SAN ANTONIO – In the toy aisles, it's an intergalactic battle for your buck.
Target has coupons; Walmart cut prices; and Toys'R'Us offers $10 gift cards on qualifying purchases.
"It's extremely competitive," said Thomas Sinks, manager with Target's Bandera Pointe store.
Shopper Letty Cardenas is a holiday price hunter.
"Right now, with prices the way they are, it's very important to save as much as you can to use it on other stuff that's more important than just a toy," she said.
A price check on a list of the holidays hot toys showed pricing differences.
Let's Rock Elmo: Target, with a $5-off coupon, had the best deal at $53.99. That's $6 less than at Toys'R'Us.
Leapster Explorer: Target, with a $10-off coupons, was selling it for $54.99, compared to Walmart's $59.97.
Mattel's Fijit Friends: With coupon, Target's price of $34.99 beat the other two stores by $5.
With its coupon booklet, which is valid through Nov. 23, Target stores had the price on most toys checked, including Transformers Ultimate Optimus Prime, Barbie Designable Hair and Lalalopsy dolls.
Walmart had the best deal, by pennies, on the Nerf Nitron Blaster. But, Walmart's store price on Air Hogs Hyperactives was $49.99, $10 more than Target or Toys'R'Us.
Toys'R'Us cooked up the deal on the Easy Bake Oven. The sale price of $34.99 beat the other two stores by $5.
Toys'R'Us also had a much better in-store price on Dora's Fiesta Kitchen; $59.99 compared to nearly $85 at Walmart and Target.
Shopper Valerie Carroll said she finds the best deals online.
"The actually do have lower prices," she said. "If I can get free shipping, I will do it."
Several of the hot toys were cheaper online, even compared to their own store.
For example, Let's Rock Elmo was $4 cheaper at Target.com, compared to the Target store.
And, Cookie the FurReal Pup was $8 cheaper at Walmart.com, compared to the store at Walmart.
Prices are subject to change. Bottom line, it pays to make that list and check the price.