Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday

By: Poppie

I know your mind is on Black Friday.  I know you are planning your strategies, shopping lists, battle armor, and survival kits.  But I feel it is my duty to remind you of the wonderful online-sale day that is Cyber Monday, 2011.  Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday immediately following Black Friday, created by companies to persuade people to shop online. The term made its debut just 6 years ago in November of 2005 by a company called Shop.org.

For some (like myself), Cyber Monday is much more enjoyable than Black Friday.  You can trade in your battle armor for your PJs or enjoy a hot cup of coffee while browsing the best sales.  And best of all, the only arguments you will have are with family members if they dare to interrupt your internet shopping. So if you break it down: pajamas, hot coffee, comfy couch, and ONLINE SALES!  It really doesn’t get any better than that.

Let me share one tip with you: be as diligent about staying on top of Cyber Monday sales as you are about Black Friday sales.  Although Cyber Monday may still seem like the little cousin of Black Friday to some, it is quickly becoming a shopping day to be reckoned with, especially with the ever increasing popularity of online shopping.  Retailers will be jumping at the chance to offer you great sales that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your own home. Another piece of advice, some online stores start their Cyber Monday as early as Black Friday to stay in competition.  This means you can still get that awesome sale item without battling the crowds. So put your feet up on the coffee table, grab your cup of joe and laptop, and shop away!

The "It" Gift




Every year there is one item that drives us all crazy – the “it” gift.  We all want “it” so bad we will do anything to get it.  Fights break out over the last one on the shelf; others sell it for an exorbitant markup in secondary markets like eBay or Craigslist. Children beg and plead until parents are ready to pull their hair out.  Santa gets more letters on this one item than all other items combined.  

But if you’re lucky enough to score one, it will be a star amidst the gifts under the tree on Christmas morning, and you’ll be granted hero status, at least for the day anyway.  What “it” is, of course, changes from year to year, and many of the hot holiday gifts throughout the last century have become some of the best loved and most iconic toys of all time.

I’ve assembled a quick timeline of some of the most popular toys from 1903 to now. Did you know that the teddy bear was the “it” item of 1903? Then it was board games for quite a while in the 1930’s to 1950’s. Then Barbie made her debut and became infamous, creating one of the biggest toy markets in history.  Now it is the latest gaming device that takes precedence over the market.   It’s certainly striking to see how technology and tastes have evolved over the last 110 years!

·         1903 – Teddy Bear

·         1916 – Lincoln Logs

·         1923 – Chinese Checkers

·         1935 – Monopoly

·         1945 – Slinky

·         1948 - Scrable

·         1952 – Mr. Potato Head

·         1959 – Barbie

·         1968 – Big Wheel and Lite Brite

·         1975 – Pet Rock (yes really!)

·         1977 – Stars Wars action figures

·         1983 – My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Care Bears

·         1991 – Nintendo Gameboy

·         1996 – Beanie Babies and Tickle Me Elmo

·         2006 – Playstation 3

·         2007 – Nintendo Wii

And now in 2011, the guesses are in for the “it” item of the year.  My pick for everyone, young or old, is the Kindle Fire or IPod Touch 4.  For the little ones, I have seen a huge pickup in Monster High (think Barbie with a dark twist) or the new electronic devices aimed for the younger ages like the LeapPad Touch.   What will you pick for your “it” item this year?