The Great Typewriter Hunt

Do you remember when Cabbage Patch Kids came out and people were lining up at stores and fighting over them to get one? I wanted one that Christmas but my mother was never, ever going to stand in line to get something so she had my grandmother make me a doll that year (which, btw, is not a substitute for a Cabbage Patch Kid..not at all). Me, however, I like to shop and I enjoy the hunt of looking for an item so I would be that person who stood in line to try to get my child their favorite thing on their wish list. That said I'm in a quandary this holiday season.

You see, my precious Emma made a wish book with all sorts of things she wanted for Christmas a few weeks ago. Among those items were an Easy Bake Oven and various things for her American Girl doll including Kit Kittredges Typewriter. Apparently the doll typewriter has now made it's way to the top of the list and is the ONLY thing she really wants for Christmas. Well..that's what she said last night when she was crying because she was too scared to talk to Santa at our neighborhood Christmas party...I think her words were "I didn't get to tell Santa that the only thing I want for Christmas is Kit Kittredge's typewriter"..well, I think that's what she said..it was hard to understand through the tears. And there were a lot of tears.

I had not bought the typewriter for her but instead had gotten her something else for her doll that she had wanted. So I thought last night I'd just go on the American Girl website and order one and take back what I had gotten her..since the "only" thing she wants in the darn typewriter...However..the darn typewriter in on backorder until April 3, 2009!! Are you kidding me American Girl?? April 3!! What the heck is that all about? What's so special about this $22 doll typewriter???

So, now I'm all into the hunt..I'm on ebay and craigslist searching for the typewriter. I even emailed my brother's girlfriend to see if she'd go to the store in NYC to see if by chance they still had them stock. The item is on ebay but the problem is the ones on ebay are selling for twice as much as they are worth..literally selling for $35-$50..it's a $22 item in the catalog. And, if you know my husband you would know he would strangle me for paying 2x as much for something than it's worth. His response when I told him the item was backordered was "she'll get over it" and "she'll forget about it anyway." But what if she doesn't. We don't really do a huge Christmas so I really want to get them at least one thing they really, really want. I just don't want her to be disappointed on Christmas morning....so wish me luck that I can find this darn typewriter (at a reasonable price)....I'm sure if I don't get the typewriter she will be fine and I'm sure she'll get over it and have fun with all the other stuff she's getting but I don't want her to remember in 30 years how her mom didn't get her the darn typewriter she really, really wanted...