Once you get one, you can't resist buying more. Instead of flooding the market with unlimited quantity, the supply of beanie babies is being carefully controlled by the manufacturers. This has created an artificial scarcity in the market place. Manufacturers have contributed to the formation of cult-like clubs and media has fueled their speculative value. In a prosperous economy where our basic needs are easily met, there is enough discretionary income to indulge in such little pleasures of life.
American consumers are the happiest they have been in the recent past.
The economy is humming along, with almost full employment, high wages and a stock market that seems to know no barriers. Consumers have money in their pockets and in their brokerage accounts. They are feeling good and will be generous towards themselves and their loved ones. Add to it the frenzy of the new millennium and we have the makings of a winning Christmas season for retailers. We should see a 20-25 percent increase in growth from last year.