Attention Shoppers: Top Holiday Toys Already Start To Sell Out

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It might be hard to believe, but some hot holiday gifts are starting to sell out.

Some parents set on Christmas smiles are scrambling and turning to the secondary online market, where hot commodities are marked up like scalped concert tickets, CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported.

The latest craze, Hatchimals, is cracking budgets. On Ebay and elsewhere, the furry creatures that hatch from giant eggs are listed for two to three times their retail value.

"I think it's absurd. I think there needs – parents need to find alternate means," one shopper said.

"I understand because it could be a very unhappy household if you don't get what the kids want," another said.

"I just think it's important for them to have something that's trending and they want to be in on it," another said.

They were a rare sighting at John's Variety Store in Williston Park, where desperate parents call daily.

"Frantic. They want it for the holiday," owner John Robison said. "It's just a hard thing to come by. Stores run out, we run out."

Shoppers shouldn't count on stores restocking sold-out items before Christmas, because the supply chain often starts in China.

Toy flipping, or reselling online, is fair game in a free market, but not a sure bet, according to Hofstra University professor Dr. Anil Mathur. It's hard to predict the next Tickle Me Elmo.

"For an average consumer to try to make money like this, I don't think it's a good idea. The reason is the average person cannot make that judgement call up front," Mathur said.

The folks flipping toys were not eager to speak on camera, but one seller told Gusoff that she wants to make a little money to buy her own kids toys – simple supply and demand.