BY REON CARTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Christmas is just eight days away. Do you know where your Furby is?
For the uninitiated, Furby is the elusive furry critter by Tiger Electronics that's whipped holiday shoppers into a must-have frenzy.
Think Cabbage Patch doll or Tickle Me Elmo.
Described as the next-generation virtual pet, Furby is cute and gremlin-like. It has sensors, which allow it to respond to sound, light, touch and motion. It speaks English and an imaginary language called “Furbish.”
It also blinks, wails, sneezes, sings, burps, purrs, snores, shimmies and makes a rude gaseous noise, which it follows with “uh-oh!”
Those shoppers who have forsaken the Furby famine in stores to browse the Internet should beware, says Jim Lanford, who along with his wife, Audri, produces Internet ScamBusters (http://www.scambusters.org),a Web site that educates cyber shoppers.
“There are a lot scams out there,” Mr. Lanford says, “and sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the hype and ignore your better judgment.”
His own experience, in fact, inspired him to warn other Furby seekers. He and his wife saw an auction posting for “a rare first-edition tuxedo Furby” and responded with a winning bid of $191. (The suggested retail price for Furby is $30).
The Lanfords later discovered the Furby they received was not “rare” or “a first edition” because there's no such thing, according to Lana Simon, spokeswoman for Tiger Electronics.
By the end of the year, the company will have shipped 2 million Furbies.
There are 24 variations of Furby. He comes in solids (white, gray or black), bi-colors (black/white dubbed “the tuxedo” Furby, pink/gray, gray/white) or spotted (pink with gray spots). There are four eye colors (blue, brown, gray and green).
One is no more or less abundant than another, Ms. Simon says. There are no markings on the Furby or the box indicating special editions. (Shrewd scalpers concocted this.)
“We've received some strange calls,” Ms. Simon says. “One woman had a Furby in a box where the word sing was misspelled (without the i). She was debating whether or not she should give the Furby to her daughter or keep it because it might be worth a lot of money.”
Mr. Lanford says those out to make a quick buck are trying to attach a value system similar to Beanie Babies.
There are dozens of Furby Web sites. One, titled The Furby Autopsy (http://www.phobe.com/furby/) ,is goofy fun. It's the brainchild of someone who purchased a defective Furby and decided to take it apart to see what made it croak. There's a detailed “autopsy” flagged with a crime scene chalk outline of “the body” and a photo of Jack Klugman as Quincy, TV's most famous medical examiner.
Shopheaven.com offers so-called hot tips on chains that will carry Furby similar to the following: “Representatives will look up your ZIP code and tell you if any of their stores had any Furbies as of the morning report for that day. Also check around 10 a.m. because that's when the computers are updated regarding stock.”
It goes on to add the disclaimer: “These are just rumors.”
Others sites are fan clubs, auctions and sweepstakes.
The going price for Furby on the secondary market appears to be $99-$160. As of Monday, egift.com still had a Furby supply and was shipping them for $99.95 with free second-day Federal Express delivery. They can also be reached by calling (877) 344-3848.
The lowest Internet prices found were between $50 and $60, but these were preliminary bids in auctions with closing times three to five days away. Most sites for popular toy stores such as Toys R Us and FAO Schwartz were not accepting orders.
The Lanfords have started their own Web site, http://www.freefurby.com, where they give away one free Furby a day until Christmas. They say it's an alternative to “the extortion-level prices.” Entrants, however, must first fill out a survey of demographic questions.
Mr. Lanford also recommends trying an auction for a reputable charity, but make sure a reasonable portion of the proceeds actually go to the charity.
He adds that the Furby shortage presents a golden parenting opportunity.
“Get the other toys on the wish list that are easier to find, but leave a cute note from Santa explaining that Furby was busy helping him and the elves out at the North Pole,” he says.
“Furby will arrive, only he's running a little late. This teaches the child to have patience, which is a good thing. That often gets lost among all the hoopla.”
![[fubry]](/editions/1998/12/17/furby_400x451.jpg)