Parents are preemptively inventing excuses for missing Hatchimals under the Christmas tree in 2016.
The toys have proved incredibly difficult for shoppers to get their hands on, with few in stock at retailers and prices sky-rocketing online.
When the toys debuted in October, they were sold for roughly $50 to $60. As customers have grown increasingly desperate to get their hands on Hatchimals, prices have sky rocked to hundreds of dollars.
So, parents are creating new excuses for kids who may not realize Santa can be constricted by toy shortages.
“Due to the current climate within the North Pole it has been decided Hatchimals will no longer be given out as presents,” reads a somewhat ominous “message from Santa” posted on Facebook by parenting blog Family Days Tried and Tested. “We are now forming a colony on the North Pole to protect them from their future decline and possible extinction.”
The letter asks children to protect the "species" by removing Hatchimals from their shopping list.
As of Tuesday, the image of the photo has been shared almost 3,000 times, with close to 700 comments.
Hatchimals, a brand produced by the Canadian toymaker Spin Master, has realized the difficulties customers are facing when trying to get their hands on the toy.
"This is a special season and we don't want anyone to be disappointed, nor do we support inflated prices from non-authorized resellers," Hatchimals said in a statement on its website saying the brand realized the toy was sold out at most retailers.
The statement goes on to say that some retailers are developing pre-sale and rain-check programs that allow shoppers to receive Hatchimals immediately when they become available in January.
