What is the Deal With Webkinz?

Recently my son started bugging me about getting him a Webkinz. I had slowly started becoming aware of them at work, hearing mysterious words like codes, adoptions and Kinz Cash. So when he ask me for one I didn't say "Huh?" What I did say was my usual "We'll see". My hesitancy is buying into a Kinz cultural, I have vague recollections of a similar craze called Beanie Babies. So it was with great reluctance that I went in search of Webkinz. Good Luck! What I did find was a lot of empty shelves and after searching in several stores (that I had to locate on the Internet for authorized dealers) what I did find was a very poor selection.

After some searching I came across an online seller who offered up this explanation for the depleted shelves...
"Due to high demand and a railway strike in Canada, GANZ the parent company of Webkinz has run out of inventory. The strike has caused a nationwide shortage everywhere."

This "strike" makes me wonder, is the shortage of merchandise just another way to drive up the need and frenzy for these overpriced stuffed animals? And do I really need to buy into that frenzy. My answer is NO, I will not become a slave to the hype, my son will own one, and only one and he will have to be happy with that!