Webkinz Make Great Summertime Gifts
Have You Given a Webkinz Yet?
Everyone knows that I do my best to stay on top of the hottest gifts of the year. Usually, however, the hottest gifts tend to fly off the shelves at Christmas -- not in the middle of summer. Webkinz, my friends, seem to be the exception. Stores can't seem to keep these cute little stuffed animals in stock. If you haven't been bitten by the Webkinz bug, or worse yet, don't even know what Webkinz are, get ready for Webkinz enlightenment.
What Are Webkinz?
Webkinz are cute little stuffed animals with catchy little names (kind of like beanie babies, but cuter in my opinion). However, Webkinz aren't JUST any old stuffed animal.
Each Webkinz doll has a sealed tag attached to it. When that tag is opened, there's a web code on it. The child who receives the Webkinz as a gift can then go to the Webkinz.com website, enter the code and create a virtual life for their Webkinz pet.
Once the child has logged onto the Webkinz website and entered their Webkinz code, they can adopt and name their Webkinz pet and design an entire bedroom for it. Then they can play games in the Webkinz arcade (or compete against other players in Webkinz tournaments) to earn "KinzCash". That KinzCash can then be spent on cute things for the virtual pet such as toys, furniture, clothes, etc.
The Price Factor
Webkinz are actually quite affordable if, and that's a big if, you can find them at a retailer and pay the suggested retail price (about $10). If you can't find Webkinz in the stores, you can definitely find them on eBay for about $15 to $50 depending on which one you're looking for.
Local stores are often sold out of WebKinz, so you may want to get on a waiting list (if possible) or shop online. While online retailers and resellers may charge a premium, for those who demand instant gratification and don't want to wait for their Webkinz, the extra cash will be worth it.