In a twist befitting a holiday tale gone wrong, a bestselling author from a small town decided to capitalize on the Hatchimal frenzy by snapping up a whopping $23,500 worth of the elusive toys, aiming to resell them at inflated prices. But instead of swimming in profits, she’s now swimming in her own karma.
Meet Linda Bright, the mastermind behind the bestselling novel “Elephants in Water,” who is currently working on a documentary about a man she believes is wrongly imprisoned for murder. To help cover her mounting legal costs, she thought hoarding 166 Hatchimals was a clever strategy to boost her finances. However, her plan has gone awry.
Linda admits she “went a little Hatchimal crazy” buying the toys online, envisioning a quick turnaround where she could sell them for double or triple their retail price to fund the legal battle. Yet, it seems the internet has turned against her, and the backlash is fierce.
Both eBay and Amazon have been less than accommodating in her quest to profit off the holiday toy craze. eBay restricts users to selling just three Hatchimals per week, while Amazon demands a manufacturer’s letter for bulk sales. Linda is baffled by their refusal to let her sell toys to desperate parents, lamenting, “No warning, no precedent, nothing… Did I mention they don’t care?”
With her office overflowing with unsold Hatchimals, Linda has reportedly had “Hatchimal nightmares,” dreaming that she’s the caretaker for a room full of these interactive toys. “Last night, someone’s kids hatched all of them and then went home, and I was desperately trying to keep them alive!”
Meanwhile, parents are having their own nightmares, but theirs involve credit card bills after paying exorbitant prices ranging from $189 to $219 for a toy that usually retails for $50-60. Linda’s approach to fundraising has left many feeling that she is taking advantage of parents eager to make their children’s Christmas magical.
In an attempt to justify her actions, she pleaded with her readers to buy the toys at her inflated prices. “I have a fortune invested… in only three weeks they will magically transform into useless pumpkins that will take up space in my office FOREVER, and have caused my financial ruin.”
Perhaps if Linda were to sell the toys at their original price, she could offer some holiday cheer to families instead of profiting from their desperation. Facebook has not held back in criticizing her for her actions, pointing out that her intentions, however noble, are overshadowed by her methods.
In a statement to a local news outlet, Linda expressed her belief that the anger directed at her is misplaced, claiming, “They don’t hate me – I don’t think, that doesn’t make any sense – they hate whatever it is they think I represent.” But it’s hard to see how exploiting parents during the holiday season can be portrayed in a positive light.
This holiday saga serves as a reminder that there are certainly better ways to raise funds for a cause than by scalping toys from under the Christmas tree.
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Summary
Linda Bright, a bestselling author, attempted to profit from the Hatchimal craze by buying 166 toys to fund legal fees for a documentary on wrongful imprisonment. Facing backlash and restrictions on selling, she finds herself overwhelmed with unsold stock and the ire of parents, questioning her methods of fundraising during the holiday season.