Tickle Me Elmo

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The recent Tickle Me Elmo doll is a prime example of a trend in American consumerism. It's a trend that I think is shallow, empty, and reflects the true nature of American citizens... greedy pieces of garbage. This Tickle Me Elmo 10th Anniversary toy, called TMX, was released yesterday. The second most stores opened, they were flooded with the type of people that I think are a detriment to America. These people ran in, grabbed as many of the doll as possible, and went home to sell them on eBay. In the meantime, parents who can't Zerg rush WalMart at 6 in the morning are screwed out of a toy that their child would truly enjoy. Yes, I'm a bitter parent. Like the original Tickle Me Elmo, or Gabbage Patch Kids, or Beanie Babies, this is something that was intended for children and will instead be hoarded by collectors or end up only in the possession of those who can spend $100-$200 on the eBay auctions. The stores won't limit one per customer, because they want the product to sell and they want to make money. Maybe I'm ranting because I'm pissed off that I have a son who would actually like and play with this toy. But I see this as a symptom of American greed and the truly negative aspects of American society. So the question I'm posing is this: Is this kind of phenomenon a benefit of American society or nothing more than greed as it's worst?