Fingerlings, The Hottest Holiday Toy Of 2017, Are Already Selling Out

If you thought it was too early to begin thinking about holiday shopping, think again. Although we’re barely past Halloween, people are already clamoring to buy what are expected to be the hottest gifts this season. One toy in particular is so popular that stores already can scarcely keep it on shelves, CNBC reports. They’re called Fingerlings, and they’re plastic monkeys that hang onto your fingers, blink and respond to touch and sound.

In September, the toy appeared on Walmart’s “Top Rated by Kids Toy List,” an annual compilation that predicts which toys are expected to be most popular for the holidays.

It appears Walmart was onto something, because their inventory of the product is already “tight.”

“We are selling it as we get it,” Walmart’s Chief Merchandising Officer Steve Bratspies said on a call with reporters, according to Bloomberg. “There’s not tons of excess, but we feel good about where we are.”

Fingerlings are manufactured by WowWee, and they were the second-fastest-selling toy in September 2017, according to market research company the NPD Group.

“As consumers make their holiday lists, it is equally important for retailers and manufacturers to manage theirs—and these are the toys that should be on it,” Juli Lennett, senior vice president and U.S. toys industry analyst for The NPD group, said in a statement. “Looking at the toys currently gaining the most traction at retail, retailers can use this information to understand safe bets for early re-orders, and manufacturers should ensure that retailers are keeping these items top of mind.”

CNBC warns that parents hoping to snag the robotic monkeys should be wary of online scams, as last year parents attempting to purchase Hatchimals through digital marketplaces and through Facebook were the victims of schemes that lost them money and left them without the must-have item for their children.

Fingerlings are currently out of stock on the Toys R Us website, where they retail for $14.99. Ditto for Walmart’s web site and Target’s website, where a Fingerlings monkey bars playset is out of stock but retails for $24.99.