Finding the hottest gift is not child’s play

Early shoppers strip the shelves bare of the new Xbox 360. Grandma might buy a ‘pentop’ computer.It might be best to cross one gift off the kids’ holiday gift list already -- either that or get ready to play a real game of patience.

Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 video game system went on -- and just about off -- the market a week ago.

At the Target on Harbor Boulevard, a sign informs customers that the store has already sold out of the consoles, which go for $300 and up. Electronics Boutique and the Circuit City store at Fashion Island were also sold out of the video game system as of Sunday.

At Circuit City, store general manager Robbie Claeys said there has been no word on when his store will get another shipment of the scarce video game console.

“There’s been nothing from our headquarters,” he said.

Those who managed to snag a coveted Xbox 360 from Circuit City had to work fast.

“They had about five minutes to get them,” said Keith Sanders, a manager at the Fashion Island store.

In addition to the video game system, Sanders is expecting Apple’s iPod to continue to be popular this holiday season. He also sees a lot of demand for Sirius Satellite Radio products. Sirius is soon to be the new on-air home of radio talk show host Howard Stern.

Of course, children’s gift requests tend to be longer than one item, even if that one item is the pricey and rare Xbox 360. At Puzzle Zoo, a specialty toy store at South Coast Plaza, general manager Debi Tsuchiyama is expecting this season’s popular toys to include standards including Star Wars-licensed products and other movie tie-ins.

More unique items that Tsuchiyama’s store is banking on include the iZ, a musical toy that can interact with CD and MP3 players, and the FLY Pentop Computer, a pen-shaped device that can “see” what a person writes when a special paper is used.

Often, grandparents will be the ones who buy children gifts, such as the Pentop Computer, that are billed as having learning applications, Tsuchiyama said.

“A lot of times at Christmas, they get the higher-priced educational items because they expect parents to get the fun stuff,” she said.

Fitting that mold is grandparent Dick Calta of San Clemente. Calta was shopping at Toy Boat Toy Boat Toy Boat at Fashion Island and was looking for gifts that his three grandchildren could use to get smarter.

“Quite frankly, we think they have too many of those [video games] already,” Calta said.

Toys and electronics represent only a fraction of the gift items that are expected to sell well over the coming weeks.

The International Council of Shopping Centers mentioned small versions of the iPod and other digital music players on its list of likely hot gifts this year. The list also included many items geared toward the adult set, like luxury home furnishings, diamond-decked watches and both military-style and bohemian-influenced clothing.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at andrew.edwards @latimes.com.

20051128iqjbx6knMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Luke Davis, 3, of Newport Beach, checks out the supply of bulldozers at Toy Boat Toy Boat Toy Boat in Fashion Island Friday afternoon. A truck was much easier to find than an Xbox 360.