What’s on Your Holiday List?

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Am I the only seller that is so excited about Black Friday they actually have a “countdown to Black Friday” timer on their desktop?

Call me crazy, but I do love looking forward to the holiday selling rush. But before I can sell anything, I need to find what will be good—even hot sellers—months in advance. That means looking for trends now. Not in November or December. Now!

It was around this time last year when I noticed a lot of talk on the various e-commerce forums and Web sites about Zhu Zhu Pets. Zhu Zhu whats? I was clueless about what these robotic hamsters were, or why on earth they were in short supply and high demand.

I kept telling myself, “If there’s so much hoopla about them now, in the middle of summer, then surely the trend will continue into the holiday selling season.”

Lucky for me, that held true.

So far I’m not seeing any real standout products that buyers will be clamoring for this December. Maybe this year the trends will take longer to show themselves. Who knows? Because of the economy, there might not be any “hot” toys for which parents will be willing (or able) to shell out three times the retail price.

I even asked my husband, Mike, what he thought would be hot this holiday season. He said, “Well, hopefully it’ll be 2-year-old Cabbage Patch Dolls!” (while pointing toward our garage, where I might still be harboring a few of the little guys). Thanks for the tip, hon!

With school starting in our area in a couple short weeks, I am hoping my ‘tween-age daughter will be able to pick up a few tips for me. She’ll let me know what toys kids are talking about, or what they’re saving their allowances to buy for themselves.

QVC recently had its Christmas in July preview, and offered many interesting toys and goodies at bargain prices. I was tempted to buy a couple items, but by the time my fickleness wore off, they were sold out. Historically, QVC is pretty good at spotting holiday trends. It’s in the market to do this and tries to get in on the craze by offering exclusive items.

What are you doing to prepare for the holiday selling season? Are there any blogs you check out? Whose advice do you seek?