The Climate Orbiter was destroyed September 23 as it entered Martian orbit. The Polar Lander and companion probes are presumed to have failed while landing on Mars on December 3.

The toys landed in stores well before then, about two weeks ago.

"Obviously, out of respect for us, theyre not pushing it very hard," said Jo Pitesky, the Jet Propulsion Laboratorys business alliances manager.

Handy said collectors were snapping up the toys regardless. "Theyre already hard to find."

At JPLs Employees Recreation Club gift shop, they are selling like hotcakes. However, the shop lifted a two-per-person limit after NASA continued to fail to make contact with either the lander or twin probes over the weekend.

"Everyone who comes in, thats what they buy," said an employee, who asked not to be identified.

The online auctioneer eBay listed at least 33 separate lots of the models for sale on Thursday.

Bidders had already upped the price on several to more than $50. Many of the sellers messages said they had bought the models at JPL. None mentioned the $5 price.

"Caveat emptor" let the buyer beware said Pitesky.

Mattel is the only toy manufacturer licensed to make models of the orbiter, lander and probes. They also have made toy versions of JPLs Galileo spacecraft and the Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner rover.

The Pathfinder model, still for sale two years after the end of the successful Mars mission, was a "huge" success, Mattels Handy said.

Handy said he doubted the "JPL Returns to Mars" pack would be as popular.

"Unfortunately, this one just didnt happen to go well," he said.