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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - "Black market" and "stuffed animals" are two phrases not often used together.

At least, that was the case before Webkinz's April 2005 debut by Canadian company Ganz.

Jan's Gift Shop employee Holly Laurin holds a frog Webkinz - the animal of the month. - Lauren McKeon/NNSL photo

Where cuddling was once enough, children can now plug their plush toys - and themselves - into a complete online world.

In Yellowknife, where the only store stocking them is Jan's Gift Shop, the demand for new animals has led some individuals to sell the toys at boosted prices on a local trading website. The toys retail for $17.99 each.

It's something Holly Laurin, a salesperson at Jan's, has seen before.

"We have to report them to Webkinz," she said. The "illegal trade," however, has given the store leverage with the company in the past, added Laurin.

Because the Yellowknife shop is comparatively small, she said, it is often bumped down the line when it comes time to order the popular toys. The bigger the store, the faster the shipments.

There was a period in the summer, starting around June, where Webkinz delayed shipment for a couple months, she said. But when staff reminded Webkinz of where the black marketeering delays had led to in the past, the store's stock was rushed in.

The re-sale of Webkinz is problematic because each toy is registered online to its owner. Webkinz animals come with codes that allow their owners access to the Webkinz website. There, children - though adults have been known to be fans too - can engage in a virtual world once they "adopt" their pet toy.

Online, children participate in educational games and other activities - like signing up for jobs - to earn KinzCash.

With it, kids contribute to the fully operational Webkinz economy by buying food, toys and even furniture for their pet.

Each toy activates the account for one year only, prompting children or their parents to continuously buy the toys to stay online.

With each purchase, owners also get more cash and special items added to their account.

"Some people have like 50 of them," said Laurin.

Webkinz collector Jessica Phillips, 13, has 22 of the toys. Her favourite so far is a recently bought dinosaur named Coco. Phillips has more than 1,800 units of KinzCash and a fully furnished house - complete with a cherry bed - for her beloved animals.

She started collecting in 2004 when a friend mailed her a Webkinz hippo as a birthday present.

"I thought it was really cool, so I got another one. Next thing you know I have a bunch."

Phillips usually goes on the website once a day for 15 minutes - or sometimes longer.

"It's really fun," she said.