What Price Would You Pay for a Zhu Zhu Pet?

Zhu Zhu Pets (compare prices) are one of the hottest toys this holiday season, thanks to a perfect storm of reasons. They are cute, interactive and they have lots of accessories. They are also supposed to be inexpensive -- most major retailers have them priced at $9.99, with accessories in the $12 - $30 range, depending upon the complexity of the item.

Good luck trying to find them at that price.

With most mainstream retailers sold out, many parents are turning to the Internet to try to find this hot product. A quick search of the Amazon.com marketplace and Ebay has these furry friends priced in some cases at more than triple their original price.

It's a frustrating conundrum. You want your kids to be happy and have that special toy waiting for them under the tree, but at the same time, who wants to pay a higher price?

There are some steps you can take to try and get your hands on a Zhu Zhu Pet or whatever the hot item of the year happens to be:

• Call stores often -- every day if you have to. Find out when their delivery schedule is and if they are planning on getting in whatever it is you are looking for. On the day of delivery, show up early, prepared to buy.
• Many online retailers have an e-mail notification program to let you know when items are back in stock.
• Enlist help from out-of-town relatives. That Wii game might be a hot seller where you live, but not in your sister's sleepy neck of the woods. Ask grandparents and cousins and others to keep an eye out on what you are looking for.
• Visit the manufacturer's web site directly. Last year I had the hardest time finding a specific Fur Real Friend for my daughter. And then I visited the Hasbro site and they had plenty of them. Often folks don't think to go right to the source.
• Take advantage of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Post what you are looking for as a status update. Maybe someone has or saw what you need.

What are your toy-buying strategies?

Image: PriceGrabber