"We are entering the holiday season again, and just as in
last year, there is something of a frenzy of searching for hard-to-find Monster
High Dolls by Mattel toys. Here are some
tips and considerations to keep in mind.
“Rare” dolls may be plentiful later. The only dolls produced
in any limited number are the ones released during the 2010 and 2011 San Diego
Comic-con. Dolls that were hard to find last year during the holiday season,
were up until recently in plentiful supply this year. Although Mattel has
released new dolls, the first waves were not entirely abandoned either. This
means that if you can’t find one of those hard-to-find Monster High Dolls now,
you probably will by next spring.
( As A collector maybe that is not a good idea to buy this doll on another season, the excitemen and the thrill will be different if we buy in another season)
( As A collector maybe that is not a good idea to buy this doll on another season, the excitemen and the thrill will be different if we buy in another season)
Preorders can be a gamble. Many stores are offering
preorders on these dolls. I urge caution on this because dolls that are in
short supply will be allocated. This means that a retailer will probably not
get all the dolls they order. A retailer may order 100 dolls for example, and
only receive 60. So what happens if they accepted pre-orders on a doll and they
did not receive enough to fill all orders?
Additionally, under Federal law, retailers who take
preorders must advise you monthly of the status of your preorder. Consumers
have the right to cancel a preorder at any time up until the order ships.
Deposits on Preoders? Credit card providers expect merchants
to not charge for an online order until the order is ready to ship. Some
merchants have gotten around those provisions by demanding deposits on
preorders. A deposit on an order is appropriate where custom work is involved,
in dressmaking for example. Expecting a deposit on mass market products taken
in preorder is unethical, in my opinion. None of the larger online retailers do
this.
Consider gift cards. A parent might consider giving a gift
card, that a child could use to purchase dolls later when they come in stock.
Keep in mind though; merchant associations report that many gift cards go
unused. Make sure the gift card you buy does not have an expiration date.
Don’t support theft. Monster High dolls have not officially
been released in Hong Kong, Indonesia, or China. Any company located there offering to sell
them have stolen the dolls, or produced fakes. Monster High dolls are being
made in Indonesia.
Why are dolls hard to find? Monster High is very popular.
Companies don’t conspire to keep them out of stock. However, decisions on how
many to stock, and how many to produce must be make up to a year in advance.
This year, we continue in slow economic times, and major retailers are going to
be cautious with how much, and particularly, how much of a “new” product they
are going to stock. "
