'It' Holiday Toy for 2016? 'Hatchimal' Selling Out at Toy Stores in Northern Virginia

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Every Christmas has its "it" toy for Christmas from the Easy Bake Oven to Furby to Tickle Me Elmo. This year's "it" toy is the Hatchimal. The toy is an egg that hatches a little creature.

When you tap on the egg, you can hear the Hatchimal inside tapping back at you, according to a description of the toy on Amazon. When you rub the egg, it lights up. There are two kinds of Hatchimals, "Pengualas" and "Draggles." The creatures are inspired by dragons, penguins and koala bears.

The toy retails on Toys R Us for $69.99. But you won't be able to order one. The Web site says the toy is sold out. That's not to say that brick and mortar stores will be sold out.

The Toys R Us store in Bailey's Crossroads in Fairfax County was the scene of some holiday mayhem over the weekend, when it got in a new shipment of Hatchimals. Parents and fans of the fad toy lined up at 11 p.m. Saturday, in order to be first in line when the store opened Sunday morning, an employee said Wednesday. They sold out in an hour, the employee said. She said she's not sure whether the store will get another shipment before Christmas.

A national spokeswoman for Toys R Us said Wednesday: "...we are continuing to receive shipments to the stores therefore we recommend our customers to frequently check back with their local stores through Hanukah and Christmas."

Target stores also carry the Hatchimal, but you won't find it at the Target store in Bailey's Crossroads. An employee there said they are also sold out of the popular toy and also didn't rule out the possibility of getting more. She said parents should call them first thing each morning to find out if they've received a new shipment.

So where can you find one?

On Amazon, Spin Master, the company that makes the toys, appeared to be selling them Wednesday for $210, although it's a little unclear about who was selling it (but they were in short supply). (You can also read reviews on Amazon, including one by a woman who said the toy she gave her niece never hatched.)

Spin Master isn't new to the toy game, they're also behind the popular Build-a-Bear and, according to Money magazine, purposely created a demand for the Hatchimal by not making a whole lot of them available.

It's not just kids looking for the "it" toy. A TV station in Arizona also reports that two brothers (grown-ups), tipped off by one of their kids on the toy's popularity, bought up 100 Hatchimals as soon as they went on sale in October in anticipation of the Christmas frenzy. They broke even after selling 30 Hatchimals by Black Friday, according to the NBC affiliate in Glendale, Ariz., where the brothers live.

You can find 57 local ads for Hatchimals on the Washington, D.C. area craigslist page, selling them for between $130 to $400 apiece. A post from Arlington reads: "I have a hatchimal Penguala and Draggle for sale (new sealed box). These things are not guaranteed to be in stock any more before the holidays are over. The market (you) will determine what is a fair price. Give me your best offer over $130 for each. What's the worst that could happen? I say no thanks. Shoot me an email and I will sell to the highest offer by Sunday at 5 pm. You must be able to pickup in Arlington This evening. Happy bidding"

You'll also find plenty of Hatchimals on eBay, where one was about to sell for $107.50 Wednesday afternoon with 51 bids.

If you're really desperate, you can also try looking for a knock-off called Fuzzy Wonderz.

Still wondering what all the fuss is about? Here's a YouTube video from Spin Master explaining how Hatchimals work:

PHOTO of Hatchimal from Hatchimal YouTube video