Would You Buy Your Kid a Barack Obama Doll?by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 19 Dec 2008 11:01 PM Remember the stampedes that ensued when the original Tickle Me Elmo hit the shelves back in 1996? Thousands of parents pushed, shoved and pummeled their way through toy stores to get their hands on the furry red monster. Back then Sesame Street's most famous resident was the hottest toy around. Elmo was hands-down a mass marketers' dream come true. But this is 2008 and Elmo (even the newest version) has been upstaged by a truly historic presence. According to reports, the new Barack Obama action figure is flying off store shelves. The 14-inch plastic version of Obama is dressed in a black suit and pale blue tie, which resembles the same outfit the President-elect wore on many of his campaign stops. The doll's suit even includes a tiny version of the stars and stripes lapel pin Obama is frequently photographed wearing. The doll was created by a German manufacturer and retails for about $20. However, since its popularity has skyrocketed and supplies are limited, the Obama doll is now fetching bids as high as $250 on eBay. Interestingly, though, storeowners say it's not parents and other older Americans who are angling to get their hands on the Obama doll; rather they say, children are the ones fueling the buyout. The New York Daily News is reporting that Scholastic Stores in the city can't keep the Obama doll in stock and noted that young customers are fascinated by the political action figure. "They are literally flying off the shelves," a Scholastic Store owner in Manhattan told reporters. "The kids see Obama, and they just want to grab him." The Broadway Store reportedly sold more than 200 of the President elect's figures in less than four hours last week and is now waiting for a new shipment to arrive on Christmas Eve. According to the store's owner: "This holiday season Barack Obama has been our Tickle Me Elmo. We did have the John McCain figure, but we had to discount it." Some parents are embracing the fad saying the excitement over a doll that commemorates a historic election says something positive about our youth. While others say in a few weeks those same kids will be ditching their Obama dolls for the next hot toy. Would you buy your child an Obama doll? Related Articles: Christmas Showdown: Parents vs. Toy Packaging Rich Parents Doing Away with Expensive Holiday Gifts What Do You Do With Pictures of Other People's Kids? Holidays and Family Dysfunction Santa vs. Generous Grandparents Keeping Your Kids Safe During the Holidays Hey Moms... What's On Your Christmas Wish List? Moms Sacrifice for Kids During the Holidays Who's In Your Christmas Card Photo? The Annual Holiday Family Newsletter-Yea or Nay? Family Holiday Viewing Traditions Holiday Family Bonding Around the TV What Kind of Parents Take Their Kids Shopping on Black Friday? Tales from the Holiday Kids' Table Countdown to Christmas: The Letter to Santa My Daughter's Very Merry Christmas Eve Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantparenting tags User Comments boothvance (5) 06 Jan 2009 03:54 PMHi Michelle, I tried to post this but I'm not sure if it took. Sorry if it came through twice. I ran across your entry and wanted to provide a little clarification. The Obama Action Figure was actually created by artist Jason Feinberg who heads the Brooklyn, NY-based Jailbreak Toys. The figure is sold for $14.99 although I did see that they are releasing two, limited edition figures for $20.08. I purchased one on the site in early December and have seen a ton of media attention around the Little President. I guess "Yes We Can" applies to toymakers as well. And while I don't have any kids, if I did I would absolutely give them this figure. I think a message of hope and responsibility beats dresses and toy guns any day of the week. Thanks Michelle.  Michele Cheplic (37339) 07 Jan 2009 03:33 AMboothvance, thanks for the info. Seems as though you were one of the few that actually got your hands on one. Those dolls going for hundreds of dollars on eBay these days. Community Tags Barack Obama, Barack Obama doll, christmas presents, parents Discuss this article
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