Traditional Toys Offer Great Value At Christmas
Christmas may come only once a year – but when it arrives, it is a very important time for retailers. It can make all the difference between a good year and a disaster. So it’s no surprise that so much effort goes into predicting what the top selling items will be every year.
It’s especially critical in the toys and games market. Every year there seems to be one special toy that is the “must have” toy of the year. In no particular order we have seen Buzz Lightyear, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Beyblades, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furbies claim the crown in previous years.
Usually most of these toys will enjoy one year at the top of the list. Whilst most of these toys are still available today, they won’t be number one this Xmas. Many of them won’t even break into the top twenty.
However, there are some perennial favorites which are ever popular choices year after year and have stood the test of time across generations of youngsters. For example, again in no particular order, would be Lego, Monopoly, Scrabble, Cluedo, Barbie, G.I. Joe and train sets. Admittedly, it’s unlikely that any of these will be the top selling this Christmas – but they will be in the top twenty or thirty toys year after year.
Based upon the current volume of sales, this year’s hot toy looks like being Zhu Zhu Hamsters – furry, robot hamsters which interact using artificial intelligence. However, as in earlier years, demand seems to be greater than supply. It’s already hard to find them in the shops. You can however, see them on eBay – at prices well above the ticket price. This appears to happen each year and toy suppliers have been accused of deliberately restricting supply to create a buzz on more than one occasion in the past.
This really isn’t uncommon. Whether or not it’s a deliberate strategy by the manufacturers is debatable, but it has almost become an annual occurrence these days. Typically, just a few weeks after Christmas, last year’s expensive hot toy will be history. The more traditional toys however, will still be used and enjoyed for a long time to come. Many of these toys will even be transferred from one generation to the next. That’s why toys like Hornby Dublo train sets, Lego, Scrabble etc. represent such excellent value for money and are always a welcome addition to any child’s toy box.
Tags: go go pets, hornby dublo, train set, zhu zhu hamsters, zhu zhu pets