I have to say that I am rather enjoying my job as a personal shopper for Sears.com. Heck, I am being paid to surf the web. “Can you find an American-made Christmas tree?” you ask. “But of course! Here are the top three products I would suggest!” “How about Thomas the Tank Engine Cookie Jar?” “Absolutely! Here is one on Amazon.com.” It’s pretty cool to be able to help people find things they otherwise thought they couldn’t get.
But this is not always the case. There are some items that we are being consistently asked about, and unless you have a fortune to spend on Christmas presents, there isn’t a glimmer of hope that they will be under your tree come Christmas morn.
Mattel Mindflex.
This came out a couple of months ago, to lots of blank stares and puzzled grunting noises. It is a game that apparently uses your brain waves/mental telepathy/ghosts to move a small ball in the air without touching it. And now every 9 – 26 year old guy needs it. Not just needs it… HAS to have it. Unless, of course, the price has increased to almost $200.
FurReal Friends S’Mores Pony.
Yeah. You’re not getting this either. This is a toy pony, about 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall, that actually walks and moves and little kids can actually ride on. Pretty. Stinkin. Awesome. And $495, up a little from the originally $50 price tag.
Barbie Glamour Camper.
This one makes me laugh. Who is Barbie trying to kid?! When has camping ever been glamorous?! Even if you have a sweet camper, you’re walking through the woods getting pine needles and dirt stuck to your clothes, sitting by the fire, the smell of smoke permeating every square inch of your skin, and picking ashes off your food. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. But Glamour and Camper do not go together. And Mattel probably only made about a hundred of these things, thinking they wouldn’t be very popular. They were wrong. People feel the need for some Glamour in their Barbie camping experience. And only few lucky girls are going to get it this Holiday season.
So if any of these items are on your wishlist this year, good luck. Sure you don’t want an iPod instead? I can find you an iPod in a snap.
Beth
December 3, 2009 at 12:42 pm
That camper would have gone great with the cruise ship I owned and never played with.
Jenn King
December 3, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Madie won’t be reading your blog today!
Robert
December 3, 2009 at 7:07 pm
so, where can I find an american made christmas tree?
Trav
December 4, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Man, I’ve always wanted a toy that could concretely prove my ESP sensitivities. Just keep young Drew Barrymore away from that thing!
DgA
December 4, 2009 at 7:18 pm
actually we do glamor camping – it’s all the rage now-a-days. We pull the camper in to runway music (thump thump thump) and extend the runway gangplank as we make our way to the firepit wearing only the latest in camping couture. Looks like we’ve been doing it wrong though… cuz apparently every glamor camper needs an LCD TV inside. Why enjoy the beauty of nature when you can watch Monster Jams in Hi Def?
Louise
December 11, 2009 at 9:02 am
That was so funny reading about the things that we cannot find as our job as personal shoppers. AFter Ellen had mindflex on tv the other day I have had at least 5 calls daily on that item alone!