A children's toy oven that appears to magically transform a ball of dough into a stuffed animal has become the surprisingly most popular toy of the holiday season.
Parents are rushing to track down the “Cookeez Makery” oven, which is sold out at major retailers — and is selling for nearly ten times its suggested retail price of $34.99 on eBay and twice its retail price on Amazon.
The toy, from Australian brand Moose Toys, has quickly become a cult hit since its launch in August.
Since then, tens of thousands of videos have appeared on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram of customers trying out the toy, which is being called a mix between Build-a-Bear and an Easy-Bake oven.
Children as young as five and ADULTS are posting videos of themselves playing with the toys – some of which have been viewed millions of times. On TikTok alone, the hashtag 'Cookeez Makery' has been viewed more than 135 million times – with many viewers baffled by how the toy works.
Cookeez Makery, which costs $34.99, turns “dough” into a stuffed animal after kids (or adults) put it in the “oven” and “baked”
While some are calling the Cookeez Makery oven “magical,” others are calling it “bizarre,” “creepy,” and “wasteful.”
One seller on eBay is selling the toy for as much as $300, or best offer.
In recent weeks, the toy has been selling for as much as $93.99 on the resale site. One set of three ovens sold for $225 in late November, which is the equivalent of $75 per toy – more than double the suggested retail price.
On Amazon, it's being offered by some sellers for as much as $66.99 – almost double the retail price. It's also sold out on both Target and Walmart's websites.
Shoppers can choose from a pink or aquamarine oven, but the animal toys will be a surprising choice: a cat, a dog or a rabbit.
Earlier this year, Moose Toys said the item was “flying off the shelves.”
“Please help me find a Cookeez Makery toy for my daughter for Christmas,” one user posted on X, formerly Twitter.
One seller on eBay is selling the toy for as much as $300, or best offer
The toys are going for a whopping $66.99 on Amazon – almost double the suggested retail price
Why all the fuss? People are fascinated by how the dough 'magically' turns into toys.
The set contains two sets of brightly colored powders that you mix together with some water and knead into a dough. Then you put the dough in an animal-shaped cookie mold and place it in the mini plastic oven.
Turn the timer and after 90 seconds you open the door and discover a cuddly toy.
And to top it all off, you squeeze the teddy and it's warm and smells like cinnamon – like it came straight from the oven.
Here's how it works: When the user puts the dough in the oven and turns the timer, the shelf drops down into the lower part of the oven. It is then replaced by a shelf, which is hidden above and on which the cuddly toy sits.
When the child – or adult – opens the oven door, it seems as if the dough has turned into a cuddly toy.
Sweet-smelling pellets in the toy's body make it smelly, and when you squeeze them for three seconds, the battery-powered stuffed animal starts to heat up and make squeaking noises.
The product is getting mixed reviews online, with thousands of people on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube debating whether the toy is worth the price – or the hype.
“It's a single-use toy. For the cost, I would like it to be able to be used more than once,” one TikTok user wrote.
Another agreed, asking, “How is this worth it??? You can buy a stuffed animal or toy animal for $5-10 – now you have unusable plastic.”
Another simply called it 'creepy'.
The toy is currently sold out on Target's website, leaving parents struggling to find them
But others were more convinced. “These types of toys are one-off, they are fun but short lived, these aren't too $$$ so definitely worth it, others selling closer to $100 are not,” another user wrote online.
Others said their children were able to play with the toy repeatedly, pulling up the container containing the ball of dough and performing the trick again.
Ronnie Frankowski, Moose Toy's global president, told The New York Times that the toy was inspired by the baking craze that took hold during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many of the company's designers took up the hobby during lockdown – and were inspired to think about toys that evoke the feeling of pulling a hot baked treat out of the oven.
“You open that oven door,” Frankowski said, and the smell and the warm coziness come out. “It's an incredible moment, like a surprising revelation.”