SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. — Tiffany Thomson saw a “gazillion” Hatchimals at the South Elgin Toys R Us back in October. She didn’t think her kids would want one and worried it would be another Furby-type toy.

But the South Elgin woman found herself camping out at the same store in early December hoping to get one of the elusive Hatchimals — which have become the one of the hot toys of Christmas 2016.

The toy is so hot it is sold out around the world, according to experts. The South Elgin Toys R Us received 14 Hatchimals in a shipment earlier this month. Thomson arrived at 5:45 a.m. to get into a line that stretched around the building. A manager came out shortly afterward to inform the crowd of the exact number of the toy the store received, prompting lots of people to leave, she said. Thomson stayed in line for another few hours for other items.

“It’s OK,” she said, of missing out on a Hatchimal. “If I can get them, I can, but if I can’t, it’s OK.”

A Hatchimal is an interactive toy animal that comes in an egg, according to maker Spin Master’s website. Children must help the egg hatch by holding it, then the toy breaks out of the egg, it stated. The toy then “grows” as the owner interacts with it, walking and talking as it develops, the website states.

Spin Master issued a statement on its website stating “while additional produce will hit retail shelves in December, we anticipating this inventory will also sell quickly. We have increased production and a whole batch of Hatchimals will be ready to hatch in early 2017.” The company also said “this is a special season and we don’t want anyone to be disappointed, nor do we support inflated prices from nonauthorized resellers.”

The Chicago Toy and Game Group’s annual fair held last month included Spin Master. Hatchimals were released in early October and there were preorders for the item, said Mary Couzin, CEO and founder of the Chicago Toy and Game Group. The group held its annual fair in mid-November and by then “you couldn’t get a Hatchimal,” she said. “It is pretty crazy, it is crazy popular.”

“I’ve gotten a lot of calls, people think we have some source in (Spin Master)” to get one, she said, adding she hasn’t found one either. “I just don’t know where they can be found. Everyone is sold out. You can get them on eBay, but it’s hundreds of dollars to get one.”

Spin Master, which went public a year and a half ago, has a lot products doing incredibly well including Zoomer and kinetic sand, Couzin said. She feels the Hatchimals will have staying power.

“I think there’s a play value, kids can nurture it and grow it,” she said.

It seems like there is a hot toy every few years, Couzin said. In the past, toys such as Furby, Beanie Babies and Cabbage Patch Kids have be wildly popular and created long lines of parents searching for the toys, she said. Whenever there is a hot toy craze, it helps draw attention to the need for children to play, she said.

“For some reason, Americans undervalue play,” Couzin said.

Studies show children who regularly play score higher in tests and some play, such as board games, can help children develop strategic thinking — which is not necessarily taught in schools today, Couzin said. The corporate world is also understanding the importance of play and some have incorporated play areas for their employees, she said. Play helps develop social skills, creativity and promotes problem solving, she said.

Hatchimals is “really a fun item,” Toys R Us Spokesman Jessica Offerjost said. “I saw this back in February in the New York toy fair. Our toy experts had seen it and loved it. We knew it was an item that would top lists a year ago.”

Children have to cuddle the egg or interact with it for about an hour before it hatches and an interactive animal comes out, Offerjost said. “I’ve see people sing to it. It is very interactive, it is very fun.”

The people in line at the South Elgin Toys R Us came for different hot toys, including the Nintendo 3DS. Linda Isleib, of Batavia, Illinois, was in line in front of Thomson and had been there since midnight. She was buying for a friend who was on the search for a Hatchimal and she, herself, wanted a Nintendo 3DS.

“I get the thrill of helping people out to get something they want,” said Isleib, who brought a lawn chair and blankets.

At the front of the line, a man named J.R. had arrived at 4 p.m. Friday to make sure he got the toys he wanted. The Aurora, Illinois, resident said more people started showing up Saturday evening to await the truck that arrived the next day.

“We had a truce, we would take turns to go to the washroom and eat,” J.R. said.

Rob Hernandez, of St. Charles, Illinois, arrived too late. But, he made a deal with someone in the beginning of the line to purchase the Nintendo 3DS they were in line for.

“I struck a deal with one of these nice people to get one,” Hernandez said. “I’ve gone store to store since November and I’ve had no luck.” He could purchase one online but the cost was too high. He understands why people would want to resell the toys, but he has seen the disappointment when they can’t find the toys for their children, he said.

“I’ve seen a lot of dedicated parents trying to get these gifts and I’ve seen the kids let down,” Hernandez said.

While some toys are hard to find, parents may have better luck finding Hatchimals in the next few weeks, Offerjost said. Toys R Us stores “have been receiving product regularly,” she said. “We will be receiving more in the next few weeks. Anyone who has this on the top of their shopping list can get their hands on it.”

Offerjost recommends calling local stores frequently to find when shipments will be arriving.