Subject:
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Hot Toys, Already Melting Away
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.mediawatch
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Date:
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Tue, 5 Nov 2002 14:56:16 GMT
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Viewed:
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1386 times
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This was reprinted in my local newspaper, the Raleigh NC (USA) 'News and
Observer' today. Here's the original Washington Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20757-2002Oct26.html
Highlights:
"Harry Potter's Chamber of Secrets Lego set is already gone from some
stores, one toy expert said after visiting a few this week.
Don't panic. The operative word is "some." But keep in mind that the norms
of holiday shopping do not apply to toys.
...
"One thing never changes, Silver said: The toymakers always assume they're
better off making too little of a product than too much. The idea is to
insulate themselves against toys that flop.
As a result, hot toys usually sell out early. Silver expects that some of
this year's in-demand merchandise will be gone by Dec. 1, if not Thanksgiving.
...
But don't worry. Prices won't go up as a result of shortages or pent-up
demand, Silver said. They never do, at least not in mainstream retail outlets.
"The toy industry is an odd industry in that respect," Silver said. "In most
businesses, when there's a hot item, the price goes up. But in the toy
industry, the price can actually go down."
Here's how it works, he said: A retailer will put away its top sellers and
then bring them out later in the season, slash their prices and promote them
like crazy.
"The retailers use these items as loss leaders to bring people into the
store," Silver said.
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