Want to keep the kids happy this Christmas? Do your toy shopping early.
Some of the hottest toys on the younger set’s lists will be nearly impossible to buy after Thanksgiving, say toy makers and industry analysts.
The reason – a massive backup of cargo ships at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the main U.S. entry point for container ships from Asia.
Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment, expects his biggest sellers – Bratz Twiins, Bratz Babyz, Bratz Secret Date and the stair-climbing vehicle Tarantula – to be sold out a week after Thanksgiving.
Canadian toy company Spin Master also predicts its hottest toys – the Aquadoodle preschool mat and the Bella Dancerella video – will start disappearing from store shelves after Thanksgiving.
Perhaps the hardest-to-get gift will be the Nintendo DS, a handheld two-screen personal player due out on Nov. 21.