Webkinz,  could be  the next  hottest thing since, well, the last hottest thing, for kids from 4 to 14. Webkinz.com combines the kid appeal of Neopets with a kid-friendly mix of MySpace and Second Life.

Webkinz is the brain-child of family-owned Ganz, a Canadian gift wholesaler. It combines off-line sales with online multi-media, that's feature-rich, ever-changing, and fun -- kind of like NeoPets on steroids. And it passed one million members during the summer - entirely through kids' word of mouth. Ad budget: zero!

According to BL OCHMAN'S - WHATS NEXT BLOG, "Webkinz are adorable stuffed animals (limited edition, a la Beanie Babies) that are sold with a secret code on their foot that gives kids access to an online world where the toys' avatar versions can chat with other members, play games, decorate their homes, and change their clothes.

Kids have to keep their Webkinz well-fed, rested and exercised, although they don't die like neglected NeoPets. They win KinzCash by playing games and can use it to buy things for their Webkinz. Webkinz cost about $10. Lil' Kinz are $7.50. But you can't get them. "You put your name on a list," my sister says. "The store gets them in and they call you. You throw the kids in the car and race to the store. And they're already gone."

Besides teaching children to type, it helps them learn reading, spelling, logical thinking and, perhaps also kiddy gambling. But, the FAQs maintain, "While the Wishing Well and Wheel of WOW use visual metaphors that are sometimes associated with gambling, there is no gambling involved."

I'll tell you one thing I'd gamble on: a Ganz public offering! - Or did Google already buy them? hmmmm