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Pokémon game going fast
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November 24, 1999: 6:31 p.m. ET
Popular trading card game is season's hottest toy so far, raising supply fears
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Every year around Christmas, there emerges a toy every American child seemingly cannot possibly live without, be it last year's Furby creature or 1997's Tickle Me Elmo.
This year, that toy comes in a cardboard box filled will 61 trading cards featuring colorful, pocket-size creatures that reportedly possess all kinds of magical powers.
The game, of course, features Pokémon, the latest children's craze that has sent thousands, if not millions, of parents scrambling to find the latest Pokémon products in time for Christmas morning.
And while most of the 95 official Pokémon products still can be found in abundant supply at local toy stores or online shopping venues -- including Nintendo's Pokémon Game Boy game, which started the fad -- the shrinking availability of the 2-player Pokémon Trading Card Game starter set has quickly turned into the year's first toy product crisis.
"The popularity of the game has really skyrocketed," admitted Jenny Bendle, spokeswoman for Wizards of the Coast, the Hasbro Inc. (HAS) division that distributes Pokémon card products in the United States. "I don't think anybody could have anticipated the demand for this."
Since the trading card game was introduced in January, Wizards of the Coast estimates that no fewer than 3 million American children have acquired the game that requires them to match up their Pokémon trading cards in one-on-one battles to see who is the greater Pokémon master.
The Pokémon trading card game: Get it now . . . while you still can
The company's printing machines have been cranking out new game boards and cards around the clock since August. Yet there is still a very good chance the company will be unable to catch up with consumer demand in time for Christmas.
"The demand is definitely outweighing supply at this point," said Jonathan Cutler, spokesman for eToys Inc. (ETYS), one the most popular online toy stores. "Pokémon is in great demand, so it's going to be very hard to keep it in stock."
eToys carries six different Pokémon trading card products, including the 2-player starter set. As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, it only had one of those in stock: Packs of 24 Pokémon Action Flipz! Cards.
The only possible salvation for customers hoping to find the trading card game was an option where they could have an e-mail sent to them when new products arrived -- the equivalent of waiting in a virtual line.
Other stores reported heavy demand as well, although some managed to keep the game on their shelves.
Retailer Toys 'R Us, for instance, still has the game available in most of its stores, as well as on its Web site. Other traditional retailers, like KB Toys, report similar situations.
Then again, Toys 'R Us (TOY) and KB Toys are charging $25 for the game set, while eToys charges $9.99.
Still, adequate supplies at those stores have kept bids on certain Internet auction sites from getting out of hand. Bids on the trading card game have generally not crept above the $25 range.
However, for those parents who REALLY love their children, early edition Pokémon trading card sets are currently drawing bids in excess of $1,000 on eBay Inc. (EBAY).
Just a suggestion.
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