Webkinz sparks a craze, and a shortage

Loretta Rederscheid’s 9-year-old daughter, Erin, first began hearing about Webkinz from kids at school in December, and by Christmas she had received her first one. Rederscheid put her foot down after her daughter had amassed five of the toys.

That was when Erin appealed to a more powerful force — the Easter bunny.

“She leaves this big, long note for the Easter bunny that says she wants a Webkinz,” Rederscheid recalled.

The mother of two from Floral Park, N.Y., relented, in part because she wanted her daughter, a third grader, to keep believing in the Easter bunny. Still, she was in for a shock when she went to the store and discovered they were sold out.

After poring through the yellow pages, she finally found a store that had just one left — and would sell it to her only if she agreed to spend $10 more at the store. Rederscheid gave in and bought the Webkinz, plus another stuffed toy for her son. The highly sought-after black lab puppy Webkinz was a hit.

“She was absolutely bowled over,” her mother said.

Rederscheid likes that Erin has to take care of the virtual pet, including feeding it balanced meals, and that she can have virtual play dates with other kids online. She said the games also have an educational element, with things like word scrambles that help with spelling.

“Instead of having her sit in front of the TV, I like that it’s an interactive thing,” she said.

Still, Rederscheid insists her daughter is not getting any more Webkinz, even though Erin complains that some kids she knows have as many as 19 of them. She also won’t let Erin play with her virtual Webkinz every day.

“I think she’d spend every moment on the Web site if I didn’t limit her,” she said.

Despite the intense popularity, retailers such as The Wishing Well say it may not be long before the shortage frustrates parents and fickle kids enough to turn to another must-have toy.

Already, competitors are scoping out the market. Ty Inc. recently launched a line of dolls, called Ty Girlz, that also live virtually online.

"People are buying them as alternatives to Webkinz," Building Blocks' Nguyen said, although she noted that the appeal is less broad because they are geared to slightly older girls.

The iconic Barbie doll now has an online component where girls can dress up a virtual doll, decorate her room and even go shopping. And Russ Berrie and Co. also has begun selling Shining Stars, a line of plush toys that also have a Web-based counterpart.

People who buy a Shining Star toy can register and name an actual star through the Web site, as well as play games and do other things. Andy Gatto, Russ Berrie’s chief executive, said the company plans to add even more interactive features down the road.

Gatto admits that the shortage of Webkinz is helping Shining Stars’ popularity.

“There is absolutely a pent-up demand for Webkinz or for, I think, any kind of a product that marries, again, this virtual and dimensional experience,” he said.