Opportunistic eBay sellers have taken advantage of the supply shortage by purchasing popular Christmas gifts and listing them online at more than twice the price.

As the countdown to Christmas continues savvy vendors are capitalising on parents’ desperation to secure the gifts on their children’s lists.

It comes after families were warned to start shopping for Christmas last month amid fears that supplies of toys, electrical goods and other products will be disrupted by logjams at UK ports. 

Popular toys are in high supply and sell quickly. Lego’s Elf Club House is one example. It has a hard to find’ sticker.

MailOnline has listed the Lego toys on eBay, with a 160-percent price increase. A recommended retail price (RRP) of £84.99 rose to £221.60 when uploaded for sale on the auction website.

Lego's Elf Club House features a 'hard to find' sticker
The toy is sold at an inflated price on eBay

Popular toys are in high-demand and sell quickly. Lego’s Elf Club House is one example. It has a ‘hard find’ sticker. Pictured right, available for purchase on the Lego website. Right, for an exorbitant price on eBay

Other toys being sold online include Ravensburger's Gravitrax starter set which holds a RRP of £64.97

Other toys being sold online include Ravensburger’s Gravitrax starter set which holds a RRP of £64.97

On eBay one UK-based seller had GraviTrax listed for £101.35 - a 56 percent increase

On eBay one UK-based seller had GraviTrax listed for £101.35 – a 56 percent increase

Other toys being sold online include Ravensburger’s Gravitrax starter set which holds a RRP of £64.97. On eBay one UK-based seller had it listed for £101.35 – a 56 percent increase.

And a Playmobil Splish Splash Water Park, sold for £49.99  directly from the toy company’s website, is listed with a 60 percent increase on eBay – at £79.99 

After game industry experts predicted which options would be most popular, UK Toy Retailers Association published its 2021 Dreamtoys range-up.

Another item being sold on eBay is the Paw Patrol Tower playset, which has a RRP of £130, but can be found on eBay at £169.99.

When iNewspaper asked an eBay seller about the high prices, they replied that prices vary because this item is very popular.

Paw Patrol Tower
The tower is sold for £169.99 on eBay

Another item being sold on eBay is the Paw Patrol Tower playset, which has a RRP of £130, but can be found on eBay at £169.99

Playmobil Splish Splash water park
It is sold on eBay for £79.99

A Playmobil Splish Splash Water Park, sold for £49.99 directly from the toy company’s website, is listed with a 60 percent increase on eBay – at £79.99

Star Wars Galactic Snackin' Grogu
It is sold on eBay for £115

A Star Wars Galactic Snackin’ Grogu is being sold on eBay for £115 despite holding a RRP of £84.99

Air Hogs
It is sold on eBay for £54.45

The Air Hogs Super Soft toy has been sold on ebay for £54.45 despite its RRP being £39.99

Another vendor stated that a popular item was being sold at almost twice the retail price due the lack of stock elsewhere.      

Natasha Crookes is the director general of Toy Retailers Association. She advised parents to be cautious about being taken advantage of.

She said, “Consumers should compare prices between retailers before buying and remember that the best price might not always be online.”

MailOnline reached out directly to eBay to request comment.  

It comes after the Toy Retailers Association warned price increases in the coming months were ‘inevitable’ with shipping costs having risen a whopping 900 per cent in a year, with a £15 toy truck now costing £7 to ship from the Far East, up from 70p a year ago.

People out stocking up ahead of Christmas at a Smyths toy shop in Slough, Berkshire, last month

Last month, Smyths toys shop in Slough, Berkshire saw people stocking up for Christmas.

A woman pushes a trolley out of a Smyths toy shop in Slough, Berkshire, last month

Last month, a woman pushes her trolley out of Slough’s Smyths toys shop in Berkshire.

Shoppers look at products in a Smyths toy store in Slough, Berkshire, last month

Last month, shoppers looked at products in a Smyths store in Slough (Berkshire).

The Toy Association of the USA stated that the cost of toys for children has risen as much as 10% in the US over the Christmas season. 

The British Retail Consortium stated last month that there were “clear signs” that the combination of problems was’starting through to consumer prices”. It said that one third of UK retailers expected prices to rise over the next three months.

Shropshire-based educational toys company said it was ‘hit with increases at every angle – including higher cost of goods and additional delivery surcharges’.

A children’s publishing company in Bristol explained that it will have to adjust its prices to meet ever-increasing material costs by the new year.

Milton Keynes is home to a learning products company that stated it would like to increase its product prices but couldn’t, as it doesn’t want any customers to go.

The Bank of England has already warned that inflation could reach 4 percent by the end of this year. However, supermarkets warn that food prices could rise by 5%.  

MailOnline was told by Alan Simpson, chairman, Toy Retailers Association: “It is unavoidable that prices will rise due to the additional costs being incurred retailers due to exorbitant increases in shipping costs. 

“The majority of toys are made in Far East. We have seen freight rates rise beyond our imagination. In some cases, we pay 10 times more to ship a container than it cost to ship a container 12 months ago. 

“Suppliers simply can’t absorb this level of rise and price increases are an inevitable consequence. This anomaly is not limited to toys. It can be expected to spread to all retail sectors whose product line originates from the Far East. 

“This is simply beyond our control and we are subject to many outside factors.”