Ok, so, we haven’t even had a chance to cook our Thanksgiving dinners yet, much less digest this holiday, but ready or not, the holiday shopping season is underway. I have my lists penciled in, but nothing firm quite yet, not to mention, we’re still finalizing our Holiday Gift Guide with quite a few last minute submissions.
With that said, shopping, no doubt, takes a bit of planning. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, my friends at TimetoPlayMag.com have just debuted their new price comparison tool which provides users with live pricing details of the hottest toys and games. For bargain hunters, online shoppers and even those braving the Black Friday/Gray Thursday sales, this tool is geared to make shopping for the best deal seamless and more efficient. This tool tracks product inventory and prices at five major retailers, updating information in real-time.
At a recent lunch I hosted, toy industry expert and TimetoPlayMag.com Editor-in-Chief, Jim Silver, reminded us that their web resource offers thorough reviews and information on toys and playthings and not selling toys, underscoring the difference between their site’s price comparison tool and online shopping outlet tools.
When asked which toy will be the hard-to-find toy this year, Jim mentioned that Just Play’s Doc McStuffins Time for Your Checkup Doll will be the one. Not all retailers ordered this doll as of a few months ago, so expect there to be a shortage, making her hard to find. The show is wildly popular—my five-year-old boy loves this show. Jim made the parallel that Doc McStuffins is like Pixar’s Toy Story, but for preschoolers. This show that focuses on a little girl who is a “toy doctor” to all of her toys is both catchy and cute. Knowing this info I had to take a screenshot of this doll and the price comparison tool. And sure enough, the doll (which I adore btw) is not currently available at Target and out of stock at two other retailers. As of right now, Doc McStuffins is at Toys R Us and WalMart in-store. I clicked on both stores and it appeared that neither retailer offered the doll online. So, I can only assume Doc McStuffins is available at the store.
My friends have been searching for this doll since they came out. Word of the wise, if you see her on the shelf and know a DocMcStuffins fan, grab her!
I’ve yet to decide whether or not I’ll hit the sales tomorrow or Friday, but on the hunt for a few deals on toys for my nephews, I’m totally loving the locator on TimetoPlayMag.com’s price comparison tool. The less driving for the best deals makes for a happy, albeit exhausted shopper. I think this feature is a brilliant complement to an already comprehensive site for all things toys. A small business supporter, I hope to see the small toy stores included in the future.
Full disclosure: I am a TTP Parent Panelist and I contribute a monthly blog post to TimetoPlayMag.com. I hosted a lunch with several of my blogging friends recently as part of my TTPPP duties. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.