Baby Yoda: Why you can't get the Star Wars toy for the holidays
Baby Yoda may be winning people's hearts, but finding holiday toys based on "The Mandalorian" Star Wars character may be as rare as detecting an ounce of generosity in Jabba the Hutt. That's because toymaker Hasbro is rolling out a line of official Baby Yoda toys, but they won't be available until May.
The Disney and toymakers have lost out on $2.7 million in merchandise sales because of the lack of toys this holiday, according to ecommerce service company JungleScout. It found that "Baby Yoda" searches rose throughout November by more than 7,000%, and forecast that demand would increase this month.
If Baby Yoda toys would have been ready this Holiday would have been the Furby craze from ‘98. And I’m okay with that.
— Dakota McMillen (@Dakota9090) December 13, 2019
Disney debuted the character last month in the new Disney+ streaming show, which might've been perfect timing to sell holiday merchandise. But because the media company kept the character tightly under wraps, manufacturers weren't ready with Baby Yoda-themed merchandise when the show first aired in early November.
Among the retailers now selling Baby Yoda toys that won't be available until early 2020 is Walmart, whose plush Baby Yoda-themed doll will ship in April. For its part, Hasbro on Thursday said its line of Baby Yoda toys will include four products, including a talking plush toy and 2.2-inch figurines.
"We've been so enamored with the conversation and fan reaction surrounding 'The Mandalorian's The Child'," said Samantha Lomow, president of Hasbro Entertainment Brands, in a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch.
That's not to say that persistent fans can't find Baby Yoda merchandise — T-shirts, mugs and other tchotkes are available on Amazon.com, though JungleScout calls these "consolation prize" products.
And there's also hand-crafted products available on Etsy, such as a hand-knitted Baby Yoda, although it had sold out as of Friday afternoon. And another unofficial Baby Yoda toy sold on Etsy has a 14-to-17-month wait list, according to CNET.
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