Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hunters

New & Improved Zhu Zhu Babies??!! (Video Review)

2011-01-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

Good Evening, Zhu Zhu Lovers!

A couple of nights ago, I noticed a peculiar new peg in the toy dept at our Walmart. It was empty at the time, but when I grabbed my groceries yesterday I found what I had been searching for... the elusive new Zhu Zhu Babies!

Though there has been some speculation that these little Babies might be kittens, following the trend of the just-released Zhu Zhu Puppies, these are definitely baby hamsters. They are referred to as "hamster tots" on the packaging. It appears that this line is a new generation, replacing the baby hamsters of last year.

There were two different sets available. This basic set includes 1 baby hamster, swaddling blanket, plastic bottle and 2 plastic toys. These were only $3.88 each! There are several colors, and some are standing while others are on all fours as though crawling.

This was tagged the "deluxe set" and cost $8 each. It includes a baby, a hat, sleeping bag, baby carriage, and bottle/2 toys.

Above is a video review I did of these cuties!

Here is a scan of the back of the packaging... I know it is small but you get the idea :-) These new Babies are definitely going to be a hand-full!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Toys in Burger King Kids Meals NOW!!

2010-11-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hello Zhu Zhu Hunters!

It has been a long time... TOO LONG... since I updated the blog. For that I apologize. We certainly have a lot of catching up to do!

I have been keeping an eye on the fast food sites, and I am very pleased to announce to you that starting this week, Burger King has Zhu Zhu Pet™ Kids Meal toys!! I have been anxiously awaiting the day when a ZZP would show up in a happy meal ☺

There are 16 different toys, 4 each of 4 different types. In honor of the event, my 4 year old and I had Kids Meals for lunch. At our BK, there are currently these four available:

It appears that the car/skateboard/surfboard hamsters are interchangable on their various accessories. (I have not opened Mr Squiggles or Pipsqueak.... those are going in stockings!). You can remove the hamsters and play with them alone, as well. They are actually quite large, approx half the size of a full-size ZZP!

I purchased my daughter and myself the Kids Meals for lunch, and I was able to buy the 2 other toys for $1.80 each. Inside the toy package, there is a $5 off coupon for the ZZP Wild Bunch or Kung Zhu Nintendo games for use at Toys R Us.

These are some really cute, fun toys.... collect all 16 if you can!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Easter Baskets, Series 3 Hamsters, and Twitter party TONIGHT!

2010-03-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Fans!

Thanks goes to Rebecca for giving me this heads-up: you can order Zhu Zhu Pets™ themed Easter baskets from Build-a-Bear's website! These may also be available in stores...can anyone confirm or deny this? There are 4 different versions to choose from, consisting of a hamster, outfit, automobile, $5 B-a-B giftcard, basket, and candy. Prices are $30-35 each.

Series 3 hamsters have arrived! They were available on TRU.com several days ago, but out of stock right now. As you can already guess, tons have shown up on eBay. If you have a TRU nearby, you may be able to grab Spottie, Rocky, Moo, or Tex for your Easter baskets. TRU is running a "Buy 2 get 1 free" ZZP special online.... or a free ZZP with any accessory $12.99 and up....so this may also be available instores!

Last but not least:

TONIGHT!

There will be a St. Paddy's day ZZP Twitter Party tonight from 7-8pm EST. Remember, there WILL be prizes!! Last time I won a Winkie and red coupe!!

Are you ready for another fantastic Zhu Zhu Pets Twitter party with Mom Select? I love to party with hostess @MomTalkRadio and the ladies of Mom Select, but we're even more excited than usual because this party combines our favorite furry friends with the fun of St. Patrick's Day!

Instead of leprechauns and pots of gold, we'll be chasing those lovable hamsters as they Zhu-Zhu-Zhoom into the twitter-sphere. With new hamster friends coming out all the time, there's

more Zhu Zhu Pets than there are colors in the rainbow! Join the party for a chance to win great prizes and get a head start on your collection.

Zhu Zhu Pets(TM) St. Patrick's Day Twitter Party

Date: Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Time: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. EST

Location: #LuckyZhuZhu

Host: @MomTalkRadio (Maria Bailey, Founder of MomSelect)

Grab the kids and settle in for a green-themed Zhu Zhu

extravaganza! Make sure you brush up on your Zhu Zhu knowledge by visiting the

hamster blog on http://www.zhuzhupets.com/. These critters may be small but they have huge personalities and lots of unique facts, including their own symbols, birthdays and collector numbers! Party attendees will even have the exclusive opportunity to share their thoughts on creating the NEWEST Zhu Zhu Pet. Now, that's luckier than a four-leaf clover!

Series 2 Zhu Zhu Pets... $5.99 this week at Aldi!

2010-03-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Maniacs!

Here is a huge heads-up... this week at Aldi stores, Zhu Zhu Pets™ are advertised for $5.99 each! Special purchase items are generally available on Wednesdays, but our store often puts them out the afternoon/evening before. Although I am not sure which ones will, in fact, be in stock, Series 2 hamsters are the ones pictured in the paper ad and on the website. I plan on stopping by our Aldi store after school. We are making a couple of Zhu Zhu Pets™ baskets for our school's big fundraiser, and I will give you a guess who is in charge of them!

You may have noticed that Walmart has RAISED the prices of the large hamsters to $9 each. This is after they have been on rollback to $7.44 for at least a month. If you have an Aldi store near you, Walmart will match the $5.99 price. However, our Walmart has only had Series 1 hamsters in at this point.

A little birdie told me that some Series 3 hamsters are starting to show up! More about that tomorrow....

Fluffy the bunny is HERE!

2010-03-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Fans!

The above photo was posted on my local Hallmark chain's Facebook page just a little bit ago! Fluffy is finally here!

They have already shown up on eBay... of course! It appears that the retail price is $12.95.

Zhu Zhu Pets™ in Japan(ese)...and more Kung Zhu!

2010-02-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Addicts!

A few days ago, I noticed a link added to the very top of the Zhu Zhu Pets™ homepage that directs you to the ZZP section of the SegaToys site. Looks very cool, huh? My trusty page translator was very helpful on this website. It appears the hamsters are going to retail for 1000 Yen (about $11 US dollars) with a release date of April 3! Some of the names might be changing a bit... for instance, my translator is saying Mr. Squiggles name is "Mr. Sukuiguru". I think I sort of like it ☺

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I always enjoy the articles StLouisToday.com does regarding Cepia and Zhu Zhu Pets™. Their newest one can be found HERE. They talk about the sweeping wins at the TOYT awards, as well as some of the new product lines to be introduced. (From what I have read, it sounds like the new products will start showing up around May/June).

I really think the Kung Zhu is going to be huge. Some of those Bakugan and Pokemon-loving boys who felt the original ZZPs were too girly or little-kidish will jump right on these! They don't look so sweet, do they? I am excited to see what happens when these are released!

My favorite quote from the article: "Parents can also expect Zhu Zhu Pets-licensed bedding, pajamas, crafts and backpacks to follow." I can't wait to get my girls new backpacks for school!

Kung Zhu Hamsters Photo!

2010-02-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Fans!

I have been scouring the Internet since yesterday, trying to find some photos of the Kung Zhu™ line of hamsters that were unveiled at the Toy Fair 2010... and today I found some! Though I don't have a boy (yet), I do have 5 nephews who are totally into Bakugan. I can see how this hamster line will appeal to the boys who enjoy this sort of fighting toy!
"There's also a much-anticipated Kung Zhu line of battling hamsters geared primarily for boys aged 8 to 12.

Katz said the Kung Zhu line will have eight initial characters split into two battling groups called "Special Forces" and "Ninja Warriors."

"We're using a smart chip technology to create good and evil action figures that come to life," said Katz.

"As you put them through training, these characters will transform their personality," he said.

Katz said the Kung Zhu hamsters start off as "cute" and "mild-mannered." Then they become "fighting, battling warriors."

"You can actually hear that transformation take place," Katz said.

Kung Zhu hamsters feature snap-on armor, weapons, vehicles and a "battledome."

"It's all the things that boys really love," said Katz. "But the coolest thing is that you don't know who the winner or the loser is going to be."

Cepia's Zhu Zhu Pets™ ROCK OUT at the TOTY Awards!

2010-02-15T07:27:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Addicts!

"Cepia, LLC Sweeps with Top Honors and Two Category Awards for Zhu Zhu Pets"

This seems to be the buzz today on Twitter and the toy websites after this weekend's Toy of the Year (TOTY) awards. Cepia's Zhu Zhu Pets™ took the overall Toy of the Year award, as well as winning in the individual categories of Girl Toy of the Year and Innovative Toy of the Year. This is a HUGE accomplishment for any toy company, and the fact that Cepia is a fairly young company makes it all the more sweet!

New York Toy Fair...and Congrats, Ms. Hornsby!

2010-02-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

Good Saturday Morning, Zhu Zhu Maniacs!

Starting tomorrow, New York welcomes the 107th International Toy Fair! Though it is open to trades people only, it will be exciting to see what new, fun things come out of this expo. According to the website, over 100,000 products will be available to view. I hope we get a sneak peek of what Cepia has up its sleeve for the coming year! The Toy Fair runs Feb 14-17.

The festivities begin with tonight's "Toy of the Year" awards. Zhu Zhu Pets™ are nominated in the categories of "Girl Toy of the Year" and "Most Innovative Toy of the Year". Good luck Cepia! I hope you win!

♥♥♥

Also, a big congrats to Natalie Hornsby, VP of Marketing at Cepia LLC. She will be a keynote speaker at the Engage! Conference, speaking of the innovative techniques she employed to promote Zhu Zhu Pets™ into their rock-star status. This conference is running concurrently with the Toy Fair (and in the same building, it appears). Very cool!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Becoming Global! And Even a Cartoon!

2010-02-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

On Monday, February 15th, it appears that the Zhu Zhu Pets™ will make their retail debut in New Zealand! According to the article, it seems as though it will be the original 4 hamsters (plus Patches), along with the original accessories/house pieces. Retail for hamsters will be $29.99 each.

Remember when Mr. Squiggles was in Japan a few weeks ago? I think I might know the reason now! Sega Toys in Japan recently licensed the rights from Cepia to sell ZZP's in Japan and all over Asia! It appears that they will start showing up in retail shops in April of this year. Sega is also working to develop a manga (comic book) version to be out sometime this year.

Most exciting?? Well... they plan to broadcast an animated version of Zhu Zhu Pets™ sometime around Spring 2011! Japan animation, known as anime, is my absolute favorite type of cartoon, so I am very excited about this. Anyone remember Hamtaro?

They could almost pass for Mr Squiggles and Chunk! LOL

Rocky and Friends to Appear Soon?

2010-02-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

Hey Zhu Zhu Peeps!

Back in mid-October, a cryptic message was posted on the Zhu Zhu Pets™ official blog. My favorite tech-savvy friend reversed the track so we could hear the message (you can see/hear the original post here). Eight new hamsters were hinted at, even before Jilly and friends hit the market!

In the CNN interview from my last posting, it was said that new characters would be released every 6 weeks. I think that time must be drawing near! The names in that cryptic recording appeared to be Rocky, Moon, Spotty, Tex, YoYo, Cappuccino, Jinx, and Peachy. Yesterday, a cartoon picture of a "new friend" Rocky was posted on the official blog.

That super-fast sneak peek video that Cepia posted on their website shortly before Christmas also had a TON of new accessories and hamsters/friends shown. This particular hamster popped out at me at the time:

With the color and the shape of the "birthmark" on its back, I think there is a good chance that this hamster is Peachy. Hopefully with Rocky mentioned on the ZZP blog, that is the cue that these newbies will start showing up in time for Easter baskets!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Rockstars, Zhu Zhu Pets™ Wild Bunch, and Other Surprises for 2010

2010-02-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

Having a good weekend, Zhu Zhu Fans?

I just came across an AMAZING article/video on CNN's website. With the highly anticipated "Toy Fair 2010" in New York next weekend approaching, Cepia gives out this preview of the next generation of Zhu Zhu Pets™ to be released in the coming year!

"Among the new Zhu Zhus is a line of four hamsters called Rockstars names "Pax," "Kingston," "Rider" and "Roxie." The names are inspired by the children of celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani. "Rockstars are the first long-haired hamsters with attitude," said Katz. Although the hamsters don't interact with each other, Katz said a smart chip in each toy gives it its own unique personality.

Katz said the new "Wild Bunch" collection extends the brand beyond hamsters. "There's a skunk, hedgehog, raccoon and a bunny," he said. "The appeal of this new collection is that these are animals that every child wants to have but parents won't let them have it," said Katz.

There's also a much-anticipated Kung Zu line of fighter hamsters geared primarily for boys aged 8 to 12.

Cepia will introduce 40 new Zhu Zhu characters in total this year, launching a new line every six weeks, said Katz."

Watch the video clip for great info and awesome sneak peeks of the newbies in action!

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With the amount and variety of ZZPs to come out, especially with newbies being released every 6 weeks, there will be a lot to pick and choose from on the market. Up to this time, it has been feasible to realistically "collect them all!". I think now it will be a matter of choosing the ones that really appeal to the individual kid(s) and that they really want in their collection. Let's face it... of course they will WANT them all, but a house and bank account are only so big ☺

From my past experience, I figure this is the point where some of the newbies may be in higher demand. Before Christmas, people just really wanted to get any or all of the "series 1" ZZPs. When we were surprised with "series 2" shortly before Christmas, it seemed that people had their specific favorite they REALLY hoped to be able to track down. Jilly was the hot commodity at that time, though I knew plenty of people who were Scoodles, Winkie, and Nugget-lovers. It will be exciting to see what new items pop up and when!

Though I wish they would have shown some of the new accessories in action in the video clip, I will certainly keep my eye open for any other news, photos, or videos to share here with you!

Limited Edition Baxter, the Zhu Zhu Baby Hamster

2010-02-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

Good evening, Zhu Zhu Fanatics!

Activision announced today that the new Zhu Zhu Pets™ game for Nintendo DS will come with an exclusive, limited edition baby named Baxter!

"Activision Publishing today announced that Baxter, an exclusive Zhu Zhu Pets hamster baby, will come packaged as a Collector’s Edition with the initial release of the Zhu Zhu Pets video game for Nintendo DS.

This Collector's Edition will be produced in limited quantities and will be available only until they sell out. Available for the regular price of $29.99, Zhu Zhu Pets fans get more than they could ever imagine - an amazing, adorable game and a rare Zhu Zhu Pets baby hamster that fits perfectly into the collection.

Zhu Zhu Pets for Nintendo DS allows players to care for and play with their favorite toys virtually. Players will race their hamsters through different mazes to collect carrots, coins and new hamster friends and babies. It's an endlessly enjoyable game that lets you have fun with Zhu Zhu Pets anywhere! "

Looks like a fun game! Am I too old to ask for a Nintendo DS for my birthday??? Amazon has edited the presale title to include the baby hamster... order now, get free shipping, and don't worry about hunting it down in a few weeks ☺

Zhu Zhu Pet Surgery

2010-02-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

Hey, Zhu Zhu Peeps!

After reading the directions on some message boards, I decided to attempt a little "surgery" on some sluggish hamsters. Since I am a very visual-type learner, I thought some of you might be interested in seeing how to take the hamster apart. This is very helpful in getting a lot of wound-up hair/string/fuzz off of the wheel axel, or cleaning off some of the extra lubricant "goop" that sometimes builds up in the gearbox. These can both cause the hamster to slow or stop.

PLEASE NOTE: Taking the gearbox of the hamster apart is not sanctioned by Cepia, LLC. and may void the warranty for your hamster. This video was made as an educational source for those who have read the instructions on various websites and would like to see how it is done. Vigorous cleaning inside of the gearbox (as I found out on the next hamster I did) can misaligned the gear wheels inside, which will require a lot of patience (and the help of a needle or toothpick) to return to the proper places. Basically, be warned that if you decide to take apart your hamster, you could potentially break it. If you don't want to assume this risk, call Cepia's customer service (800.225.9319) regarding any issues you may have with your hamsters.

Planning your Zhu Zhu Pets™ Party!!

2010-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning, Zhu Zhu Fanatics!

Did you all attend the Twitter party for Mr. Squiggles last night?? My daughter and I did! And beyond belief, this usually not-so-lucky momma actually WON a prize!! I will be sure to share with you when I get it and see what it is ☺ The host, Maria Bailey of MomTv, said there will be more ZZP Twitter parties throughout the year, so I highly encourage you to attend in the future.

Nicole of The Party Animal Blog tweeted me during the party to let me know she added some stuff to her Zhu Zhu Pets™ Party theme!. A little while back, I shared the link with you to her AMAZING ZZP cupcake tutorial:

I would say, if you are planning a Zhu Zhu Party, her site is an invaluable resource. She has links to Etsy sellers who can help you with items like invitations, as well as tips for making your own. She also has a lot of ideas for party games using your Zhu Zhu Pets™, as well as links to free printable games like Hamster Bingo. My absolute favorite is the adorable pom-pom "Hamster in a Ball" craft:

I have added a link in the sidebar that will take you directly to Nicole's Zhu Zhu Party Page. I will be sure to cue you to any updates when she adds them!

The great thing about Zhu Zhu Pets™ is that they are really reasonably priced. Right now, you can get hamsters at Walmart for 7.44... or Babies & outfits for $5... and they make great party favors to get all of the kids in on the fun!

St. Louis, Twitter Party, and Misc.

2010-01-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

Hello again, Zhu Zhu Fans!

Sorry for the mini-hiatus.. computers issues are now (hopefully) resolved. Thanks for sticking with me through this and checking back in with the blog!

On Thursday, my Walmart once again had Zhu Zhu Pets™ Babies in stock! There were three different ones on the pegs (no clothing this time)... I wonder if it will continue to be one case of 6 arriving at a time for awhile still. Also, the Babies are now listed on Toysrus.com for 6.99. It has been posted that they are arriving in TRU stores also!

Coincidentally, I just returned from a couple of days in St. Louis, home of Cepia, LLC. For fun, I typed their address into my GPS and the office was only a 15 minute drive from the friend's home where I was staying! I would have loved to have taken a photo for you all, but unfortunately I was not driving and we were on a schedule. *sigh* Maybe next time.

Last night while looking for a place to eat, we drove by a store that had a very professional sign with the Zhu Zhu Pets™ logo. It immediatey caught my attention! (Again, I wish I would have been able to get a photo). I was able to quickly read the print under the sign, which read "Over 9000 Zhu Zhu Pets™ and Accessories in Stock!". An entire brick-and-mortar store dedicated to Zhu Zhu Pets™! I am very curious to the pricing... although I found that Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters and newer accessories were in plentiful supply at Toys R Us and Justice stores in the St. Louis area.

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As announced on The Official Zhu Zhu Pets™ website, Maria Bailey of MomSelect will be hosting another Zhu Zhu Pets™ Twitter party and giveaway! This will be tomorrow night in celebration of Mr. Squiggles birthday. There will be some giveaways, so I hope you will be sure to attend. I will be there! (Twitter id: ZhuZhuHunters). Feel free to shout out to me ☺

If you haven't done a Twitter party before, they are fun but fast-paced. The details, as posted on the website, are as follows:

Zhu Zhu Pets™/MomSelect Twitter Party

Date: January 31st, 2010

Time: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. EST

Location: #MrSquiggles

Host: @MomTalkRadio (Maria Bailey, Founder of MomSelect)

During the jam-packed Zhu Zhu fest, we'll be giving away over 20 Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters, as well as awesome habitrail pieces and accessories. Kids are welcome to tweet alongside Mom!

For those of you new to Twitter, here are some tips on attending:

* If you don't already have a Twitter account, sign up for one at Twitter.com. It's extremely simple and a great way to connect with other moms and Zhu Zhu Pet fans.

* Make sure you are following the party hosts- @momtalkradio, @resourcefulmom

* Follow the instructions tweeted out by the party hosts to enter the contests and participate in the scavenger hunt!

* Keep up with the conversation by searching for the party hashtag (#MrSquiggles) and make sure you include it in your tweets as well.

* It can be helpful to use a site like tweetchat.com to help keep track of the conversation. We also recommend that you check in on the hosts' pages (Twitter.com/momtalkradio and Twitter.com/resourcefulmom) to keep track of the contest information.

* Grab your little ones and chime in to celebrate Mr. Squiggles Birthday!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ in Spain!

2010-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Hunters!!

I apologize for the lack of posting lately... unfortunately some computer issues have caused me some problems. Yesterday I saw something new posted on an eBay auction. This "Grand Adventure" set includes Patches, the funhouse, slide, wheel, and a carrier. The seller states it was purchased at a Toys R Us in Spain! This must be Spain's equivalent to the "Giant Hamster City".

For those of you who have put the city together (over and over again),take look at the photo closely. Look how they have it put together! The slide ramp is connected to the wheel, and the wheel's tunnel is connected to nothing! LOL You all know it wouldn't work that way at all ☺

♥♥♥

Last Friday morning while I was at Walmart, the Zhu Zhu Pets™ area had been totally expanded! It was empty except for a few 1st gen. hamsters, but there was a lot of space for new accessories...AND pegs for clothing and babies!! I went back Friday evening, and sure enough there were 6 baby hamsters on the pegs, one of each style. At $5 each, I purchased them for my daughters for Valentines/Easter gifts. I went back Saturday morning, and the outfits were on the shelf then! There were also 6, one of each style. I purchased 4 of them, leaving basketball and sailor for another time. They were also $5 each. (I had hoped to post some photos, and I will once I get some of the computer issues worked out :P )

I have talked to several people who have gotten lucky with outfits/babies at Walmart in the last week. It sounds as though they are only getting a case of each to start with.... and each case consists of 1 piece of each style of baby/outfit. If the pegs are up at your Walmart, it is beneficial to find an employee with a scanner-gun and have them scan the tag on the peg. Then they can tell you when they will be in. I had them scan the tag for me last Friday morning, and was told there were 6 in stock waiting to be put on the shelf. That cued me to check back later that night.

Good luck in your huntings!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ items at "Justice for Girls" Clothing Stores and Online

2010-01-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Zhu Zhu Peeps!

As it was rumored, there is now one more store you can add to your list for Zhu Zhu Hunting... "Justice for Girls"! You can buy them online here. They are higher-end retail at 14.90 per hamster... but friends have posted a couple of coupon codes that can get you 40% off of your order. Use code 818 or 774 at checkout to get the discount.

Other friends have found the hamsters, stroller, and baby hamsters in store!! They said that the babies were 9.90, but with the printable 40% off coupon they were much more reasonable. Print the 40% off in-store coupon at this link!

Thanks to all of the Zoolert/Facebook peeps for the info and the coupon codes!

Amazing DIY Zhu Zhu Pets™ Cupcakes!!

2010-01-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Fans!

This morning I came across the link to this amazing cupcake tutorial, and I had to share it with all of you. Many of you are planning ZZP-themed birthday parties, and these little cakes are the perfect thing!

Visit "The Party Animal" blog for ingredients and step-by-step instructions. The materials are really simple, and you will find the tips helpful in getting the perfectly Zhu Zhu-colored frosting!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hamster Price-DROP at Walmart!!!

2010-01-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon, Zhu Zhu Fans!

I just returned from a shopping trip at my local Walmart... what a surprise! As usual, I had to check the toy dept. for any signs of new ZZP accessories/babies. I was a bit startled to see 18 of the original 4 hamsters, as well a a bunch of beds/carriers, on the shelf! I walked to a different part of the toy dept and found another 31 original hamsters sitting near the Furreal Friends area... a total of 49 hamsters on the shelf! This is the first time I have seen ZZP hamsters at retail since early October.

The biggest shock was that the price has been reduced from $8 to $7.44 for each hamster! My Walmart is here in Southeast Iowa, but it seems that many/most stores generally follow suit. Can our wallets give a tiny sigh of relief for future purchases now? ☺

New Zhu Zhu Pets™ BABIES Commercial!

2010-01-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

Hey, Zhu Zhu Peeps!

Today I am feeling pretty wiped out after a 24-hour bout of stomach flu. Thanks to RJN for the heads-up about the newest Zhu Zhu Pets™ commercial featuring the Hamster Babies! Apparently it must have been released today....though I have been watching Nick Jr. all morning and haven't seen it yet ;) It made its way to YouTube in pretty short order. I am happy for the little pick-me-up.

The babies seem quite a bit larger than I had thought they would be. If you thought you were done, you better not let your kids see this!

Pictures of Zhu Zhu Fun Kit Contents

2010-01-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Fanatics!

My friend Lori's family found the new Zhu Zhu Pets™ Super Fun Kit at a Walmart in Columbia, Maryland. They said it was on an end-cap display in the toy department and retailed at $10.

Seems there are a lot of cute stickers...

Some photo frame/mats...

...and a cute poster! There are also tattoos and markers and other papery things to color and decorate! Lori says there is probably enough for a craft party for a couple of kids, but you would need more kits if you were planning a birthday party, etc.

The kit has also been spotted in-store at Toys R Us.

New Commercial... Interesting Articles!

2010-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

Many of us are getting back into the daily routine today, with kids going back to school from the Christmas/New Year holidays. I hope you all have a good day and a smooth transition. Cepia recently added a new 2010 Zhu Zhu Pets™ commercial to their homepage featuring the newest vehicles, outfits, and hamsters. I just saw it on Nickelodeon for the first time, so hopefully it means that these newer items will be more widely-distributed soon!

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Obviously, the Zhu Zhu Pets™ craze generated a large amount of publicity during the Christmas season. Recently I came across a couple of very interesting articles that go beyond the run-of-the-mill info:

Not child's play: Missouri attorneys counsel the maker of this year's hot toy : An interesting, behind the scenes interview with the lawyer who represents Cepia, LLC.

Rumble Robots inventor does it again: Probably one of my favorite articles to date (thanks Laura!). You get a peek into the father-daughter(s) team of Cepia, LLC. and some background on how Zhu Zhu Pets™ came to be!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Video Game Available for Preorder!

2010-01-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

Good evening, Zhu Zhu Fans!

Thanks to RJN for giving me the heads-up that the new Zhu Zhu Pets™ game for Nintendo DS is listed and available for preorder through Amazon! The release date is scheduled for March 23, 2010.

"Zhu Zhu Pets DS will capture the hearts of pre-existing Zhu Zhu fans and those new to the franchise through its addicting and enjoyable balance between care-taking and adventure! Half virtual pet simulation, and half high-speed action-adventure game, Zhu Zhu Pets DS will charm children everywhere with its engaging gameplay! "

What a great gift this will be, just in time to be delivered by the Zhu Zhu Easter bunny! I imagine this may be a very difficult game to get a hold of once it is released!

Happy "Zhu" Year!

2010-01-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

Back in September, I searched for websites where I could chat with other lovers about Zhu Zhu Pets™... where to find them, what was coming out, rumors, and that sort of thing. However, it seemed that the few sites around at that time were just disguises leading you to someone's eBay or Amazon listings. My answer to that was to create my own blog,and it has been so fun!

Three months later, I am pleased that the Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hunters blog has over 20,000 hits from unique visitors! The friendships I have made via the blog (as well as the Twitter and Facebook pages and Zoolert forums) give me joy each day. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to interact with Cepia LLC, a hometown company that has become very near to my heart. I feel blessed to have so much fun and to have an excuse to play with toys!

Here's to a great 2010 and all of the Zhu Zhu-related surprises to come this year!

♥Randi

Fuzzy Little Zhu Zhu Pets Babies™!

2009-12-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve, Zhu Zhu Fans!!

Within the last couple of weeks, many lucky Zhu Zhu Hunters have found the baby ZZPs at CVS stores... some in time for Christmas! Since I first saw the photo on the back of the packages, I have been anticipating the arrival of these cuties.

Mom23 on Zoolert was able to track some down at her local CVS and was nice enough to share some photos with me.

Rather than the brightly-colored "prototype" babies pictured on the Zhu Zhu Pets™ packaging, the released babies are much more muted in color. Personally, I rather like the more natural yellows, grays, whites, and oranges over the bright blues/pinks/purples.

Also notice that instead of being shiny hard plastic, the babies are flocked for a slightly fuzzy look and feel! I really love that, and it makes them fit in better with the adult hamsters. The storyline is that the 6 baby hamsters are the offspring of Mr. Squiggles/Num Nums and Chunk/Pip Squeak. They are not battery-powered... instead they have a metal roller-ball on the bottom. The adult hamsters can push them around inside the hamster habitat, or you can put them in the stroller and let the parents push them around that way!

Each baby retails for $6.99 at CVS. It can be assumed that low-retail at Walmart/Target will be around the $5 mark. I cannot WAIT to find these little squirts ☺

Funhouse Add-On Disco, Pool, and TV Rooms Arrive!

2009-12-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

(Photo property of eBay seller mkingdog)

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

For a couple of months now, photos of soon-to-come Zhu Zhu Pets accessories have been on several of the 3rd party toy websites for presale. (Where they get these photos so far in advance, I would love to know!). Some of these were of the new funhouse add-on rooms... and within the last day or so they have started showing up on eBay and Amazon!!!

The box appears to have a check by which room it contains. There is the Disco room with pink top...

The Swimming Pool room with blue top...

...and the Movie Room with green top. Each set comes with the room, tunnel, 2 door caps and 2 U-connectors. I will assume the retail price will be $10-15 per set.

Hopefully the other new accessories and hamsters/animals will also begin to make appearances soon! Keep your eyes on the toy department!!

☺☺☺☺☺

Speaking of the funhouse... has anyone had the problem of the hamsters making kitchen noises in the bedroom and vice versa? I did as I was putting it together on Christmas eve, and I was utterly confused!

The "bump code" in the tunnel leading to the room is what triggers the hamster to make specific noises, not the room itself. The tunnels will say which direction to attach it so that the hamsters make the appropriate noises.

Well, sometimes the bedroom/kitchen stickers in the funhouse must be put in the wrong room...therefore, when you attach the tunnel correctly the wrong noises will be heard. According to the troubleshooting guide on ZhuZhuPets.com, simply reverse the direction of the tunnel and the problem will be fixed ☺

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Craft Kit & 100-piece Puzzle

2009-12-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

Good Evening, Zhu Zhu Lovers!

Last night I was surfing around and found a couple of cool new products to share with you! Cepia apparently has entered into a licensing partnership with a company called Cra-Z-Art, which specializes in kids crafty and creative items.

The "Super Fun Kit" contains stickers, tattoos, markers and various items to color and decorate. Additionally, there is a 12.5x11 inch 100-piece puzzle with a really cute beach picture of the hamster clan! Definitely fun items, and hopefully a taste of other licensed items to come in the future!

The activity set and puzzle are both available to purchase directly from the
Cra-Z-Art website.

(NOTE: You will need to become a new registered user with their website before you are given the option to add any of the items to your cart.)

The Super Fun Kit is 14.99 and can be purchased at this link .

The 100-piece puzzle is 4.99 and and can be purchased at this link .

Nintendo DS "Zhu Zhu Pets™" Game!

2009-12-27T12:46:00.001-08:00

It looks like everyone's favorite robotic hamsters are going virtual!

USA Today reports that on December 15th, Activision and Game Mill Publishing announced the impending spring release of a Zhu Zhu Pets™ game for Nintendo DS! Additionally, it appears Cepia has made a deal for several more games to follow.

Now I need a Nintendo DS.

UPDATED New Accessories and Clothing Show Up!

2009-12-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Fanatics!

After a Christmas Day filled with Zhu Zhu Pets™ and all of the playing and assembling of "Hamster City" pieces, I hope you all are finally having a relaxing evening. As many of you know, a lot of the 2010-release accessories, like the red coupe, made an early appearance at CVS pharmacies all over the place. I am finally getting the chance to post the photos that Yesenia sent me several days ago... better late than never!

The stroller and babies (which I will have more posted about later) have been some of the most anticipated of the new accessories. The whole concept is just too cute, and little girls are going to flip for them. Adorable!

The woody wagon with surfboard is another really neat car. After playing with the set yesterday for the first time, in my opinion, the car/garage is the coolest accessory and seems to work most consistently with the hamsters. I believe that the new wagon and red coupe are made to also fit into the garage.

Along with the stroller and woody wagon, Yesenia also found the boat/dock set at CVS. This is one new accessory I was able to get my hands on before Christmas, as TRU.com had it and the single new hamsters in stock last Sunday. It is a hoot! I find it funny when the hamsters hop in the automobiles and drive off on their own.

☺☺☺☺☺☺

It came to my attention today that some of the new release Zhu Zhu Pets™ outfits have made their way into the market! The following photos were taken from eBay (seller jillewright).

Scuba outfit with mask

Hula skirt with flower headband

Sailor outfit with hat

Flower shirt, hat, and sunglasses
There is an auction by another seller for the basketball jersey with orange ball, as well. I am hoping to find out what store these have shown up in to share with you all!
*UPDATE* The seller was nice enough to share that she found these outfits at HALLMARK!!

Merry Christmas, Zhu Zhu Hunters!!

2009-12-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone!

I hope you all are having a joyous and fun day with your families, hopefully playing with a whole litter of Zhu Zhu Pets™ and accessories!

Personally, I would like to thank Cepia for making the packaging on the newest batch of hamsters much easier to open! LOL (i.e The newer packaging doesn't have any twist ties ☺) I had a ton of fun getting the hamsters out and the funhouse assembled from Santa. My husband had to keep warning me to keep it down!

I apologize for the lack of posting in the last few days... busy week, obviously. I do have some photos and info to share with you tomorrow! As for now, relax and have a great rest of the day ☺

Walmart: Zhu Zhu Pets™ In-Store Dec. 21, 22, and 23!

2009-12-21T00:14:00.000-08:00

Hey Zhu Zhu Fans!

If you are still hunting for the last hamster on your list, Walmart may be where you need to run first thing this morning, or tomorrow or Wednesday mornings. I saw this posted on Walmart.com late last week, and I found a toy associate to ask about it. She said our specific store would have 66 hamsters each day, with a line forming at the "Site to Store" area of the store. She did NOT know if the new colors would be available or not.

I went back into Walmart Sunday evening, and in the area the ZZP used to be (before they filled the empty shelves with dress-up clothing), there was a flier announcing the details of the 66-hamster-a-day blitz. I will not be going since my daughter is now home on Christmas vacation, but I may end up stopping by around 8 a.m. to see what they have left and if there were any newbies. I hope any of you that take a chance will find a bit of luck!

☺☺☺

Two places have been super-hot in new hamster/accessories available in the last few days. First, ToysRUs.com had the 4-pack of new hamsters in stock around the middle of the week. I just couldn't personally justify spending $50 + shipping on them, especially when I already have a Jilly in waiting. However, the single new hamsters did become available on Sunday morning for 9.99, as well as the boat/dock set for 17.99. (I did cave and order the remaining 3 hamsters and the boat while the family waited in the car for me to go to church!).

The new hamsters were in stock several times on Sunday, and the odd thing is now there is a limit of TEN of each, instead of three. Apparently, TRU.com must have got a massive shipment of the new items. Additionally, TRU stores debuted the new hamsters this weekend (4-packs and singles).

Another HOT HOT HOT place to check is definitely CVS pharmacy!!! I cannot stress this enough! Items that were not slated to be released until Spring 2010 have shown up at CVS within the last 2 days, including the red sports car, woody wagon, stroller, and BABY HAMSTERS! I will have a bit more info to share with you later on in the day about these new items...but for now it is after 2:30 a.m. so I must wish you a good-night!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Beds & Carriers

2009-12-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

With Christmas fast approaching, I hope many of you have found the Zhu Zhu Pets™ and accessories that you have been looking so hard for. If you are still looking and have access to a Toys R Us store, it has been said that they are receiving ZZP shipments daily!

One category of Zhu Zhu Pets™ accessory items that are somewhat overlooked are the bed/blanket and carrier/blanket sets. These were actually my first ZZP purchase.... a green bed and purple carrier for my oldest daughter and a pink bed and teal carrier for the younger one. I chose their favorite colors and was content to get them one each.

My friend Guilliam has (in my opinion) become sort of an authority on the beds and carriers, so I asked for her help in this explaination. The beds and carriers all come in the following colors: pink, purple, green, aqua, and orange. Each set comes with a coordinating blanket, as well. In Guilliam's experience, she thinks the green/pink/orange carriers and the pink/purple/aqua beds are the more difficult to find.

Walmart's typical shipments will include pink/orange/green beds and purple/aqua carrier. They retail for $5 each set. Although the ones I purchased back in September say "Zhu Zhu Pets™" on the packaging, the actual beds/carriers are embroidered with "Go Go Pets™". You may notice this on yours, too!

Toys R Us carries exclusive sets containing a carrier, a bed, and 2 coordinating blankets.

These sets retail for $11.99 each. The color combos available are orange carrier/green bed; pink carrier/aqua bed; and purple carrier/pink bed.

☺☺☺

Until the clothing line is released early next year, the beds/carriers are the only accessory items currently to keep your little hamsters warm this winter. Plus, they make perfect stocking-stuffers...just make sure your little ones open their Zhu Zhu Pets™ packages FIRST!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Boat and Dock Make Unexpected Early Appearance!!!

2009-12-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

Yesterday, my friend Robin really lucked out. She went into a Toys R Us store in Winchester, VA and found a single Zhu Zhu Pets™ boat/dock set! Here is what she told me:

"I walked in the front door, at lunchtime no less, and there was a table up towards customer service. This was the only item sitting on the table when I got there. I have no idea how many they had, or how I managed to luck out that late in the day."

Robin says that TRU's retail price is $17.99 for this set, which will translate to about $14.99 in the lower-end retail stores.

Currently there are 92 auctions on eBay for the boat/dock set, with 64 completed auctions already. It seems the average ending price is around the $20-30 range. This close to Christmas, even Priority mail is taking longer to reach its destination. I found this out last week with some packages I sent out. eBay prices are starting to decline, and my guess is that people are less likely to shell out the big $$$ for something that may not even arrive in time.

If you have a chance to swing by a Toys R Us, you may also be pleasantly surprised like Robin was!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Showing up Everywhere!

2009-12-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Hamster Homies!

As promised, Zhu Zhu Pets™ are beginning to show up in more places, with some slightly different purchasing options. ToysRUs.com posted this photo of a NEW hamster 4-pack containing Nugget, Scoodles, Jilly, and Winkie. Retailing for 39.99 for the set, it has not been in stock yet at Toysrus.com per the Zoolert tracking system. However.... for a hefty premium, you can currently purchase this 4 pack and an 8-pack of Duracell AAA batteries at ToysRUs-owned eToys.com (79.99) or FAO Schwartz (89.99). Personally, I do not recommend paying an extra $40-50 for a pack of batteries.

On a side note: ToysRUs and their pricing has been a point of contention for several months now. The newest change has been the price for the TRU-exclusive "Giant Hamster City." The original stated price was $84.99 for the first round of presales, which seemed reasonable for the amount of items it contains. This was right around the low-retail price of stores, such as Walmart, and you had the chance to buy a lot of items in a convenient bundle.

When another round of presales began (which had an estimated ship date of 11/23...that didn't happen either), the price was raised to $99.99. The $15 price increase was annoying, but many people still ordered them. Now this week, the "Giant Hamster City" playset was featured in the ToysRUs flier. No price was listed, only "Hot Price" next to the photo. Wonder why? Now that it is available to purchase in stores, the price has raised again to $129.99!!! ToysRUs's own retail price for purchasing the pieces contained in this set individually is only $104. Just another puzzling inconsistency to add to the list.

A regional store that I am very familiar with is Shopko. Now Shopko is selling Zhu Zhu Pets™ products online! They tend toward slightly higher retail price (11.99 per hamster), but still much more reasonable than eToys/FAO Schwartz/eBay. Additionally, they are one of few stores that carries the Starter Set with Patches hamster, which you can also purchase online now! At this moment, "wave 2" new hamsters are not available.

You can become a fan of Shopko on their Facebook page and you will see them post as soon as new Zhu Zhu Pets™ items are added to their website.

Walmart.com has added a few new purchasing options to their Zhu Zhu Pets™ line-up. These include a bundle of the original 4 hamsters ($32); a "choose any 2 hamster" bundle ($16); and "choose any 1 hamster and 1 accessory" bundle ($18). Obviously, these bundles reflect Walmart's individual retail price for the items. Though not in stock yet, these are a low-cost and convenient option for those scrambling to complete an online checkout.

Rumors are that Kmart and Justice girls clothing stores will be carrying Zhu Zhu Pets™ items, though it may not be until after January 1.

So, with so many more online purchasing options, how do you keep track of it all? ZOOLERT! The free Zoolert online tracking service allows up to pull up a tracking screen (or minimize it on your computer) and it does the work for you. For Zhu Zhu Pets™ items, the system checks online retailers every 60 seconds for newly posted merchandise, then alerts you with an animal noise. You can also choose to get email alerts. Additionally, there are special tracking option for Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hunters in Canada and the UK!

Currently there are 4 main tracking options to choose from:

☺ For those of you only looking for the newly released hamsters, GO HERE

☺ For those of you looking for any hamster (old or new), bundle packs, or the "Giant Hamster City" playset, GO HERE

☺For beds, carriers, and playset accessories,GO HERE

☺ If you are really desperate and do not mind paying the highest-of-high "retail" of eToys and FAO Schwartz, you can GO HERE

Happy hunting everyone!!

"GoodGuide" Retracts Toxicity Allegations Aimed at Zhu Zhu Pets™

2009-12-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

As if Monday wasn't bad enough to start with, I was greeted by news-coverage of the Zhu Zhu Pets™ toxicity allegations as soon as my daughter flipped on the TV this morning. To be fair, I will say that CBS did a good job of reporting on both sides of the story, and did end with the statement that the toys are safe to play with.

And as I listened to our local noon newscast, the debacle was also mentioned. Cepia LLC had even gone so far as to post their testing reports on their website's homepage . To me, this exemplified their confidence in their product.

I have been waiting to hear the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) official verdict of the issue, which showed up on MSNBC.com about 2 hours ago. “ 'CPSC confirmed today that the popular Zhu Zhu toy is not out of compliance with the antimony or other heavy metal limits of the new U.S. mandatory toy standard,' agency spokesman Scott Wolfson said.". I highly recommend that you read the Associated Press article, in its entirety, at this link.

GoodGuide has also issued an official correction to its misleading statement:

"SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - December 7, 2009) - In a press release we issued on Saturday, December 5th, we published the results of our testing of chemical levels in toys and stated that certain toys we tested had antimony and chromium levels that exceed federal standards. Since issuing our release, we have learned that the testing methodology used in the federal standards (a soluble method) is different than the methodology we used in our testing (a surface-based method). Accordingly, while we accurately reported the chemical levels in the toys that we measured using our testing method, we should not have compared our results to federal standards. We regret this error.
Suzanne Skyvara"

WHAT?! They just learned that their testing methodology is not in compliance with what the CPSC and industry testing leaders recognize as accurate testing methods. Seriously? If you are going to attempt to make a name for yourself in the arena of consumer safety testing, wouldn't you think the #1 item on your to-do list would be to KNOW the recognized industry testing equipment and methods? To exemplify this, let me give you one more exerpt from the AP article from MSNBC.com:

"[The] claims fell apart Monday, when GoodGuide said the way it got its test results — using a special gun that shoots X-rays into a toy and gives a reading for how much lead, antimony or other substances are in the material — is not recognized by the CPSC for judging whether a toy is hazardous."

I am sorry if I seem more than a little irritated with the allegations, because I am. This bad publicity has spread like wildfire over the airwaves and internet within the last 24 hours. I have received emails and phone calls from concerned friends, "warning" me about my beloved Zhu Zhu Pets™ because of what they saw on the news. I just hope the airwaves are just as clogged tomorrow with news of GoodGuides retraction statement and Zhu Zhu Pets™ vindication. Twitter is already buzzing, so that is a good sign ☺

There is always a silver lining to that dark, nasty cloud: even with serious allegations lodged against their product during the busiest toy-shopping-season of the year, I really think Cepia did a great job of informing the public (via the email newsletter and the website homepage) and proactively releasing its toxicity reports, giving statements to the media, and working with the CPSC to clear its good name.

I promise, I will find happier things to talk about tomorrow! Good night everyone!

Untrue Toxicity Allegations Against Zhu Zhu Pets™

2009-12-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon, Zhu Zhu Lovers!

Unfortunately, I am having to pop in on this Sunday with some not-so-happy information. The Good Guide report claims that some of the hottest toys of the season contain unsafe levels of toxic elements. One such claim states that the Mr. Squiggles Zhu Zhu Pet™ contains unsafe levels of antimony and tin.

PLEASE BE ADVISED, CEPIA STATES THIS IS UNTRUE.

I was contacted by the good people at Cepia LLC. to spread the information to my blog-readers, as well as my Facebook and Twitter followers. Those of you on the Zhu Zhu Pets™ email newsletter list will also notice you received an email, as well. Especially with the popularity of the Zhu Zhu Pets™ this season, and the fact that millions of them are already under Christmas trees in waiting, it is important to get the facts out to potentially worried parents.

Cepia has released a statement, which can be viewed here.

Zhu Zhu Pets™ products are submitted to vigorous testing above and beyond industry standards, as stated in the press release. As quoted per CEO/founder Russell Hornsby,

"We are contacting the Good Guide people at this moment to share with them all of our Mr. Squiggles and Zhu Zhu Pet testing data so we can get to the bottom of how their report was founded," Russ Hornsby said. "We want to assure everyone already enjoying Mr. Squiggles or other Zhu Zhu Pets, and those planning to purchase Mr. Squiggles or another Zhu Zhu Pet this holiday season, that the toy is 100 percent safe and in compliance with all U.S. and European toy safety standards. I have been in the toy industry for more than 35 years, and being a father of children myself, I would never allow any substandard or unsafe product to hit the shelves. That's why we always test to not only meet but also exceed safety standards."

Sneak Peek: Hallmark Exclusive "Fluffy" the Bunny!

2009-12-04T12:12:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

I wanted to pop in really quick and share this up-close photo of the Hallmark Exclusive Zhu Zhu Pet™ that will be available in March, Fluffy the bunny. Isn't he cute?? Sort of looks like Chunk, but with bigger ears! I will definitely have to find a couple of these for the girls' Easter baskets ☺

And she SCORES!!

2009-12-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Fanatics!

Yesterday my friend, Joanne in Washington, got lucky!! She was able to nab the 4 new hamsters at retail, and I am so glad for her.

From what she said, apparently Fred Meyer stores had a sale back in October. At that time Zhu Zhu Pets™ were $6.99 and before they realized the mistake, they handed out rainchecks for a day. So at first, they were hustling to fulfill those rainchecks.

Well, yesterday she received a call and was able to purchase some! Fred Meyer retail is $9.99, and they were limiting to 6 hamsters.

Here's hoping that those newbies start leaking their way eastward!

☺☺☺

New Hamsters have ARRIVED in store!

2009-12-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

I hope everyone had a fun + relaxing Thanksgiving holiday/weekend! Did anyone brave the elements and stand outside of Toys R Us for a hamster? I still haven't seen one single hamster on shelves in about 2 months! I asked our Walmart, and they said they are only putting 3 hamsters on the shelf at a time when they do get stock in.

If you haven't already noticed, the NEW Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters have showed up in-hand on eBay. It appears they started making an appearance on Sunday evening. Completed listings for the pink-and-white Jilly, who seems to be the most sought-after of the bunch, range from $40-90.

From the information I have been able to gather, shipments containing the "New Four" arrived in Oregon and Washington at "Fred Meyer" stores. Apparently (as disclosed by a FM employee), the company air-freighted the stock directly in to their stores, which is probably the reason these new characters are showing up a bit ahead of schedule.

In this photo of Nugget, you can see that the back "tattoo" is now covered with a very prominent sticker that states "Please Keep Toy Away From Hair". And they all have a very large name sticker on the front of the box... no confusing Pip Squeak and Nugget now!

If more stores follow suit and begin to air-freight stock directly in, you might have a better chance at catching a newbie or two before Christmas than you originally thought!

Good luck, everyone!! Let the hunt resume!!

Misc. Zhu Zhu Pets™ Musings

2009-11-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon, hamster homies!

This week I am elbow-deep in pie crust and turkey brine, so you may notice I am {being forced to} taking a slight bit of a break from the blog. However, that doesn't mean I won't be around if something exciting takes place!

First of all, a HUGE congratulations goes out to Cepia LLC and CEO Russell Hornsby for winning the "Toy Inventor of the Year" award for the Zhu Zhu Pets™! What a great accomplishment, and I am just so proud for them. It is so exciting to see a small company succeed in such a big way. This is a holiday season I am sure they will never forget on so many levels!

It has come to my attention today that CVS pharmacies are getting in a special shipment of Zhu Zhu Pets™ and accessories! There are a lot of reports of people finding them for $10 each on shelves. Other stores have confirmed they are expected in during this next week. I have been told that this is a one-time shipment, just for the holidays. If anyone gets lucky at CVS, please post about it!

As far as Black Friday goes, the only place I have heard that is definitely supposed to have Zhu Zhu Pets™ is ToysRUs. The latest I heard is 100 pets/store, with half being released at midnight and the other half being released at 6 a.m. Your best bet is to contact your local store and ask what their plans are.

As for other stores having ZZP on Black Friday? I haven't heard a thing! They are not mentioned in any of the ads I have seen. I suppose it is possible that Walmart and other stores may have been hoarding stock (like they did for 11/8)... the shelves and the online retail stores have been empty for quite awhile! And as the weekend and Cyber Monday roll around, will ZZP merchandise start showing up online?? Keep your Zoolert open and find out!

(If anyone has plans to stand in line at TRU for Zhu Zhu Pets™ on Black Friday and can snap some photos of the line, display, etc., I would be happy to post them here on the blog!)

☺☺☺

If I don't "see" you again before, I hope you all have a very happy, family+friend-filled Thanksgiving! Oh, and a safe and Zhu Zhu-filled Black Friday!

Retiring Zhu Zhu Pets™?

2009-11-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hurray for Friday!

One thing that has been circulating in the Zhu Zhu Pets™ rumor-mill recently is "retirement"... will the original 4 (or 5, counting Patches) be retired from production once the newest ZZP hamsters and merchandise starts hitting the shelves?

Although the WHEN is being kept secret, I did receive confirmation from Cepia that "all ZZP characters will have a retirement at some point or another."

Don't panic just yet, though! I know many of us might be scared as a result of the Beanie Baby days. Occasionally a new character would be released, just to be retired by Ty within a few days. The eBayers had a fabulous time with that! But this is just my opinion: I do not think Cepia will retire products until there has been ample time for consumers to purchase what they want. Of course, we will just have to wait and see what the future holds!

There is some interesting information that was posted on the Yahoo Finance page today re: Zhu Zhu Pets™ and the supply of them at TRU:

"Zhu Zhu Pets ALERT! Toys"R"Us Stocks Stores for Black Friday

Determined to make one of the biggest shopping days of the year enjoyable for customers, Toys"R"Us has big plans for Black Friday shoppers seeking a Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster, one of the hottest toys of 2009. The first 100 customers in line at their local Toys"R"Us store on Black Friday will each be given a ticket for the opportunity to purchase a Zhu Zhu Pet (with a limit of one per household).* With thousands of additional Zhu Zhu Pets being made available in Toys"R"Us stores throughout the day on Friday, and thousands more of the highly coveted Zhu Zhu Pets arriving regularly throughout December, gift-givers will have the best chance of finding the precocious little hamsters at Toys"R"Us."

I know that Walmart has been super-dry in terms of ZZP stock lately. Sounds like your best bet is TRU, though you will have to collect them one at a time :P

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hurry! Vote Zhu Zhu Pets™ as the "Toy of the Year!"

2009-11-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

As posted on The Hamster Blog , Zhu Zhu Pets™ are up for the TOY OF THE YEAR award!! How awesome is that?? If all of you can take a moment to vote today, it would be much appreciated! Go to the Official Nomination Page and under "Toy of the Year Nominee", vote for Russell Hornsby !!!

This week a great article was written and posted on Bloomberg's website about Cepia and the Zhu Zhu Pets™. I highly recommend you read it! It is amazing what this small company, with only 16 US-based employees, has accomplished this year alone. And, in my personal opinion and experience, they have not let it go to their heads. Mr. Hornsby's daughters definitely have my dream-job!

Okay... don't wait another moment... go VOTE now!

☺☺☺

Pictures of 2010 "Season 2" Zhu Zhu Pets™ Items!

2009-11-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu peeps! We are halfway through another week again!

There is a ton of buzz about the sneak-peak of the upcoming Zhu Zhu Pets™ items for 2010. Parents are jokingly saying they wish they hadn't shown the video to their kids...they are already shouting for the new stuff!

My good friend FireMaiden was able to take some still-shots of the items in the video... visit her blog to see the photos! Take your time... they won't move ☺

I am so excited about what is going to be offered. Cepia is taking it to a whole new level! There are definitely parts that girls will like more (such as the beauty salon... or my favorite...the baby carriage! ). Other parts, like the airplane and cars, may appeal more to boys. *Sigh* We better start saving money for it now ☺

AMAZING!! Zhu Zhu Pets™ 2010 Line Sneak-Peak!!!

2009-11-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

What an awesome evening, Zhu Zhu Fanatics!!

If you take a look on the Official Zhu Zhu Pets website homepage , you will see that they have given us a sneak peak of what is to come! BUT there is a catch. That sneaky Mr Squiggles played the video clip at lightening-fast speed! My genius web-guru sidekick was able to slow it down for us to enjoy...so... ENJOY!

UPDATED Hallmark Exclusive: Zhu Zhu Pets™ Easter Bunny!

2009-11-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

*Update: Confirmation from Cepia LLC. : "Yes, Hallmark will sell Zhu Zhu Pets™ in 2010, with an Easter Special of ‘Fluffy’ the Bunny offered at Gold Crown stores"*

(This bunny isn't a Zhu Zhu Pet™, but isn't he cute?!)

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

I have jokingly said before that one good thing about the Spring 2010 Zhu Zhu Pets™ releases will be that we will have great Valentine's/Easter gifts! That sentiment was stepped up another notch with this rumor floating around: Hallmark Gold Crown stores are said to have an exclusive Zhu Zhu Pets™ Easter bunny to begin selling in March!

I saw a couple of different people on a message board say they were told this by their Hallmark store. I have been trying to validate this before I posted anything here. A regular of this site, Melissa from Florida, emailed me yesterday with another report. She states she actually saw a flier with a photo of the bunny on it... a white bunny with pink spots inside of its ears! Sounds adorable!

I hope I will have a photo to share with you all soon!

TRU holding stock for Black Friday?

2009-11-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

(Empty hamster-shelves at TRU (photo property of @alotofnothing (Twitter))

I hope everyone is enjoying their "Zhu-nday" evening!

I hate to admit, when it comes to Toys R Us, I just feel out of the loop. Unfortunately, I do not even have a TRU within 100 miles of my home! Boo. Though the prices are slightly higher than Walmart/Target, it seems like they are more coordinated when they do get stock in. Since last Sunday, people just aren't reporting finding hamsters there at ALL. This has been a tough hunting week for brick-and-mortar stores!

Dionne just posted a helpful tidbit on my Facebook page, and I will repost the info here for all:

"TRU is going to release the hamsters only on Black Friday. They open at 12 midnight. I spoke to two different managers from different stores and I also saw for myself this morning that they have them in the Managers office. The managers told me they are not allowed to sell the hamsters until Black Friday ...or they get in trouble from corporate. They can only put out the accessories."

Very interesting! If they were opening at the average 5-6 a.m. mark, I think many people would be very torn: stand in line at TRU (possibly missing out on other store's Black Friday sales) or forget it. But the midnight thing makes it a whole other story!

My younger cousin is scheduled to work Black Friday at her TRU in Nebraska. I hope to get a full report of the chaos from her!!

TRU Zhu Zhu-Pile and a Giveaway!

2009-11-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Yeah! It's finally Friday!

It's been a busy day for me...DD5 is off from school, therefore I had to drag BOTH girls to the grocery store to take advantage of the "Friday the 13th" specials! Ugh. Now if they would take a NAP! I have a ton of groceries to put away now :P

FireMaiden sent me another photo from this past Sunday's "Zhu Zhu blitz" from her TRU. Even though she arrived 1 hour after the store opened, they still had 24 out of 50 hamsters, haphazardly piled on the floor next to Customer Service. She thinks this is probably a benefit of living in a more rural area... and I will have to agree!

Dont forget to stop by and register for Tinker Tell's Pixie Dust Express Pipsqueak Giveaway ! All you need to do is leave her a comment to get entered to win!

Have a happy, Zhu Zhu-filled weekend, everyone!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ app. for Facebook Geeks!

2009-11-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Hump Day! Woot for Wednesday!

Jenna left me a terrific link on my Zhu Zhu Hunters Facebook page. There is now an application that allows you to send virtual Zhu Zhu Pets™ to your Facebook friends! It is really cute...the more you send that are accepted, it unlocks more stuff to send. So far I have unlocked all 5 hamsters and the funhouse☺
Access the Zhu Zhu Pets™ sending application at this link
Have fun!

It will go down in history as "Zhu Zhu Sunday"...

2009-11-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

(Sent to me from @FireMaiden (Twitter), of the empty Zhu Zhu Pets™ pegs at her Walmart)

Hello, Zhu Zhu Pets™ Trackers!

Who all braved the crowds and went to claim a piece of the Zhu Zhu pie on Saturday night/Sunday morning? It sounds like many were able to get their hands on at least one hamster or accessory. Some went out of necessity...others for the thrill of the hunt!

From the hundreds of posts I have read, by and large it seemed like Walmart wasn't nearly as prepared as TRU. No two stores seemed to be on the same page. Limits ranged from 2/person to 1/household. Lines started anywhere from electronics, automotive, Customer Service, Site to Store, among a number of other spots.

Some Walmart stores had ZERO hamsters, others had up to 30 or 40 in stock. Some stores had massive lines waiting for several hours.... others had no one buying at all!

Over on the Gottadeal.com thread, Laura4444 kept us all informed in real-time. Being on the East Coast (Pennsylvania), they were the first to reach 12:01 a.m. Her husband stood in line at electronics, texting her photos of the crowd. It was a lot of fun to watch the first massive ZZP sale going down from the comfort of my home☺

Laura4444 came to the conclusion that the official outfit for the ZZP blitz seemed to be jeans and a gray sweatshirt! LOL Did they send out a memo??

(rjncmj's photo of the first Walmart (Washington state), where they plunked the box of hamsters down on the floor)

Of all the posts I have read about this blitz, rjncmj's really stuck out to me. I will repost what she had to say:

"I got to my Walmart around 9:30 and found someone in toys that had no idea what was going on. I told them I just needed to know where the line was going to be. She called a manager that said they had no clue where to start the line and the hamsters wouldn't be out till 12:01(duh, I already knew the time). So this very nice employee directed me to a bench in front of electronics and said I was now the line.

Right after that another customer showed up and he became second in line. He talked my ear off for over two hours about his ebay business and how much money he's making on Zhu Zhu's. In his defense he was a very nice man but it was upsetting to hear his stories of wiping out store supplies so he could resell them. He even told me of a friend of his that drove up and down through Oregon wiping out all the stores there and ended up with more than 400 hamsters. Then 5 minutes to midnight 3 ladies showed up and waited with us. Then an employee with a box came out from the back and plopped down the hamsters, about 20 of them. I picked out my two and left...."

(rjncmj's 2nd Walmart, where they were keeping them behind a register, next to bags of churro's! LOL)

"...I then decided to drive to another Walmart about 20 mins away and they still had some left. They were keeping about 20 of them behind a register and I was only the 3rd person to buy some. So I got two more. Then the ebay reseller shows up at the 2nd Walmart and told me he managed to get 9 from the previous store because he paid a couple people to buy some for him and then he went in a second time and bought 3 more. So much for limits. Oh and then his Oregon friend shows up with a couple women and they buy up 6 of the hamsters. This ebay guys tells me that he found like 16 starter sets at Shopko recently and bought them all. Like I said, he was nice but so self absorbed I don't think he even realizes how he and people like him impact families trying to buy toys for their kids. "

Unfortunately, I read more stories like this than I would like... resellers recruiting strangers to buy a limit for them. The stores attempt to impose limits to help spread the wealth, but shady people will always try to find a way around it.

Donna, from Maryland, and her best friend were the first two in line at her Walmart, 6:45a.m. They found the above sign posted on the door. The hamsters were held at Customer Service, approximately 30 of them. Later on in the day, she was able to pick up the last hamster at TRU! Lucky her ☺

CrazyMomAli made it a family event! With daughter's in their pj's, they went to Walmart at 9:30 and were the first in line at Site to Store. (If you look closely behind them, you can see a pile of Zhu Zhu Pets™ behind the counter!). It was limit 2 per person. She took this photo of her daughters with their aunt, holding their money up proudly!

Lori (aka friholic) was not able to get any hamsters at her Walmart. She went to her TRU and stood in line!

This is the ticket Lori was given at TRU. Though a couple dollars more expensive, it seems like TRU had a more cohesive gameplan than Walmart. At least Lori was able to score at TRU!

Another friend, GeorgiaPeach717, went to TRU, also. That is just the line inside...I'd imagine there were more people standing outside as well.

Look at her son, proudly holding their "ticket"! Putting all of the eBayers, scalpers, and hoarders aside, THIS photo right here sums up the entire event. It was for our KIDS! These are toys, to be played with and loved! And it just goes to show, we will stand in line for hours, exhausted and grumpy, to see that truly excited look in a kid's eyes when they received something that they REALLY wanted!

Congrats to everyone who was able to complete their shopping lists! And thanks to everyone who took the time to take and share their photos!!!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Back Symbols: Big vs. Little

2009-11-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

And as we await the Twitter party...

@FireMaiden sent me this photo on Twitter. She was able to score some hamsters during the crazy Walmart/TRU blitz on Sunday, and she noticed a difference between these two Mr. Squiggles. Look at the photo... see how the one on the right has a much smaller back "tattoo" than the one on the left?

I had heard about this a few weeks ago, but had yet to see a photo. Thanks, FireMaiden! Cepia said that the more recently-made hamsters have a smaller symbol so that kids can better find where the on/off button on the back is. Good idea!

Reminder: BIG Zhu Zhu Giveaway on Twitter Tonight!

2009-11-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, sleepy ZZP-hunters!

I am working to sort through the photos and write a blog over the ZZP experieces of Sat/Sun. In the meantime, do not forget about the huge Twitter party tonight, sponsored by Cepia!

Never attended a Twitter event? Neither had I until Friday! LOL Resourceful Mommy (one of the hosts) has very simple directions at this link: Twitter Zhu Zhu Giveaway .

Hope to see everyone there! Please leave me a comment and let me know if you are lucky enough to win something!!!!!

This SUNDAY: Walmart and TRU

2009-11-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu Chasers!

Wow, I am exhausted this morning. Yesterday was a busy (but fun) cyber-day! I attended the Time to Play webcast yesterday afternoon on MomTV.... then the #hottoys Twitter party hosted by Resourceful Mommy last night! I know at least 2 of my friends from Gottadeal.com won toys during those events. Hopefully we are all geared up for the HUGE #zhuzhupets Twitter party Monday night!!!

Many of us will be participating in a "mini-Black Friday" tonight/tomorrow morning. As announced on Cepia's Zhu Zhu Pets™ website, Walmart has been hoarding stock for the "official" release of the Toy Book on Sunday. It seems like distribution plans are varying quite a bit, store to store. I have heard some stores will be putting them out at 12:01 am... others at 8 am. Some stores it will be a "free for all", and others will have a limit of 1 or 2 at the Customer Service area. I even heard some stores may be passing out tickets.

Incidentally Walmart (and other retailers) are being swamped with telephone calls re: Zhu Zhu Pets™. Some customer service people are getting rude or just not giving out accurate &/or true information. At this point, I think your best bet is to go into Walmart and try to find someone who actually works in the toy dept. They will probably know more than anyone at customer service. Ask how much stock they have on hand, limits, and what time they will be putting them out.

I checked with my own Walmart toy person, and she says they have only received 20 hamsters in the last 4 weeks. Eight of them were accidentally put on the shelf, so as of 2 days ago, they were only going to have 12 hamsters to put out.

NOTE: There will be NO NEW RELEASE HAMSTERS sold. Several people have emailed Cepia about this, and their responses mesh with what Cepia has already told me in the past: new hamsters will not be shipping until closer to the beginning of December.

I don't know what kind of turnout my Walmart will have, considering we are a fairly small city. I haven't decided 100% yet if I am going to go document this event or sleep in! LOL If I thought there was a chance of new hamsters, I would be there in an instant.

In addition, Toys R Us is supposed to have a supply of hamsters first thing Sunday morning, supposedly to coincide with an ad or sale. Many people have said they are planning to camp at Walmart, then hit TRU when it opens!! I wish them all luck!!!

(If any of you are going to do the Walmart &/or TRU thing....and wouldn't mind snapping a few photos .... I would love to document this event here on the blog! Of course, I wouldn't expect it during a mad rush, but a few pics of the line, the display, customer service counter, parking lots, or whatever would be awesome! I think it would be neat to see how this plays out around the country☺ Email me: gumby8@hotmail.com )

UPDATE MomTV Zhu Zhu Giveaway: Tomorrow night!

2009-11-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

***UPDATE: The Party starts at 1 pm EST!!***

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu-land!

Yesterday, if you noticed, I had a fantastic post from MomTV. Tomorrow night, they will be doing a Zhu Zhu Pets™ giveaway!!

"Just in: This Friday 11/6/2009 watch the live webcast with The Toy Guy and Time to Play's Jim Silver - toy industry experts chatting about the hot toys and doing a MomTV Giveaway http://www.blogger.com/www.momtv.com/TimeToPlay.html of a ZhuZhu Pet LIVE!"

Coincidentally, I just caught the tail-end of a MomTV webcast a few nights ago. You watch the webcast and chat amongst yourselves/ask questions in a connected chatroom. And of course, you can win prizes!

I would recommend everyone go and get signed up with a MomTV user name immediately. There is a verification email and a bit of setup to do to complete the process.

Hopefully many of you will be able to cut down your Christmas lists, with this and the upcoming Twitter giveaway, as well as the big Walmart blitz on Sunday!!

Official Zhu Zhu Pets™ Giveaway on Twitter

2009-11-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

Good Morning-ish!

Yesterday was a VERY busy day in Zhu Zhu world, with the statement made by Cepia and the release of Walmart's Toy Book. Definitely a lot of buzz on the boards! People are frantically calling their Walmarts, trying to get the local scoop on this Sunday's event. I will post some of the responses as they come in ☺

Did anyone notice the new tracker on the Official Zhu Zhu Pets™ page? On this coming Monday, 11/9 at 7 pm EST, there will be a giveaway on renowned mom-blogger, Maria Bailey's, Twitter page! You can attend by following @momtalkradio on Twitter and joining in the convo! I have been told there will be (at least) 25 hamsters given away, as well as some funhouses! Sounds like a lot of fun☺

Update: Front Cover of Walmart Toy Guide 11/8

2009-11-03T10:37:00.001-08:00

Thanks goes to Brad at GottaDeal.com for this image. I flipped through the pdf file several times, bummed that I couldn't find Zhu Zhu Pets™... but there they are (or at least, Mr Squiggles), right on the front cover! Don't miss the fine print ☺

Official Alert from Cepia! Walmart saving stock for 11/8 sale!!

2009-11-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Eeeek!

Check out this update from the Official Zhu Zhu Pets Website !!!!!

"We have received quite a few emails and phone calls regarding a situation occurring at many Wal Mart stores.
Many of you are letting us know that Wal Mart is refusing to sell Zhu Zhu Pets™ due to a "product recall". This is not true, the product has not been recalled.

Wal Mart has labeled their goods as "protected". This is so they can have an entire week to "build up stock" for an upcoming sale. We apologize for this inconvenience.

We understand your concern. There is no recall for Zhu Zhu Pets™. Product will again be for sale at Wal Mart on 11/8/2009. Zhu Zhu Pets™ meets and exceeds all ASTM safety standards. "

Where will you be Sunday morning???

(If anyone can take photos of any crowds, the displays, etc. I would love to post them right here!)

TRU Faux Pas...and In Stock at Amazon!

2009-11-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

Good evening, Zhu Zhu fiends!

Did anyone notice anything odd on TRU.com over the weekend? On Saturday morning, a TRU search on "zhu zhu" yielded zero results! We were wondering if maybe they were doing some site revamping, in preparation for the "Big Book" sale prices that were slated to start on Sunday. Well, when Sunday rolled around, the Zhu Zhu Pets stuff was back. AND, to boot, it said underneath the price, in pink letters, "ONLY $4.99 with any $50 Toysrus purchase!". My friend Lori saved a couple of screen-shots for proof:

Though, it was a short-lived promotion. Probably an error, I am supposing, because the wording has been replaced with "Exclusive Animal Alley [plush toy] ONLY $4.99 with purchase!" None of the Zhu Zhu items were in stock at the time anyway, so it didn't end up mattering. LOL

☺☺☺

Today, Amazon had Zhu Zhu items in stock... at RETAIL... for the first time that I have ever seen! NO TAX, FREE SHIPPING!! According to a Zoolert administrator, this is what/when items were listed on Amazon today, and how long they lasted:

Amazon Zhu Zhu Pets - Three Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters -- $31.99 11-02-09 16:01 instock and last for 1 minute
Amazon Zhu Zhu Pets - Three Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters -- $31.99 11-02-09 15:39 instock and last for 19 minutes
Amazon Zhu Zhu Pets - Three Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters -- $31.99 11-02-09 15:34 instock and last for 1 minute

Amazon Zhu Zhu Pets - Funhouse Set with [Patches] Hamster -- $34.99 11-02-09 15:43 instock and last for 1 hour 29 minutes

Someone on the Zoolert forum confirmed that when they first noticed the funhouse/Patches set in stock, it said there were 900 available!! With a strict limit of 2, hopefully the wealth was spread out a little.

Please note: This was the more recently released Funhouse set with Patches, as opposed to the Patches starter set.

Who's got Nugget?

2009-11-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Friends!

There is definitely some weird stuff going on out there in cyber-Zhu Zhu-land! Individuals are posting false reports of finding the 4 new hamsters....some going so far as to front as Cepia employees. So bizarre. I don't understand the satisfaction someone would get by doing this. Just don't believe everything you read!

I have been keeping tabs on the online auctions, just in case any newbie would happen slip into the system soon. There was a 1-day listing for Nugget on eBay, in hand. The photo looks like Pip Squeak, don't you think?

I sent the seller a question, asking what the back "tattoo" was. She assured me that it was not the shooting star of Pip Squeak, and though she did not have immediate access to the hamster (?), she thought it was a half-moon shaped "tattoo". (Which, by the way, is NOT Nugget's tattoo shape). It sold for $15.50, and I will be curious to see if the buyer leaves favorable feedback.

This photo of Nugget that was posted on TRU.com a while back makes him look more of an orangeish-yellow color. The bad thing is, of the 4 new hamsters that will be released soon, Nugget will be the hardest to verify. Different camera, lighting, etc. will affect the way the color shows up, obviously. Credible evidence, in my opinion, will be a back shot of the "tattoo"...and it better be something other than a shooting-star!

Here is some interesting info from a poster on the Gottadeal.com forum. I hope she is able to find one of these again, but it is fun to speculate in the meantime!

"I was at TRUS yesterday in Newington CT...They had several hamsters there...they DID have a yellow one...it definitely wasn't the butter yellow one (that's what I'd call Pipsqueak) I had bought several weeks ago...this one was definitely more yellow...brighter. I did look for the name on the box and it didn't have one, as I thought it was a strange color. I didn't think to check on its back, however to see what the tattoo was...maybe it WAS Nugget...I chose not to buy it...thought DH would call me crazy as I already have the 4 original colors... "

And her response to my photo of the alleged Nugget eBay auction:

"LuvMaerz...that picture that you just put in your previous post doesn't look like the one I saw...that looks more like Pipsqueak...But like you said, it could be the angle of the photo. I could just kick myself for not getting it yesterday...the yellow of the one I saw was definitely a BRIGHT yellow, with an orangish undertone..not a flourescent yellow, like a highlighter, but YELLOW. I told my husband about it tonight and he said to go tomorrow to get it...what he fails to understand is that it WON'T be there tomorrow!!! Anyway, sorry I couldn't be of more help but maybe I will shoot up there in the HOPES they will have it. The kicker was that it was about 11:30 am and the shelves were full of about 8 whites and 15 of these yellow ones...and about 5 funhouses...now if I could only find the SLIDE I'd be all set... "

I hope she is able to get back and find one, just to satisfy the curiosity of many of us on that board, if nothing else! The thrill of the chase is most of the fun, isn't it? ☺

When limits ARE needed!

2009-10-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween, Zhu Zhu Peeps!

It is agreed that limits can be super-irritating when you have a lot of kids to buy for. But in some instances, I think many would agree that some sort of purchase policy would be a good thing! Here is a story that was shared on the GottaDeals forum thread last night by "Katie811" from Massachutes:

"I had to share this with you all.

I got to Target this morning at 7:50 (waiting for the doors to open) and 8am comes around and I walk toward target this guy starts walking past me (of course i'm not thinking he is after Zhu Zhu's) so he grabs his cart looks back at me and RUNS! I was like WTH!? So I turn the corner to the Zhu Zhu isle, and there he is! He pushed the cart right against the shelves and threw EVERY zhu zhu item INTO HIS CART! Even the pegs went flying! I was speechless!!

Now all my son is asking for - for christmas is the Zhu Zhu slide.

So I very nicely ask the guy "could I have one of those slides please, my son wants it for christmas" he responds with "WELL IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH YOU WILL BUY IT OFF EBAY FROM ME!!" with the BIGGEST smile.. i was so in shock!

so all my trips to Target and never finding anything is because he is there taking it all every morning! looks like my son will never get the slide and I am not paying off ebay !"

A story like that just leaves you speechless! I cannot imagine being in that situation. When someone purchases all available stock, everyday, then a REASONABLE limit per person policy should be instituted. What do you think?

Personally, I think the guy should have felt like such a jerk. If she got the courage up to plead for one slide, it wouldn't have hurt him to give one up. My curiosity got the best of me, so I did a little simple math after I read this story:

$25.00 (average slide price on eBay from 10-30)
- $16.05 (approx. Target retail with 7% sales tax)
- $ 2.55 (approx. eBay listing fee/comission)
- $ 1.17 (approx. PayPal fee on $30 (sale price plus $5 shipping)
_________
profit: $5.23 per slide

Oh, and don't forget to deduct cost of shipping materials, and gas to/from Target and the post office. I just see very, very little profit in it at this point. Who wants to make people miserable and get paid pennies on the dollar to do so? Not me!

I hope everyone is having some luck at finding Zhu Zhu Pets™ items at retail prices!!

"November New Releases"? The truth revealed!

2009-10-29T12:27:00.001-07:00

Good Afternoon, Zhu Zhu Maniacs!

For the past month or so, I have seen different toy-related websites (and eBay, to a much smaller extent) doing presales on the unreleased new Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters, hamster babies, and clothing. All of them seem to be touting a release/ship date of November. I have continued to wonder where they are getting their information, considering I was told by a Cepia representative that: The new hamsters will not be released before December, and the babies, outfits, and new vehicles will not be released before Spring 2010.

After reading a post this morning from an individual claiming to have found a pink/white Jilly on the shelf at a Walmart today, I decided to reconsult with my Cepia contact. Here is part of her response to me:

"This is highly unlikely. Wal Mart has not even placed their orders for the new hamsters yet and Toys R Us is the ONLY mass retail store that is expected to have the new characters before Christmas. If this woman really did purchase Jilly, the factory made a MAJOR mistake in packing and shipping, but again, it is highly unlikely."

Though I would like to believe that some new releases may have found their way to shelves, I will remain skeptical until I see photographic proof ☺

My real concern in this matter isn't the "he said/she said" of what and when items will be available. It bothers me that individuals may lay out a lot of hard-earned money for these presales in order to get a coveted item before Christmas, and it will be impossible for the seller to deliver on this promise. I suppose I can summarize it in two simple words: "Buyer Beware!".

On a happy note, here is a bit of good news my contact passed along to me today:

" For existing Zhu Zhu Pets goods: They are being shipped. We have over 2 million hamsters on the way that will hit store shelves before Christmas."

TRU Presale on Giant Hamster City Playset

2009-10-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

**Yawn**

A headache has contributed to a bit of insomnia tonight. It was just brought to my attention on my Facebook page that TRU.com has their exclusive "Giant Hamster City Playset" available for PRESALE right now for 99.99 at this link . Estimated ship date is 11/23. Limit 3.

Several weeks ago, TRU.com had this posted, but not in stock yet. At that time, the retail price was listed at 84.99. Wonder what could have spurred at $15 price increase? Low-retail for the individuals pieces of the set (which DOES include Patches) would be about $86 + tax. So it might be worth it to you to nab the majority of the accessory pieces and two hamsters and save on gas!

UPDATE: As of this morning, this set/presale has vanished from TRU.com. Hopefully some of you who were interested were able to get in on it before it was gone!

In-Stocks, Price Hikes, and Bits

2009-10-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu-ites!

Walmart.com has sporadically been adding hamsters for the last several days. Some people are reporting luck with nabbing some, while others say that by the time they are alerted by Zoolert, they are out of stock. Other problems include getting the hamsters in your cart but being unable to checkout with them. (This was a reported problem when TRU.com had them in stock, as well). Zoolert is unsure of what is causing the problem... if literally they are only adding a very small number of hamsters (less than 10) at a time, and the massive amounts of people are snatching them up before the Zoolert tracker refreshes every 2 minutes. Regardless, I hope some of you have been lucky in your recent hunting ventures!

One word of advice: It seems that when an online retailer starts consistently adding stock, the brick-and-mortar stores also seem to get more shipments during that time. With that said, keep a close eye on Walmart ☺ And a making a friend or two in the toy dept. doesn't hurt your chances, either!

eToys is at it again....it appears several days ago, they raised prices on all of the accessory packs! With their hamsters still at 19.99, the accessories did seem to be priced at comparable retail. Now they are about $5 above Walmart's retail prices. What gives? Anyway, if you feel like paying 3rd party prices at a supposed retail store, eToys has nearly everything in stock.

As always, keep an eye on the Hamster Blog , as they are always giving away little hints about good things to come! Of course, I will keep you updated of any Zhu Zhu Pets™ news/rumors here!

"Custom" Zhu Zhu Pets™??

2009-10-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

Good Monday Morning, Zhu Zhu Lovers!

As the Zhu Zhu craze continues, people are starting to get creative to cash-in on the popularity and the looming holiday season. Up until now, this has consisted of individuals making custom, handmade items like clothing/outfits and sleeping bags.

It was brought to my attention a few days ago that people are "dyeing" the hamsters (usually Chunk, the all-white one) and selling them as custom. (All photos property of the respective eBay auction-holders). Is anyone else reminded of the "custom" tye-dyed Valentino Beanie Babies of years past??

I am not sure of the exact dyeing process that they are using, as traditional dyeing would saturate the hamster with water and ruin it beyond use. I am thinking it must be some sort of dye-marker (or even plain, old Crayola markers!).

If you search "custom Zhu Zhu" on eBay, there are currently 12 auctions, with quite a few completed auctions. It doesn't seem that these "custom" hamsters are going for any more $ than the plain, unaltered ones... and in some cases, LESS. This could be a risky venture for these sellers, as once they are dyed they obviously won't be able to be returned to a store if they do not sell.

Personally, I think I would rather wait until the new hamsters are released!

In Stock Today: Walmart.com!!!

2009-10-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

Get your Zoolert screens up and running! Walmart has been adding hamsters and funhouses today! To make the process go more quickly, be sure to sign into Walmart and have all of your info (address, credit card, etc.) saved so you can check out ASAP if you nab them ☺☺

Something Fishy at eToys?

2009-10-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Hump Day!

Talk on the boards seems to have shifted to eToys.com. As a supposed "retail store", they do currently have Zhu Zhu Pets™ in stock....at more than twice the retail price! Interestingly enough, the accessories are all priced at average retail, while the hamsters are $19.99 each. What gives?!

According to this link , eToys is owned by Toys R Us. Individuals state that packing slips from eToys orders (as recently as yesterday), have the Toys R Us/Babies R Us logo on them. So, it becomes apparent that they share the same warehouse.

What's the big deal? According to Zoolert.com, Toysrus.com has not had any hamsters in stock since 10-9, nearly 2 weeks ago. (Incidentally, at that time they were selling the hamster 3-packs for 34.99... $5 over their own seperate hamsters retail of $9.99). Now Toysrus.com is bone dry, yet eToys has had ample stock for days.

It is appearing to many of us that Toys R Us.com must be rerouting their inventory to eToys and charging double-retail by doing so. Makes sense because it would be very contradictory if they charged twice as much online at Toysrus.com as they do in their brick-and-mortar stores. At $19.99, I dare say they wouldn't have anyone waiting in line at the store.

It's a free country, and Toys R Us has the right to do whatever it feels, right? True. But it certainly puts a bad taste in many people's mouths regarding the company in general. On one hand, in stores they are limiting to 1 hamster/person/day (or sometimes 1 per household, as I mentioned in an earlier post)...in an effort to spread the wealth and discourage 3rd-party hoarders. But on the other hand, if they are using their alias store, eToys, as a tool to cash in on the craze and charge more than twice the retail... not cool. Not at all. Especially since the average completed price on eBay today is $20/hamster, they are no better than the hoarders they are supposedly trying to discourage.

Do you have a burning Zhu Zhu Pets™ question?

2009-10-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been talking to me about things they would love to be able to ask the friendly (and super-busy!) Cepia LLC. Comment on this thread with your burning Zhu Zhu Pets™-related questions and I will try to get them answered for you!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ at the St Louis Zoo this Saturday!

2009-10-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, Zhu Zhu-ites!

If anyone is in the area, they should stop by the St. Louis Zoo this Saturday for the Boo at the Zoo event! It is free to get in and starts at 9 a.m. According to the official Zhu Zhu Pets™ website, Mr. Squiggles will be there:

"Calling all Zhu Zhu Pets™ fans in St. Louis, MO!

Be sure to check us out and meet Mr. Squiggles this Saturday, October 24th (9AM) at the St. Louis Zoo in Forest Park. Come play with Zhu Zhu Pets™, eat free candy, and register to win your very own Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters and accessories! Where will your Zhu Zhu zhu-oom?

Location : St. Louis Zoo
Time: Saturday Oct 24th - 9AM

Mr. Squiggles is appearing at the Saint Louis Zoo for the "Boo at the Zoo" Event. Bring the kids for a meet and greet! "

All I can say is I want to take our kids SOOO badly. We love the STL Zoo so much. But we have my daughter's school carnival and another Halloween party that day, so we just don't have time to make the 3 hour trek. If anyone else goes, I would love some photos to post!

Time Warp! Entire "Go Go Pets" set for $29.95!

2009-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

I found this a while back on Cepia's YouTube page. My best guess is that the originally named "Go Go Pets" might have been released as an "As Seen on TV" item in a test market. All I can say is I WISH I had that 1800-number to order my complete set for $29.95!! Anyway, it is a great commercial and really showcases what these silly little hamsters can do!

Target Ad Update 10/18

2009-10-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

*Well, the ad is here and no Zhu Zhu Pets™... Bummer! That is the thing about rumors: they can be exciting, but disappointing, too. However, people are reporting finding them at Target as announced, so I hope some of my readers may have been able to get lucky this morning! **

Zhu Zhu Pets featured in Target Ad SUNDAY 10/18

2009-10-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

Happy Saturday, Zhu Zhu-ites!

The buzz on the boards is that finally, the Zhu Zhu Pets™ will be making their debut in weekly ad circulars by being spotlighted in the Target ad that comes out tomorrow! Supposedly, it was in the corporate memo that all Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters were to be held back until the official release on Sunday, 10/18.

Many people have reported finding the accessories (namely the harder-to-find skateboard and spiral slide) on Target shelves already, but fewer people have actually seen the hamsters. I have seen reports that the managers say boxes are specifically marked not to open until 10/18. It is uncertain how many each store will even have, but it is nearly certain that it will be limit 1 hamster per person.

(If anyone does go tough it out at Target first thing in the morning, I would love any photos of the chaos (or lack thereof), the display, etc. to post here on the blog!)

Another thought... if, indeed, Target is putting out their hamster stock tomorrow, it is possible that they may also update target.com with stock. Keep your Zoolert pages minimized, and you might get awakened by the sound of a Zoolert rooster!

I think things are about to start getting VERY exciting! Good Luck!!

ps.... You can now follow me on Twitter .

Newsflash: 8 NEW hamsters???!!!

2009-10-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

As I mentioned earlier today, the sneaky Professor Zhuzeau left a coded message in a podcast yesterday on The Official Hamster Blog . My genius friend Jessica reversed the audio for me so you can hear the hidden message!

The question posed on the Official Blog was this: "Inspector ZhuZeau stopped by to let us know he's looking for a number of hamsters that are on the loose. Can you understand what he's saying?"

To us it sounds like- Rocky, Moon, Spotty, Tex, YoYo, Cappuccino, Jinx, and Peachy

Eeeek! With the other four newbies, that is a total of 12 more hamsters to track down!!

☺☺☺I'm up for the challenge... are you? ☺☺☺

Tidbits

2009-10-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hey, Zhu Zhu Pets™ aficionados!

I have been stalking Walmart the last two mornings, as I was told that there would be accessories coming in soon. Well, there was merchandise this morning: 12 hamsters, 1 car, 2 wheels, and 1 sleepdome. No slide :o( I have a cousin that works at TRU in NE, so I have asked her to keep her eyes open for the slide. Fingers crossed!

I was letting my 3 year old look at one of the hamsters today while we were at Walmart ("We will have to ask Santa to bring them to our house!"). I can understand why the batteries go dead before people get them home! Even after I put it back, it kept vibrating and talking for quite awhile! Note to self: have plenty of AAA batteries on hand for Christmas... ☺

I notice that TRU.com has removed the pictures/listings for the unreleased, four new hamsters. I am getting the impression that these may not be available before the end of the year... but we can still hope! If you happen to see Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters on the shelf, make sure to scan through for potential newbies. From what I was told by a Walmart toy dept employee, they order them in an "assortment", so when newbies start showing up, they will be mixed in with the original ones. Never hurts to look! Although I do not encourage anyone to pay the crazy prices, eBay listings are a good way to see what kind of quantity is out there. Plus, you know the SECOND that any of the newbies are found, they will be on eBay.

I found an interesting article last night about Cepia and the Zhu Zhu Pets™ craze. You can read this article here. I was pleasantly surprised that the people behind Cepia, LLC. were also behind the Trendmasters toy company of the late 90's. Trendmasters made a line of awesome Gumby toys/merchandise, which I collected and still have!

One last thing... hop over to the Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hamster Blog and listen to the podcast with "Inspector Zhuzeau". Can ANYONE get the secret message??? My entire iTunes library crashed on me last night when I was attempting to listen to it backwards!

Frustration at the Checkout

2009-10-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Pets™ fanatics!

Over on the GottaDeal.com forum, there is a very active Zhu Zhu Pets™ thread. Some interesting discussion has taken place in the last weeks. Most recently, people have been showing frustration. Target.com has been cancelling preorders that were completed several weeks ago. Stores are enforcing limits on Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters and accessories, sometimes to an extreme. The following is a post on that thread by username "friholic", which left me feeling very sad, indeed:

"I understand that Toys R Us is trying to help parents get a hard to find toy, but the limits are boarding on a little silly, as parents do shop for more than 1 child at a time. No matter the limit Toys R Us is still selling out of them within 5 minutes of a store opening.

Here is one problem with the 1 Zhu Zhu Pet limit. My SIL took my niece to the store. She was lucky enough to get there and some were on the shelf. My niece did some extra chores last weekend to earn the money to buy a Zhu Zhu Pet. So my niece proceeds to pick 1 of the 4 colors of hamster she wants. With such pride she picks Num Nums. While my niece was distracted my SIL picked up a white one and put it in her cart along with some other items (trying to hide it from my niece). When they go to pay my SIL puts her items on the counter. She hands her white Zhu Zhu Pet to the cashier and gives that parents nod and wink to the cashier and whispers "can you put this at the bottom of the bag?" You know the look we all give to the sales clerk when we are tying to distract our child and pay for something at the same time. The cashier was helpful and my SIL paid for her items.

Then it was my niece’s turn to pay for her Zhu Zhu Pet. With all the pride of an 8 year old, with her change inside her Hello Kitty Wallet inside her Jonas Brothers purse she steps to the counter. Proudly says she "wants to buy this". The cashier then turns to my SIL and tells her that my niece can't buy it. It is explained that since my SIL already purchased 1 Zhu Zhu Pet that my niece can't now purchase one. It is further explained since my niece and my SIL are related it is only "1 Zhu Zhu Pet per household per day". REALLY?

So not only was my niece denied her purchase, she now knows that my SIL had purchased one for a present. "

Further posts revealed that this incident was backed up by the store's manager, and Toys R Us corporate customer service stated that each store's manager has the power to make and enforce these rules to their discretion.

The good news is that Cepia is definitely producing/shipping as many of these sweet critters as fast as they possibly can! They do not condone any of the price-gouging and 3rd party sales that are taking place. They are committed to satisfying the customers to the best of their ability during this time. One representative's words sum it up best: "I know goods are tough to come by, but there are millions of hamsters our there and on their way!".

It appears that Toys R Us is the most reliable place to find shipments of Zhu Zhu Pets™ these days. Do not be afraid to call ahead of time and inquire... ask about when shipments may be expected and about any limits that may be imposed. Don't be afraid to take family and friends with you, if need be!

As always, happy and successful hunting!

Sliders

2009-10-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, everyone!

It seems that the main talk on the message boards is the limits that stores like Toys R Us and Walmart are imposing on Zhu Zhu Pets™ purchasers. I mean, I understand that the retailers have a point: spread as much love to as many people possible. However, parents (etc.) who have multiple children to purchase for are in a bit of a predicament when they are limited to 1 hamster OR accessory. Unfortunately, this is due to people hoarding them for the secondary market... and likewise, I have seen many people who are starting to think that eBay's prices don't look too bad right now, considering their frustration. And so the cycle continues...

I have been lucky because I have been able to track down everything in a decent amount of time. EXCEPT for that elusive slide! I will keep looking because I am sure it will turn up eventually (even if it is after Christmas). I will not pay $30 + s/h on eBay for a $15 item.

I hope everyone out there has a great and Zhu Zhu-filled weekend!

Retail Secret of the Day: Rain Checks!

2009-10-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Lovers!

I have been checking with my closest Shopko store, off and on, for a couple of weeks. They have had the hamsters in stock ($11.99), but had yet to get any accessories or the starter set with Patches. Since I hate to waste so much time/gas making the 40 minute round-trip, I gave them a call every day or two to check. Here is an abbreviated telephone conversation I had with them last week:

Me: Do you know if you have received any of the Zhu Zhu Pets™ accessories or houses in yet? I am especially looking for the starter set that comes with Patches the hamster.

Employee: Let me go check for you.

(Few minutes later)

Employee: No, we still haven't received them yet. BUT I scanned the barcode on the shelf, and they are actually on sale right now! If you want to come in and get a rain check, we will hold the items you want AND call you when they come in!

What a noble concept... they will call ME instead! So I went and got my rain checks, and within 24 hours I received the call saying the items had arrived. My husband stopped by on his way home from work and picked them up...the starter set with Patches was on sale for 15.99 (reg 19.99), and he also found the skateboard/U-turn for $9-something (reg. 11.99). That VERY night, a Patches starter set sold on eBay for $109!!! Crazy, crazy people.

(I couldn't help but take Patches out of the box for a quick peek before Christmas!)

The odd thing is that there were no signs up or no mention in the Shopko ad saying that they were on sale. Bless the toy dept. girl who planted the rain check idea in my head! This is certainly something to keep in mind. I look for Zhu Zhu Pets™ to start showing up in the Target, Walmart, etc. weekly ads soon. If they happen to be on sale, it certainly doesn't hurt to get a rain check! You may end up with the thing you most need, PLUS sale-priced, to boot ☺

Zhu Zhu Pets™ SQUIRRELS??

2009-10-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Weekend, everyone!

I hope everyone is have luck finding the Zhu Zhu Pets™ and accessories they are looking for. The number of starter sets w Patches has tripled in the last day on eBay, which tells me that more are shipping. Keep an eye out at Meijer, Duckwall, Hallmark, and Shopko to grab one at retail!

Take a listen to the podcast with "Papa Zhu Zhu" at the official Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamster blog .

Is it my imagination, or are they hinting at Zhu Zhu Pets™ squirrels??? Take a listen and leave me a post, tell me what YOU think!

Hamster babies, Clothing, and New Accessories

2009-10-01T10:21:00.001-07:00

Hello again, Zhu Zhu Hunters!

In my area, this week is showing a definite increase of the individual hamsters available in stores. In one day, I went to 2 Walmarts and 2 Shopkos, and there were anywhere from 1 to 20 hamsters on the shelves. HOWEVER... I did not find even one accessory kit! I am wondering if Cepia has stepped up hamster-shipping due to the demand, and accessories have temporarily taken a back seat while that gets caught up. Very interesting to think about!

Here is last question I asked the friendly people of Cepia, LLC.:

Q: Will the hamster outfits, boat/sports car/van, and additional hamsters and baby hamsters be available to the public before Christmas?

A: The hamster outfits, babies, and new vehicles will be released for Spring 2010... sorry I cannot provide an exact date (Note: As previously posted, I was told that the four new hamsters (Jilly, Scoodles, Nugget, and Winkie) would be available in December. It is speculated that they may become available sooner, considering they are now pictured on Toysrus.com)

You may have seen these pictures on the back of the Zhu Zhu Pets™ packages. What a teaser! Aren't these outfits adorable?? I had hoped these would be available for stocking-stuffers....and who knows? Shipment plans could change. But if all else fails, there are Easter baskets to plan for ☺

If you go to the official blog that the Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters "write" (http://www.zhuzhupetshamsterblog.com/), you will see all sorts of cute little recordings, photos, videos, etc. In the post titled "Interview with Patches", Patches talks about driving around in her new red coupe. In the above picture, notice that there looks to be a boat-dock behind the boat, probably an attachment to the Hamster City!

Also on the blog, there is a little skit/video entitled "Sunday Drive". You MUST watch this one. You will see the new boat, car, and station wagon in action! In this photo, it appears that the surfboard will actually attach to the roof. Plus, in the video it shows that TWO hamsters will be able to ride in this vehicle. COOL!

Although I am not holding my breath, there is always the potential that these accessories could be released sooner, to take advantage of the holiday craze. But if not, just relax and wait to see what Spring 2010 has in store for us!

Patches... where ARE you??

2009-09-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hello, Zhu Zhu Lovers!
So... have you been able to track down Patches the hamsters?

Patches certainly is the sneakiest of the bunch! Here is another question that the fine people at Cepia, LLC. answered for us inquisitive Zhu Zhu Pets™ fans!

Q: Is the starter set (that includes Patches the hamster) exclusive to Toys R Us? Will it be available for sale in other stores, as well?

A: The Giant Hamster City Playset is exclusive to Toys R Us... Patches is included in this set as well as the starter set.... This hamster is ONLY available in the sets and not sold separately. The Starter Set with Patches will be available at "select" Hallmark stores, Shopko, Duckwall, and Meijer.

The Giant Hamster City playset is currently on Toysrus.com with a list price of $84.99. It is still notated with the "NEW" icon, and I personally have not seen it in stock yet. This set includes the funhouse, wheel, sleep dome, adventure ball, and Patches and Mr. Squiggles hamsters. (It is unclear whether it also comes with the surfboard or the tiny play ball that go along with the sleep dome and adventure ball when purchased seperately). You won't save too much money buying this set rather than the individual pieces, but it might just be worth it to grab multiple pieces in one set!!

The Hamster House Starter Set retails for around $19.99. In addition to the stores listed above, I was told by a fellow webber that they were able to preorder this set from Target. Although I personally did not see it on Target's website, I do believe them. It is possible that Cepia is making changes to their distribution plans and unleashing of new products because of the intense interest in this line of toys!

Happy Hunting! And keep those Zoolert pages on your screens... my rooster was crowing all day yesterday, as TRU.com seemed to be haphazardly adding hamsters and accessories thoughtout the day.

Zhu Zhu Pets™ and "Black Friday"

2009-09-28T07:56:00.001-07:00

Hello fellow Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hunters!

The good people at Cepia, LLC. recently answered a few of our most talked about Zhu Zhu Pets™ questions! I would like to share one of them with you now. ☺

Q: Should we expect any special packaging/promos for the Day-After-Thanksgiving ("Black Friday") sales blitz?

A: We do not have any "special" packaging for Black Friday... but we should have 4 new characters available in December.

So just when you thought you only had 4 impossible-to-find little hamsters to track down, 4 more get thrown into the mix!! LOL If you have been lucky enough to find some of the accessories, you would have noticed this picture on the back of the package:

So according to Cepia, these additional hamsters should be available to purchase by December. Anyone who has been checking Toysrus.com lately may have noticed these new items added to the Zhu Zhu Pets™ products today:

Look familiar? Although they are not for sale yet, they are notated with "New"... so potentially these 4 new characters could be rolled out sooner than planned to help with the current supply-and-demand issues! Keep your eyes peeled and keep those Zoolert pages up and ready!

Happy Hunting!!

Zhu Zhu Pets™...on-line....for RETAIL prices!

2009-09-26T15:50:00.001-07:00

Finally! After several weeks of waiting, the Zhu Zhu Pets™ and accessories have started showing up in bulk on Walmart.com, Target.com, and Toysrus.com!!

Of course, they are out of stock now when I just checked all of these sites. One great tool for you to use is www.zoolert.com. It refreshes automatically every 2 minutes, and when your needed item (in this case, Zhu Zhu Pets™) are available at any online retailer, you will get an alert in the form of an animal noise! Just minimize the pages on your computer and go about your business.

For Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters: http://www.zoolert.com/zhu-zhu-pets-tracker/

For accessories: http://www.zoolert.com/zhu-zhu-pets-accessories-tracker/

Keep in mind that Walmart.com has the lowest prices (online or in stores) for the Zhu Zhu Pets™ and accessories...plus you can get free shipping if you use the Site to Store option. But for those of you who are having an extra-hard time tracking these critters down, a few extra dollars at another retailer is much better than paying inflated eBay/Amazon prices.

Happy Hunting!!!

Welcome to Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hunters!!

2009-09-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Randi, and I am a mother of two girls, ages 5 and 3. If your kids are like mine, they are running around the house singing "All the fun without the mess!" over and over again.

Yes, they are Zhu Zhu Pets™!! Interactive, robotic hamsters that are sooo entertaining to watch. And definitely poop-free. If your little (or not-so-little) ones are planning on asking Santa for Zhu Zhu's, you better start grabbing now! Already they are flying off stores shelves, sometimes in a matter of minutes. My intention for starting the fanpage is to give people an outlet to talk about the Zhu Zhu Pets, as well as to give hints/tips on when and where to find them at retail. Please do NOT support price-gouging on eBay and Amazon!

Bookmark &/or become a follower of this page... I hope to add a message board very soon!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hunters

New & Improved Zhu Zhu Babies??!! (Video Review)

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Toys in Burger King Kids Meals NOW!!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Easter Baskets, Series 3 Hamsters, and Twitter party TONIGHT!

Series 2 Zhu Zhu Pets... $5.99 this week at Aldi!

Fluffy the bunny is HERE!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ in Japan(ese)...and more Kung Zhu!

Kung Zhu Hamsters Photo!

Cepia's Zhu Zhu Pets™ ROCK OUT at the TOTY Awards!

New York Toy Fair...and Congrats, Ms. Hornsby!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Becoming Global! And Even a Cartoon!

Rocky and Friends to Appear Soon?

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Rockstars, Zhu Zhu Pets™ Wild Bunch, and Other Surprises for 2010

Limited Edition Baxter, the Zhu Zhu Baby Hamster

Zhu Zhu Pet Surgery

Planning your Zhu Zhu Pets™ Party!!

St. Louis, Twitter Party, and Misc.

Zhu Zhu Pets™ in Spain!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ items at "Justice for Girls" Clothing Stores and Online

Amazing DIY Zhu Zhu Pets™ Cupcakes!!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Hamster Price-DROP at Walmart!!!

New Zhu Zhu Pets™ BABIES Commercial!

Pictures of Zhu Zhu Fun Kit Contents

New Commercial... Interesting Articles!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Video Game Available for Preorder!

Happy "Zhu" Year!

Fuzzy Little Zhu Zhu Pets Babies™!

Funhouse Add-On Disco, Pool, and TV Rooms Arrive!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Craft Kit & 100-piece Puzzle

Nintendo DS "Zhu Zhu Pets™" Game!

*UPDATED* New Accessories and Clothing Show Up!

Merry Christmas, Zhu Zhu Hunters!!

Walmart: Zhu Zhu Pets™ In-Store Dec. 21, 22, and 23!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Beds & Carriers

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Boat and Dock Make Unexpected Early Appearance!!!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Showing up Everywhere!

"GoodGuide" Retracts Toxicity Allegations Aimed at Zhu Zhu Pets™

Untrue Toxicity Allegations Against Zhu Zhu Pets™

Sneak Peek: Hallmark Exclusive "Fluffy" the Bunny!

And she SCORES!!

New Hamsters have ARRIVED in store!

Misc. Zhu Zhu Pets™ Musings

Retiring Zhu Zhu Pets™?

Hurry! Vote Zhu Zhu Pets™ as the "Toy of the Year!"

Pictures of 2010 "Season 2" Zhu Zhu Pets™ Items!

AMAZING!! Zhu Zhu Pets™ 2010 Line Sneak-Peak!!!

*UPDATED* Hallmark Exclusive: Zhu Zhu Pets™ Easter Bunny!

TRU holding stock for Black Friday?

TRU Zhu Zhu-Pile and a Giveaway!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ app. for Facebook Geeks!

It will go down in history as "Zhu Zhu Sunday"...

Zhu Zhu Pets™ Back Symbols: Big vs. Little

Reminder: BIG Zhu Zhu Giveaway on Twitter Tonight!

This SUNDAY: Walmart and TRU

*UPDATE* MomTV Zhu Zhu Giveaway: Tomorrow night!

Official Zhu Zhu Pets™ Giveaway on Twitter

Update: Front Cover of Walmart Toy Guide 11/8

Official Alert from Cepia! Walmart saving stock for 11/8 sale!!

TRU Faux Pas...and In Stock at Amazon!

Who's got Nugget?

When limits ARE needed!

"November New Releases"? The truth revealed!

TRU Presale on Giant Hamster City Playset

In-Stocks, Price Hikes, and Bits

"Custom" Zhu Zhu Pets™??

In Stock Today: Walmart.com!!!

Something Fishy at eToys?

Do you have a burning Zhu Zhu Pets™ question?

Zhu Zhu Pets™ at the St Louis Zoo this Saturday!

Time Warp! Entire "Go Go Pets" set for $29.95!

Target Ad Update 10/18

Zhu Zhu Pets featured in Target Ad SUNDAY 10/18

Newsflash: 8 NEW hamsters???!!!

Tidbits

Frustration at the Checkout

Sliders

Retail Secret of the Day: Rain Checks!

Zhu Zhu Pets™ SQUIRRELS??

Hamster babies, Clothing, and New Accessories

Patches... where ARE you??

UPDATED New Accessories and Clothing Show Up!

UPDATED Hallmark Exclusive: Zhu Zhu Pets™ Easter Bunny!

UPDATE MomTV Zhu Zhu Giveaway: Tomorrow night!