L.O.L. Surprise - WTF?
Discussion
I love my daughter very much and though she's only 5 her list to Santa this year was very short & specific, though unfortunately driven by TV advertising. She wanted a Barbie Camper Van & L.O.L. Surprise.
The camper van was easy, Amazon had it as a deal of the day during the Black Friday sale so had one of them. She plays with her Barbies quite a bit so understand her desire.
The L.O.L. Surprise thing I really don't get. Not sure my daughter really understands it either. I've just ventured into Smyth's Toys during my lunch break and all the damn stuff is under lock and key / kept behind the customer service desk so you can't even get a proper look. There was a queue and I couldn't be arsed waiting so Ieft it. Seems it could have potentially been this year's most shoplifted present on that basis.
I sort of understand that you get this thing that you unwrap, there are many layers, and each layer reveals an item, clue, whatever, but there are many different ranges to choose from and I've really no idea what's what (or care!). All I can figure out is more layers = more £. I suspect I'll be spending money for some packaging and a few cheap plastic toys that aren't really worth much.
Anyway not expecting any sensible replies, more just an insight into what I'm up against
I'll do a click and collect for tomorrow to avoid awkward exchanges with customer service personnel...
The camper van was easy, Amazon had it as a deal of the day during the Black Friday sale so had one of them. She plays with her Barbies quite a bit so understand her desire.
The L.O.L. Surprise thing I really don't get. Not sure my daughter really understands it either. I've just ventured into Smyth's Toys during my lunch break and all the damn stuff is under lock and key / kept behind the customer service desk so you can't even get a proper look. There was a queue and I couldn't be arsed waiting so Ieft it. Seems it could have potentially been this year's most shoplifted present on that basis.
I sort of understand that you get this thing that you unwrap, there are many layers, and each layer reveals an item, clue, whatever, but there are many different ranges to choose from and I've really no idea what's what (or care!). All I can figure out is more layers = more £. I suspect I'll be spending money for some packaging and a few cheap plastic toys that aren't really worth much.
Anyway not expecting any sensible replies, more just an insight into what I'm up against
I'll do a click and collect for tomorrow to avoid awkward exchanges with customer service personnel...
It look like well marketed rubbish.
I remember my daughter at a slightly older age seeing adverts for such faddish kids things and me buying them for her (as you do) for her to find out the marketing/advertising did not equal getting what she thought she would get.
By age 8 (and still today having turned 13) she watches adverts and says "that looks really good in the advert, but you know it is going to be absolute rubbish", so I view it as a learning experience, though that is perhaps a bit harsh for a 5 year old!
Good luck!
I remember my daughter at a slightly older age seeing adverts for such faddish kids things and me buying them for her (as you do) for her to find out the marketing/advertising did not equal getting what she thought she would get.
By age 8 (and still today having turned 13) she watches adverts and says "that looks really good in the advert, but you know it is going to be absolute rubbish", so I view it as a learning experience, though that is perhaps a bit harsh for a 5 year old!
Good luck!
As above said, this is the second Xmas of LOL dolls......
Never seen them under lock and key, usually in boxes to grab, and there seem to be plenty about. There are normal ones, glitter ones, special edition larger ones (more expensive), little sister ones, pet ones, and other little bits an bobs. There's also lot more accompanying merchandise this year.
Please don't ask how I know......
Never seen them under lock and key, usually in boxes to grab, and there seem to be plenty about. There are normal ones, glitter ones, special edition larger ones (more expensive), little sister ones, pet ones, and other little bits an bobs. There's also lot more accompanying merchandise this year.
Please don't ask how I know......
red_slr said:
Barbie... bit sexist isn't it. Would she not prefer some Technic Lego or a new socket set? 
I'm working on it. We've never knowingly steered her towards being girly, but an older brother, TV and her peers have probably contributed. My wife isn't really into girl stuff either (though not a butch type either before that image gets suggested ).At least the boy will have some toys that I can help him with this Christmas
Luckily, my 4 year old hasn't asked for any of this. I did wonder what was in these things though having seen a price tag of £60 for what is classed as a 'bigger surprise': https://direct.asda.com/george/toys-character/doll...
Thankfully, youtube came to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
Thankfully, youtube came to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
As others have said they were a fad last year and seem to be even bigger this year and yes my daughter has asked for one too.
Basically some clever marketing so and so's have worked out that the biggest happiness hit a child experiences comes from unwrapping the presents rather than the actual present itself. I guess it's sort of like the Christmas morning present opening experience distilled into it's purest form so they've invented a toy that taps directly into that.
Unwrapping it is a big part of the appeal and yes it is just a cheap plastic toy inside but my daughter can't get enough of them. In fact there seems to be a whole industry on social media which has sprung up around the unwrapping of toys. There are people making a lot of money simply by filming videos of their kids unwrapping toys.
Be careful some of the merchandise doesn't actually have dolls in them even though they look the same which could be disastrous for you if you get it wrong. The more expensive versions just have more layers of unwrapping goodness and will have multiple dolls to unwrap rather than just the one.
Basically some clever marketing so and so's have worked out that the biggest happiness hit a child experiences comes from unwrapping the presents rather than the actual present itself. I guess it's sort of like the Christmas morning present opening experience distilled into it's purest form so they've invented a toy that taps directly into that.
Unwrapping it is a big part of the appeal and yes it is just a cheap plastic toy inside but my daughter can't get enough of them. In fact there seems to be a whole industry on social media which has sprung up around the unwrapping of toys. There are people making a lot of money simply by filming videos of their kids unwrapping toys.
Be careful some of the merchandise doesn't actually have dolls in them even though they look the same which could be disastrous for you if you get it wrong. The more expensive versions just have more layers of unwrapping goodness and will have multiple dolls to unwrap rather than just the one.
gr1340 said:
Thankfully, youtube came to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
WTF indeed. So glad ours are grown up.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
There are millions of YT videos of people opening them, often getting a s
t ton of views. Maybe people want to be TR stars doing this. Seems utterly crap to me, but my 3 year old went through a patch of watching them.t
She still loves the odd Kinder egg(I hate having to fiddle with the damn toy) but she wont be getting any LOL eggs..the Peppa Pig/Doc McStuffins stuff is bad enough
t ton of views. Maybe people want to be TR stars doing this. Seems utterly crap to me, but my 3 year old went through a patch of watching them.tShe still loves the odd Kinder egg(I hate having to fiddle with the damn toy) but she wont be getting any LOL eggs..the Peppa Pig/Doc McStuffins stuff is bad enough
gr1340 said:
Thankfully, youtube came to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
Ugh, that voice.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
schmunk said:
gr1340 said:
Thankfully, youtube came to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
Ugh, that voice.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_A27Lg8n4&ap...
t loads of money from videos of her opening toys, go figure!My 5 year old daughter has had some of these things, but the big present this year for her is a giant toy egg from Ryan’s Toy Review.
For those of you without kids, Ryan is a 6/7 year old American kid who started making videos unwrapping toys and is now the biggest millennial video star on YouTube.
Now, he’s started a range of toys and obviously advertises them on his videos. Cue me getting asked to buy this poxy egg.
These were available from Walmart, and some grabbing barstewards were selling them on eBay over here, (for over £100) but I thought I was safe as I told her Santa couldn’t carry toys from America to children over here.......
However, at the start of December, a new video was posted by Ryan, happily saying the toys were going to be carried in Smyths toy stores in the UK.......
Aaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhh
£50 for a big plastic egg containing crap.... 😂
For those of you without kids, Ryan is a 6/7 year old American kid who started making videos unwrapping toys and is now the biggest millennial video star on YouTube.
Now, he’s started a range of toys and obviously advertises them on his videos. Cue me getting asked to buy this poxy egg.
These were available from Walmart, and some grabbing barstewards were selling them on eBay over here, (for over £100) but I thought I was safe as I told her Santa couldn’t carry toys from America to children over here.......
However, at the start of December, a new video was posted by Ryan, happily saying the toys were going to be carried in Smyths toy stores in the UK.......
Aaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhh
£50 for a big plastic egg containing crap.... 😂
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