For most of the Christmas season, the constant frenzy on the hottest toy, Bakugan resulted in much frustration, as parents found themselves staring at empty racks and shelves. But what led to the shortage? Did the game's popularity exceed SpinMaster's expectations? Was it due to adults monopolizing the market to control prices through supply and demand? It was perhaps a little of both. No parent wanted to explain to their kids why Santa could not deliver their presents. As a result, many turned towards Internet stores for their availability to obtain these "scarce" transforming marbles. It turned to be a convenient alternative to the time consuming (and high gas-priced) driving into the retail brick and mortar madness.

Most online prices seemed grossly inflated up to ten or more times its retail price. Some reputable online toy stores pushed the envelope to the maximum, charging twenty or more times the retail price! Previous fads like Nintendo's Wii and Tickle-Me-Elmo faced similar price consequences. Many turned towards eBay for the biggest selection of Bakugan - renowned for their huge and wide selection in auctions and purchases. Bakugan reigned as the top searched toy throughout the entirety of the Christmas season.

Many factors go unnoticed when buying that highly sought-after present. It is easy to discredit and look down upon these adults profiting from a kids' toy. In order to help rationalize the markups by the resellers, it is necessary to break down the factors in obtaining a product in short supply. First off, the seller must familiarize with nearly 300 Bakugan in a time consuming process identifying the 55+ different classes with the 6 different attributes and many different special attack types and G-powers. It is easy to get confused just correlating the many different names to the different shapes! Patterns have to be studied in the different packaging to find the best pieces. It is not as easy as one might think to deliver specific Bakugan with care, speed, and integrity in spite of eBay's raised fees.


Some Selling Steps for Bakugan:

• eBay sellers have to set up good standing account with positive feedback ¹
• Gas money to and from the retail stores (plus vehicle tear and wear) $$$
• Call store, travel, parking, and wait in lines ¹
• Initial investment to purchase the Bakugan $$$
• Take pictures of Bakugan with digital camera and write up the eBay ad. ¹
• Initial eBay listing fee (more for feature listings) $$$
• Percentage of the Final value sold $$$
• PayPal fee $$$
• Materials to package Bakugan (bubble mailers, printing labels, etc.) $$$
• Postage fees $$$
• Customer support ¹

As you can see, this can often result in an exhaustive, time-consuming process where money can just as easily lost for the seller if the auction is won at a low price. Finding a specific Bakugan to purchase can often prove difficult at stores like Target, Walmart, and Toys R' Us. Virtually every Bakugan accessory or single "loose piece" in every class, color and G-power can be found right at your fingertips. Alleviate that stress, minimize your time, and save some money! With some research, patience, and a little luck, it is possible to find that particular Bakugan your child has been raving about. Bakugan Price Guide