to figure out what 267 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: you wanted for Christmas, which was you go through these 268 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: wish books or these catalogs or whatever, and then you 269 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: tell your parents you dog ear them, maybe drop some hints. 270 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: It was the correct way. Century has a kind of 271 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: an updated version of that, but it's still kind of 272 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: follows this same general contours right where there are lists 273 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: still and like catalogs, but now it's not just department 274 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: stores that have like the market cornered on them. Like 275 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: that's actually kind of gone away. It's very tough to 276 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: find a department store catalog. I believe Myers still does that. 277 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: I think they're kind of like a Midwestern Target. Yeah, 278 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: and they have a toy catalog that they put out still, 279 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: I believe to this year. Well now if you get 280 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: the Restoration Hardware right or Ikea, but the But there's 281 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: lists everywhere, and it seems like every retailer has one 282 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: or all the major retailers have one, and depending on 283 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: where it's coming from, it's some are more trustworthy or 284 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: above the boards or or objective than others when saying 285 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: like these are the must have toys, Like, I'm on 286 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: one end of the spectrum. You have um like third 287 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: party websites and publications and organizations like the Spruce or 288 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: Toy Insider or Toys Tots, Pets and more, and they 289 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: actually evaluate the toys when they make their lists. Yeah, 290 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: I mean these it's just different now. And I don't 291 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 1: think it's nostalgia like thinking things were better back then, 292 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 1: but it was. It seemed easier and better to let 293 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: a kid sift through a catalog and pick out stuff 294 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: than I guess what are you supposed to do today, 295 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: like sit down with your kid at one of these 296 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 1: websites and at look at the top twenty hot toys 297 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 1: and say what do you want? Like, I don't. I 298 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: don't know how it works these days. I don't know. 299 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: Maybe instead of like dog earing the pages, you send 300 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 1: your parents links. I'm sure you do, actually you know, yeah, 301 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: But I mean if your kids are too young to 302 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,199 Speaker 1: be on the internet, I'm not sure how to do it. 303 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: Because I could hand my four year old catalog and 304 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,120 Speaker 1: say pick out some stuff would be great, But I'm 305 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: not gonna say, hey, just log onto the spruce and 306 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,159 Speaker 1: go uh scroll down and see you find something you like? 307 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: Stay out of their parents section. What do I mean? 308 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: What do you do? You have? You literally have a kid, chuck, 309 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 1: what do you do? I don't know, I mean we buy, 310 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:11,120 Speaker 1: we just buy things that we think she might like. Um, 311 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 1: so there's like a whole world out there of like 312 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: lists and websites that showed toys and stuff that she's 313 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 1: unaware of. Oh wow, she's got a big surprise ahead 314 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: of her. So that's great. I'm excited for her. Actually yeah, 315 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: but I mean you definitely feel like you're sort of 316 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 1: stabbing in the dark. Let's do like I mean, a 317 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: parent can go through and look at those lists, but 318 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: you know, kill me. Well, a lot of people are 319 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,640 Speaker 1: excited about that kind of thing. They're like, good, this 320 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: is Yeah. I don't have to like go to the 321 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,719 Speaker 1: store and stand there and be like what are we 322 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,919 Speaker 1: getting here? You could go to some website or USA 323 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: Today or the Today Show or whoever is partnering with 324 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: some of these trusted sites like Toys, Tots, Pets and 325 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: More or Toy Insider, and like they kind of take 326 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 1: a lot to the guesswork out of you. They're basically saying, 327 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 1: these are what experts are saying your kid is going 328 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: to want. If you go by this, you will score 329 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 1: a home run with your kid. Yeah. I think my 330 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: problem is I don't know what has bought and what 331 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: is real reviews because as you have dug up and 332 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: I didn't even know this, of course they do this. Um, 333 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: if you go on Amazon, they you know, you can 334 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: spend two million bucks as a retailer to be on there, 335 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: you know, on their top list or whatever. So okay, yes, 336 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: And what I saw though, was that they you spend 337 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: that money to nominate them to nominate your toy for 338 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: their consideration to include on the West for a nomination. 339 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: I don't know how the process works, but yeah, I saw. 340 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,719 Speaker 1: I saw like the headline say you pay two million 341 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: for a slot, but if you read the finer print 342 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: and saying you pay two million for them to even 343 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 1: consider it, and then I guess I don't know how 344 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: they curated. They actually kind of keep a close lid 345 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: on it. But it generated like a hundred and twenty 346 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: million dollars in revenue for Amazon just to be on 347 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: their list of hot toys for the year. Walmart they 348 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: charged ten grand a month per toy to be on 349 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: their Buyer's Picks toy list. And uh, like you point 350 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: out here, they Walmart starts their list in August, and 351 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: you've got to wonder, is that because they're making tin 352 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: grand of pop right off of all of the stuff 353 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:27,719 Speaker 1: per month. Yeah. Yeah, they released There's in late August, 354 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,120 Speaker 1: before Labor Day even and like this isn't like, hey, 355 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:32,919 Speaker 1: we think these toys are going to be hot this year. 356 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 1: It's here's the hot list of holiday toys, and Target 357 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: released There's at the beginning of September. Um. I think 358 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: Bull's Eye is the name of their mascot dog mascot 359 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: spuzz Mackenzie basically, And I couldn't see if they charge 360 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,360 Speaker 1: for placement or how they compile it or anything like that, 361 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,400 Speaker 1: which actually makes me suspect that they don't, because there's 362 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: plenty of ink about Amazon and Walmart's lists and how 363 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 1: they charge for him, and the fact that there's not 364 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: one for Target makes me think either they're really keeping 365 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: a lid on it or um, they actually don't charge 366 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: for that. But so there's there's kind of two lists 367 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: where if you're a parent you need to ask, Yeah, 368 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: you need to ask dogs and dog people and cat people. 369 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: You need to ask, where is this list coming from? 370 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,679 Speaker 1: And if it's coming from a third party site, go 371 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 1: look up the third party site and they will tell you. 372 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: And they're like about us section, how they determine what 373 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,160 Speaker 1: toys or what and if you really want to get 374 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: that information, that's fine. But even if Amazon or Walmart 375 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: or even if Target charges for placement on their lists, 376 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: just the very fact that those things are on their 377 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: list is going to make them among the hot toys 378 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: of the season. So it's like a self fulfilling or 379 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: self paying prophecy. Yeah, I mean, I guess anytime you 380 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: look up something on a major retailer website, those first 381 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 1: few things are sponsored and they say sponsored in little letters. Oh, 382 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 1: sometimes they don't really, Yeah, I mean sometimes it's kind 383 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: of hard to discern, uh, whether or not you're looking 384 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: at the real top thing or the sponsored thing, right, 385 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: And I think, like with the Giftless in particular, I 386 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: don't believe that they say that these are sponsored. I 387 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:13,880 Speaker 1: think it's just like here's the hot lists according to Amazon. Well, 388 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 1: let's talk a bit about marketing in general around the holidays. 389 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: Um that you know, it's a it's a science in 390 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: a way, and they have found out through science that um, 391 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: happy people buy more. Uh you are not everyone's happy 392 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: around the holidays, but they definitely as marketers, play on 393 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,199 Speaker 1: the idea that you are happier around the holidays, and 394 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: so you should be in the buying spirit. Uh, definitely 395 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: when you're talking about kids, that is the case. They 396 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: pummel children with ads. There was one study here the 397 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: University of Hertfordshire counted one hundred ads and a three 398 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: hour Saturday morning kids uh slot Christmas hundred in a 399 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: three hour slot. That's a lot of ads, it is um. 400 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:01,920 Speaker 1: And then of course, you know children are on more 401 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: than one screen these days, so they're also getting ads 402 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: on you know, when they're watching YouTube or whatever, um, 403 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: or just on kids websites. There's ads everywhere. I can't 404 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: remember what episode we really kind of dove into that 405 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: advertising man, I think it was about advertising for children, 406 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 1: like that was the sole goal. So so the idea 407 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: is that just just the holiday season itself puts most 408 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: of us in a pretty good mood, and advertisers say, oh, well, 409 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 1: if we release ads that are holiday themed, will be 410 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 1: able to kind of tap into that good will and 411 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 1: good mood and um, make you nostalgic or or feel 412 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 1: good about things and so um by doing that, we'll 413 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 1: be able to kind of tie our our brand or 414 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 1: our product to that holiday. Um, that holiday sensation and 415 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: you'll say, oh, I do want to go by that 416 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: because it makes me think of being a kid at 417 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: Christmas time. That's really a six stuff. Um, I mean 418 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: like that's everywhere. You can't get away from that in 419 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: the holiday season. And there's not even necessarily anything wrong 420 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: with it. It's just that's just basic marketing and advertising 421 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: one on one when it comes to holiday advertising. Yeah, 422 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: and the other thing we mentioned earlier in terms of marketing, 423 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,439 Speaker 1: and this is also marketing one on one, is about scarcity. Right. 424 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: If you have a toy that there's a limited amount of, 425 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: that is when you're gonna find people trampling each other 426 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: to get there, because people are motivated by fear. And 427 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: if you know that a toy is a must have 428 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:38,679 Speaker 1: and there aren't many of them and they're going on 429 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: sale at a certain time, it is frightening what a parent, 430 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: some parents might do to secure that toy. Yes, so 431 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: this is finally we've reached the key ingredient. Right, You've 432 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: got lists of toys that are promoted and advertising and 433 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 1: maybe even show up with their own articles in the media. 434 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,439 Speaker 1: Then you have the fact that we're already kind of 435 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: primed to to buy because it's the Aliday season. We're 436 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 1: in a good mood. But when you add that scarcity marketing, 437 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: it ramps it up to a totally different level. And 438 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 1: when you have a must have toy that is hard 439 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 1: to find, like you said, people will do very crazy, violent, 440 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 1: mean stuff to get it. And there's a lot of 441 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: reasons why even if you're not willing to like throw 442 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 1: an elbow to get a toy, you might still be 443 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: willing to camp out at four am waiting for you know, 444 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: a twenty four hour retailer to restock UM their their 445 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,440 Speaker 1: supply of this so you can buy it. That's unusual 446 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: behavior and the reason why it all comes down to 447 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 1: scarcity marketing and the idea that we have a fear 448 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: of missing out, a fear of social embarrassment, of fear 449 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,159 Speaker 1: of our kids not loving us as much as they 450 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 1: could had we gotten them this toy, and that all 451 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: of these things, the scarcity marketing is the real driver 452 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 1: that kind of hyper charges must have toy frenzy. Yeah, 453 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: and it's not you know, just toys. You've seen everything 454 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,160 Speaker 1: from UM. You make a great point about Peppi Van 455 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: Winkle whiskey. Oh, I should say that's from marketing Land. 456 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: A guy named Jacob bods Gud wrote an article on 457 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: marketing Land where he cited that and the Disney Vault 458 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: is really good examples. Yeah, Disney Vault, it's another great one. Um. 459 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: They were very famous for not just saying like here's 460 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: all the movies we've ever made that you can buy 461 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,439 Speaker 1: on VHS, all on one big package. They would release 462 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: them every every now and then, and you know, you 463 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: had a limited time to get them. And I wasn't 464 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: really hipped all this, but my dad and his wife 465 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: were way into the Disney stuff, and you know, they 466 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: were adamant about making sure they filled out the entire 467 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: collection and really kept up with when they were going 468 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: to be released. And what a big deal that was. Yeah, 469 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: that was a big one. And um Bod's Guard makes 470 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 1: the point like by making them limited and available also 471 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: only for a limited time, with years sometimes a decade 472 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,040 Speaker 1: in between times when you can buy these things, it 473 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: creates this like frenzy to go buy them, and it 474 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: also makes them like a treasured part of that person's home, 475 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Yeah, And you can also 476 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: fake out the public a little bit and mislead them 477 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: on the scarcity like you might have a lot of 478 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: the stuff and just kind of lead the public to 479 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,200 Speaker 1: believe like now you better go get one right now 480 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: because they may not be around next week. Yeah. The 481 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 1: people who made Hatch a Moles spin Master, Um, Hatch 482 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: the Moles were really hard to find and I think 483 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: two thousands, sixteen, seventeen and eighteen UM, and spin Master 484 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 1: was basically accused of purposefully using scarcity marketing. And for 485 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 1: their part, they said, hey, we were totally caught off 486 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: guard three years in a row by the um you 487 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 1: know the popularity of Hatch the Moles, and other people 488 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: were like, that's that's b s. You can totally ramp 489 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: up production pretty fast. Um. Another must have toy was 490 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:56,639 Speaker 1: finger links. Remember them from like last year or the 491 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 1: year before. They were like little monkeys or slaw or 492 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: dragons or whatever that would hang on to your finger. 493 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,679 Speaker 1: And they were little finger sized robots that would like 494 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 1: blink and blow kisses and do all sorts of cute stuff. 495 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 1: They weren't they were cute instead of uncanny because they 496 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: weren't the words finger sized robots together so right, they 497 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,360 Speaker 1: would cut your throat while you slept. Um, But they 498 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: they were they were caught unaware. Even though they really 499 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: tried it hard to make them hit through social media, 500 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,760 Speaker 1: they were still surprised when it actually happened. But they 501 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: ramped up production. They brought a third factory in China online. 502 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: They went from shipping via cargo boat to air transport 503 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: to get supplies here faster, and they were able to 504 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: ramp up and and meet demand pretty quickly. So the 505 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: idea that Hatch themill just couldn't possibly do that really 506 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: smelled to a lot of people like they were purposefully 507 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: using scarcity marketing. Yeah. Scarcity, I mean, it's an interesting 508 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: concept because you see it everywhere. You know, they have 509 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,240 Speaker 1: restaurants that, you know, here in Atlanta, Home and Finch 510 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: had the Holm and Burger that like one day a week, 511 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: like we'll sell a hundred of them starting at ten 512 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 1: pm on this night, and then everyone's like, oh my god, 513 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: what is in that burger? People would line up the block. Yeah. 514 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: Or this is a nice little tidbit here that you 515 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: dug up about supermarket experiments. Yeah, that's from an article 516 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: from market Watch by Mark Elwood on that one. It's amazing. 517 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 1: Even putting up a sign for soup that says limit 518 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: twelve per person will make people be like, oh, I 519 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: should I should probably buy twelve of these for whatever reason. 520 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 1: Campbells might they might stop making their chicken noodle soup 521 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: right or in this case, it was soup that was 522 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: on sale, so who knows what the price is going 523 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 1: to go back to? You know, well, that's true. So um. 524 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: One of the other things that scarcity produces is this 525 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: idea that there haves and have nots. Right, So if 526 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: the idea that you're fearful of missing out or fearful 527 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: of your kid not loving you isn't enough, there's a 528 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: whole other, um cognitive bias of of being a have not, 529 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: of being left on the cold, which I guess is 530 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: a fear of missing out. But there's also the benefit 531 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: of being a have where if you're talking about like 532 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: a finger link, which is a fifteen dollar toy, but 533 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: people were crazy for those things that either last year 534 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: or the year before, and like just about anybody can 535 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 1: afford this fifteen dollar toy. So even if you're like 536 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 1: I have not throughout the year, you're down on your luck, 537 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: maybe you're unemployed or you're unemployed, Um, things just aren't 538 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: going your way. You could still camp out and wait 539 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: for that late night restocking of finger links and get 540 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: your kid that toy, and for that time you are 541 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: a have and maybe even somebody with a much higher 542 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 1: social status than you couldn't get that finger link, which 543 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: makes it all the more sweet. And then let's also 544 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: not forget. Like we said, this is during the holiday season, 545 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: so emotions like count extra So to be a have 546 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: when you're normally not during the holiday season because you 547 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 1: gotta must have toy is exponentially increased. Yeah, it's a 548 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: big deal, um, because it's it. Even if it's just 549 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 1: emotionally equal for a brief period of time, it's it 550 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: can be a big deal for somebody. Um, I'd say 551 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: we take our final break here here, and then we 552 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: come back and talk about the worst people toy flippers 553 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: right after this. All right, so I set up the 554 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 1: worst people are toy flippers. Obviously there's a lot of really, 555 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: really bad people in the world. And I'm being what hyperbolic, 556 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: but I do think somewhat the idea of buying targeting 557 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: and buying a lot of must have toys to sell 558 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: later for profit on eBay makes you a pretty rotten person. Yeah, 559 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go ahead and lay that judgment down some 560 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 1: people do. I reserve judgment for the ones who do 561 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: it professionally. I think if you are a person who 562 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 1: is just trying to augment your um, your own like 563 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: holiday expenses and uh you are foreseeing a lack of 564 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 1: supply ahead of time, I say more power to you. Yeah, 565 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: I'm not into it. I feel the same way about 566 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: ticket scalpers. Yeah, it's exactly. I mean it's the same 567 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: thing basically. Yeah, it's it's buying up a bunch of things. Uh. 568 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 1: Sometimes and this is completely gross and awful. Using bots. Yeah, 569 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: that's the pits to especially for concert tickets, like when 570 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: bots buy up all the best concert tickets, especially our tickets. Yeah, exactly, 571 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 1: I think anybody uses bots on ours? Well probably not, 572 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: but um, actually, stuff you should know is is we've 573 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 1: seen very few bad examples of people trying to overcharge 574 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: for a sold out show. More times than not, it's 575 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: a fellow listener that's like, hey, just come along, you 576 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: can sit next to me for face value, or I 577 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 1: don't even give it to you. Yeah, that happens quite 578 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 1: a bit. And yeah, I mean there's only been a 579 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 1: couple where somebody's like, you know, a million dollars and 580 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: of course they didn't sell it now. Um, but yeah, 581 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: we haven't run into that. Mostly the problem is from 582 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: um ticket outlets just charging ridiculous fees on top of 583 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: our ticket price. Well that makes us mad, and you 584 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: all should know we don't have control over that. Um. 585 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 1: We're the Eddie Vetter of podcasting, right. But if you 586 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 1: ever find yourself in a situation where you got shut 587 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:56,560 Speaker 1: out of the stuff, you should know show and your 588 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 1: option is to not go or to pay like a 589 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: ridiculous amount, just send us an email. Will put you 590 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 1: on the list. Oh god, Chuck, Wow, you just opened 591 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 1: some floodgates. I mean, there's a very few list spots, 592 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: so it's not like you know right now you just 593 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 1: started a must have toy frenzy for the list. Look 594 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 1: what you've done. Oh let's get back to bots. Um. 595 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 1: These bots are so savvy that they can they can 596 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 1: buy out, they can have hundreds of credit card numbers 597 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: on file because sometimes they'll have like a limit to 598 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: how many things you can buy. They are all these 599 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: shortcuts in ways to bypass all of these safeguards put 600 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:40,279 Speaker 1: into effect, including captures. They will hire foreign workers to 601 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:43,719 Speaker 1: sit around and type in the captions to get through security. 602 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:47,280 Speaker 1: Which I mean, if there is anything that says holiday 603 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: spirit more than that, I can't think of it. But 604 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 1: these bots can, uh can sometimes buy out something in 605 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 1: the second that it goes up online for regular human 606 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,760 Speaker 1: to say, oh, like, all right, they've released the tickets 607 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: or the doll m right, because they they'll see. What 608 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 1: they'll do is they'll go on to like retail websites 609 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 1: and figure out what the unique idea is for the 610 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: product that they're looking for. It'll start right, it'll start 611 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: monitoring that page because people who build these pages will 612 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:21,719 Speaker 1: put them out and just won't you know, kind of 613 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: really open the curtain for hours ahead of time, so 614 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: the body will have the page targeted and just keep 615 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: refreshing it hundreds of times a second until that sale 616 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 1: goes live, and they will have ordered scores of these 617 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 1: things or dozens or hundreds whatever however many it can 618 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:41,880 Speaker 1: before you can even if you're sitting there refreshing your browser, 619 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,920 Speaker 1: between the time it takes to refresh your page, they 620 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: will have wiped the place out using these bots. And 621 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:51,239 Speaker 1: then if you're truly sophisticated, you probably have another set 622 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:53,800 Speaker 1: of bots who take your inventory and then put it 623 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 1: up for sale at some exorbitant price on Amazon or 624 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: eBay or craig List or something like that. Yeah, the 625 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,360 Speaker 1: worst people. So like, you don't even have to do anything, 626 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: you just stick your bots on it. Yeah. I stand 627 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: by it, even for the enterprising person who I just 628 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't have a have a big 629 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:16,360 Speaker 1: problem with someone making money off of someone else's misfortune 630 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 1: to not have been able to get that themselves. I 631 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: don't think it makes someone scrappy or enterprising at all. 632 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 1: Hey man, that's that's fine. Yeah, I'll die on this hill. Okay, 633 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 1: that's fine. So if you are one of those people 634 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 1: that Chuck hates and you want to be enterprising, there 635 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,840 Speaker 1: is a article written by Lisa Smith. It's on Investipedia 636 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 1: and it's called the Guide to reselling toys at Christmas 637 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:45,120 Speaker 1: for extra money, which is very innocuous. Um. Then there's 638 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 1: some tips actually that make a lot of sense. If 639 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: you want to do this, do you want to go 640 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: over them or you're gonna remain mute? You can go 641 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,240 Speaker 1: over so you could talk to parents if you wanted 642 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: to write Chuck, that's right, Josh good idea. Um there, 643 00:36:57,680 --> 00:36:59,640 Speaker 1: because they know what kids want. You can talk to 644 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:02,839 Speaker 1: kids themselves, which makes sense. I mean, just go right 645 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,480 Speaker 1: to the horse's mouth. I've already said the same thing, Joshua. Um, 646 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: you can talk to Santa. I thought this was pretty enterprising. 647 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 1: Like imagine if you are trying So what you're trying 648 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: to do here is to identify what toy you want 649 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: to buy as early ahead of time as possible, so that, um, 650 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:23,399 Speaker 1: you can have identified the hot season, the hot toy 651 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 1: of the season, and bought them before the demand really struck. 652 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: So you talked to mall, Santa's hang out in stores, 653 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: you can talk to cashier's stock people, all that stuff, 654 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 1: because not only will they know what toy you need 655 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 1: to look out for, they'll know when these new supplies 656 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:41,759 Speaker 1: are coming in. Maybe slip on a Starbucks card or 657 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 1: something like that with ten Bucks on it as a 658 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:46,759 Speaker 1: thank you, but be sure to deduct that from your 659 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: bottom line. Deduct that bribery, right, and then um, you 660 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:53,760 Speaker 1: can actually hang out in chat rooms. There's entire websites 661 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 1: that are dedicated to this kind of stuff that are 662 00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:59,240 Speaker 1: um you know that that say like, here's the toys 663 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 1: we're looking for or I spotted some at this you know, 664 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 1: Walmart or whatever. This this stock guy said that Walmart 665 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: replenish his own on Thursdays at ten. Um. There's a 666 00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: lot of stuff you can do if you really wanted 667 00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:16,399 Speaker 1: to put the leg work in great or you could 668 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:20,080 Speaker 1: put all that energy into doing something worthwhile. Right, I 669 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: know what you're talking about. This is the like the 670 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: Michael Larson approach to the holidays, the man who got 671 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,880 Speaker 1: no whammy's on pressure. Luck. Oh, I had no problem 672 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 1: with him. Okay, this is virtually the same thing. It's 673 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 1: somebody Michael Larson wasn't. Uh, there wasn't some father who 674 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: didn't have much money that you know, overpaid for a 675 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:48,839 Speaker 1: doll to make his little girl happy at Christmas time. 676 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:53,919 Speaker 1: Michael Larson didn't do that, right, Uh, he would have, though, 677 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 1: I'm sure of it. Oh goodness. So that's what you 678 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 1: can do if you want to flip toys and ruin 679 00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:05,560 Speaker 1: the holidays. As far as Chuck's concerns, um and that 680 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:07,800 Speaker 1: is that is a big part of the competition of 681 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,440 Speaker 1: people who will go buy out stocks like you're not 682 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: really facing them nationwide unless you're talking about people who 683 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 1: release bots onto websites or whatever. But they are out 684 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 1: there and they do. They do actually create competition and 685 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 1: help drive that frenzy even further, because remember what's behind 686 00:39:23,239 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 1: must have toys a scarcity marketing, and if there are 687 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 1: people out there actively contributing to the scarcity, that's a 688 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: big deal. Here's what I want to hear from. I 689 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:36,719 Speaker 1: want to hear from, uh some women listeners who let's 690 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:39,640 Speaker 1: say you go on a on a on a date 691 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:41,640 Speaker 1: from a dating app and you sit down across from 692 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 1: your date and you're like, what do you do? And 693 00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: he goes, I'm a toy flipper, and she like, what's that? 694 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,799 Speaker 1: Because you know, around Christmas time, I go out and 695 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,440 Speaker 1: buy like tons of toys that I know little kids 696 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,799 Speaker 1: really really want, and then I'll mark them up so 697 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 1: I can make a lot of money off their parents 698 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,279 Speaker 1: who may not be able to afford it. Right, and 699 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: just tell me how that date goes from there? Yeah? 700 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 1: Can it? Does it have to be a man and 701 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:06,800 Speaker 1: a woman? Can it just be anybody? It can be anybody? 702 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 1: But you know, I think the guy that does this 703 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: is the guy that I just did that voice for, 704 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: who's apparently from Jersey. They're all from New Jersey. Okay, So, um, 705 00:40:18,719 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 1: I feel like we've learned a lot here. We've talked about, 706 00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:25,919 Speaker 1: you know, how a toy becomes a must have toy 707 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,319 Speaker 1: of a season usually has to do with some sort 708 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 1: of some combination of of advertising and buzz marketing as 709 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:37,319 Speaker 1: long or as well as um scarcity the flippers get involved. Um, 710 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,719 Speaker 1: I think, and I want to back this up, Chuck, 711 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 1: there's not a lot of stuff out there on this. 712 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:45,359 Speaker 1: This all had to be brought together. This is kind 713 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:47,759 Speaker 1: of one of those rare stuff you should know THESS 714 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:51,520 Speaker 1: about what makes must have toy must have toy. But 715 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 1: I think it's I think it holds up. Should we 716 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:57,439 Speaker 1: talk about some of the big toys of this year? Yes, 717 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 1: So those lists that are out there, this helps me. 718 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:02,919 Speaker 1: Actually we put a bunch of well that's the point. 719 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:04,799 Speaker 1: That's we're trying to help you and all of the 720 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 1: toy flippers out there. So actually this is for all 721 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:10,880 Speaker 1: the parents. This will help you get a drop on 722 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:13,319 Speaker 1: the toy flippers, because I guarantee there are very few 723 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 1: toy flippers listening to stuff you should know now because 724 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:18,359 Speaker 1: we have good people in our audience, so that all 725 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:20,399 Speaker 1: those lists that are out there now we kind of 726 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:25,279 Speaker 1: compiled and cross referenced them. A number of them lists 727 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:30,200 Speaker 1: from Target, Toys, toughts, pets, and more. That's just one Amazon, 728 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:35,720 Speaker 1: the Today's Show, Toy Insider, the Spruce Crazy Coupon Lady 729 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:40,160 Speaker 1: who had a post about toy flipping, Walmart, and New 730 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 1: York Magazine. All those lists we looked at and we 731 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,839 Speaker 1: found ones that appeared on at least a couple, if 732 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: not more, And one of them, the first one, appeared 733 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,319 Speaker 1: on basically every single list that we saw. Yeah, this one, 734 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:56,040 Speaker 1: the balloom doll b l U m E. Nothing to 735 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,560 Speaker 1: do with the rest of development, but it is this 736 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 1: is something and that that my daughter might like. Apparently 737 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:05,640 Speaker 1: this is another another thing you add water to uh 738 00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:08,080 Speaker 1: and it blooms. But this is I don't think it 739 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:10,920 Speaker 1: hatches from an egg. I think this doll just like 740 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:14,279 Speaker 1: grows like a chia pet mite kind of, and like 741 00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:16,919 Speaker 1: the hair that grows is I can't tell. It looks 742 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,319 Speaker 1: like some sort of foam or styrofoam or something, but 743 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 1: it takes different shapes like pineapples or cakes or something 744 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:31,960 Speaker 1: like that. And there's I think twenty two different versions. Yeah, yeah, 745 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,920 Speaker 1: but they're also yeah, they're super affordable too, so they're 746 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:38,440 Speaker 1: they're probably going to be the hot must have Christmas 747 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:41,040 Speaker 1: toy of the Year's bloom Dolls Hatch the Moles are 748 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: still around. Yeah, and there's one that's um from How 749 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:49,000 Speaker 1: to Train Your Dragon Toothless Dragon, the Baby Dragon. They 750 00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 1: have a Hatch the Mole version of him. What else 751 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: really Barbies on the list? Yeah, Barbie has a dream Plane, 752 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,319 Speaker 1: which I saw in a couple of lists where um, yeah, 753 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:01,799 Speaker 1: it's a for Barbie. There's like a snack cart and 754 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,319 Speaker 1: everything comes with a dog that I guess lives on 755 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:09,080 Speaker 1: the plane. There's also l O L Surprise? Have you 756 00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 1: heard of that? I hadn't heard of it either until 757 00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:15,000 Speaker 1: we started researching this, But they're like a whole brand 758 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:18,759 Speaker 1: um and a lot of these, including bloom Dolls in 759 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:21,240 Speaker 1: l O L Surprise, they tap into like this whole 760 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 1: trend of unboxing. Do you remember when we talked about 761 00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:30,440 Speaker 1: unboxing on YouTube where like people open toys because our 762 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:34,640 Speaker 1: good friend, uh Joe Randazzo did his Lego Man unboxing 763 00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:37,160 Speaker 1: videos that were still to me one of the funniest 764 00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: things I've ever seen. Yes, great plug by the way, 765 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:44,239 Speaker 1: but they still do that, like they're still unboxing is 766 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,520 Speaker 1: a huge trend and that's worked its way into toys, 767 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:49,040 Speaker 1: so L O L Surprise is kind of based on that, 768 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:51,239 Speaker 1: and there's like a whole line of dolls but they're 769 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,040 Speaker 1: like into like DJ stuff and fashion and all that, 770 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:57,239 Speaker 1: but they also have Surprise. And there's also a kid 771 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: named Ryan's World. I don't think that's his last name, 772 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:04,680 Speaker 1: but that's his his YouTube channel and guarantee we talked 773 00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:08,400 Speaker 1: about Ryan's World in that Unboxing Toys episode. But um, 774 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:11,600 Speaker 1: he's got all sorts of toys that are um out 775 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:13,400 Speaker 1: where you like, you just don't know what you're getting 776 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:17,400 Speaker 1: when you open the thing. It's just surprise unboxing the 777 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:21,840 Speaker 1: weird sub genre on YouTube of unboxing or I remember 778 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: we talked about the one where the lady's hands would 779 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:27,160 Speaker 1: just play with things. Yeah, it was the Yeah remember 780 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:31,279 Speaker 1: she was like pepper Peg. Yeah, it's so interesting. Uh, 781 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:32,799 Speaker 1: I'll tell you the one on the list though that 782 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:35,760 Speaker 1: I like that. Um, I usually look at the toys 783 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 1: that I'm like, what, I like to play this with 784 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:41,279 Speaker 1: my daughter, because that's important. I can't be bored out 785 00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:43,799 Speaker 1: of my mind, you know. Oh yeah, good point. Uh. 786 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 1: And this lego make your own movie kit looks pretty 787 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:49,960 Speaker 1: cool to me. Yeah. I was kind of hartened to 788 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,319 Speaker 1: see that on on a couple of lists, you know, 789 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:55,400 Speaker 1: because it's like, this is about motion movies you can make. Yeah, 790 00:44:55,440 --> 00:45:00,239 Speaker 1: it's thoughtful, it's inventive. Yeah, where it's it's yeah, there's 791 00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:03,759 Speaker 1: They have a bunch of different stages and backgrounds and props, 792 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:09,120 Speaker 1: including a banana. It's great. So you learn how to make. 793 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:11,640 Speaker 1: Are you gonna get get her? That? I think you 794 00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:17,600 Speaker 1: should anytime? Buddy? Can we make a flaming hoop out 795 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:22,080 Speaker 1: of a coat hanger and do things with that too? Okay? Um? 796 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 1: And then the other one was the Fisher Price link 797 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:27,800 Speaker 1: A moles, which are super cute, including the smooth move sloth. 798 00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:32,160 Speaker 1: Hey I'm down with Fisher Price yea, so huge, huge 799 00:45:32,239 --> 00:45:36,560 Speaker 1: right now? Yeah? Do you remember Playmobile? Play Mobile? Remember 800 00:45:36,560 --> 00:45:40,200 Speaker 1: that they were like the vaguely European kind of um 801 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:44,520 Speaker 1: action people, but there was nothing like violent or military 802 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:49,960 Speaker 1: about them. They would explore or um. I probably recognize them. 803 00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:52,640 Speaker 1: I definitely know that name. You You've seen it a 804 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 1: million times. Right when you see it, you I'll I'll 805 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:56,920 Speaker 1: look it up and show it to you later. But 806 00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,879 Speaker 1: it's you'll see it and be like, yeah, of course, wait, 807 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: I see him right there. Sure, yeah, there you go. Yeah. 808 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:04,600 Speaker 1: I was kind of a Fisher Price kid. But you know, 809 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:07,439 Speaker 1: we still have some of that stuff that our daughter 810 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:09,400 Speaker 1: plays with that we had when we were kids, like 811 00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:13,719 Speaker 1: the barn and the boat, and you know, it holds up, 812 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:18,400 Speaker 1: definitely does hold up. You got anything else, nothing else? 813 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:20,719 Speaker 1: You're gonna go buy a bunch of toys and flip them. 814 00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:23,320 Speaker 1: I got nothing else except for twenty tho hatch homles 815 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:26,799 Speaker 1: in my garage. Man. Here's the other thing, though, Chuck, like, 816 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,160 Speaker 1: you're taking a risk because you've got to predict what 817 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:31,439 Speaker 1: they must have toys. And if you if you guess wrong, 818 00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:34,680 Speaker 1: you've got twenty thousand hatch moles that nobody wants. But 819 00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 1: I'd love to see that happen in real life. I 820 00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:42,560 Speaker 1: guarantee it happened. So just keep an ear out, Uh, 821 00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:44,520 Speaker 1: if you want to know more about the must have toys. 822 00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:47,720 Speaker 1: There's basically nothing you can't know that we haven't already 823 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:51,200 Speaker 1: told you. So just I guess, go get your your 824 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:54,279 Speaker 1: kids some Christmas toys. That's right? Is that a good 825 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:58,880 Speaker 1: way to sign off? That's great? Okay? Since I said, uh, 826 00:46:59,040 --> 00:47:00,440 Speaker 1: is this a good way to sign off. It's time 827 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:05,560 Speaker 1: for listener mail. I'm gonna call this from a teacher. 828 00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:08,520 Speaker 1: We always like to shout out our teachers and their 829 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:12,359 Speaker 1: their students. Hey, guys, just sending one of what I'm 830 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:15,120 Speaker 1: sure is among infinite thank you so that you receive 831 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:19,080 Speaker 1: as a teacher who regularly references knowledge I gained from 832 00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:22,920 Speaker 1: listening to your show in my class. My students, unwittingly, Uh, 833 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,759 Speaker 1: and I are eternally grateful for your work. They give 834 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,280 Speaker 1: a hearty laugh whenever I steal your characters. Took Took 835 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:33,880 Speaker 1: the wise proto Homo sapien and erg the folly prone 836 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:38,760 Speaker 1: genetic defect to elucidate points about the evolution of early humans. 837 00:47:39,480 --> 00:47:42,840 Speaker 1: I knew you wouldn't mind my poaching that you think, John, 838 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:46,919 Speaker 1: you'll be hearing from our lawyers. John, you're the toy 839 00:47:46,960 --> 00:47:51,719 Speaker 1: flipper of teachers. Just kidding, Uh. The reason I'm writing 840 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:53,560 Speaker 1: is to say I think you should not be discouraged 841 00:47:53,600 --> 00:47:55,399 Speaker 1: by any listener mail you received telling you to keep 842 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 1: your opinions to yourself. My favorite episodes are the ones 843 00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:00,720 Speaker 1: where either or both of you have so strong feelings 844 00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:02,920 Speaker 1: about the subject that you can't help but go on 845 00:48:02,920 --> 00:48:05,680 Speaker 1: a rant Maybe it's just because I agree with every rant, 846 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:08,360 Speaker 1: but I feel like it is important to take a 847 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:11,759 Speaker 1: stand on issues that matter to you and admit that 848 00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:14,399 Speaker 1: you're human beings with a real stake in the game. 849 00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:17,480 Speaker 1: Thanks again, I'll keep listening as long as you keep podcasting. 850 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:22,759 Speaker 1: That is from John L. Bushkin. So thank you, Mr. Lebushkin, 851 00:48:22,880 --> 00:48:28,680 Speaker 1: and hello to uh your students. Mr Lebushkin's class. Yeah, hi, guys, 852 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:31,359 Speaker 1: you's got a cool teacher. Yeah, he does sound pretty cool. 853 00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:34,960 Speaker 1: He's doing God's work, teaching the next generation. That's right. 854 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:37,040 Speaker 1: I hope he doesn't work in a public school because 855 00:48:37,040 --> 00:48:41,520 Speaker 1: he's gonna be like, can't say God's work. If you 856 00:48:41,560 --> 00:48:44,040 Speaker 1: want to get in touch with us like Mr Lebushkin did, 857 00:48:44,600 --> 00:48:47,120 Speaker 1: or if you're a toy flipper who has an argument 858 00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:50,239 Speaker 1: against Chuck's argument, we want to hear from you. Bring 859 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:52,440 Speaker 1: You can go on to stuff you Should Know dot 860 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:54,520 Speaker 1: com and check out our social links, and you can 861 00:48:54,600 --> 00:48:57,720 Speaker 1: also send us an email to stuff podcast at iHeart 862 00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:03,240 Speaker 1: radio dot com. Stuff you Should Know is a production 863 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:06,000 Speaker 1: of iHeart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more podcasts for 864 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:08,880 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 865 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:13,800 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows h