Birthday Party Depot

Traditional Toys Are Superb Value At Xmas

Christmas comes but once a year – and when it does, it is a very important time for retailers. It can mean the difference between a good year and a bad year. So it’s unsurprising that so much effort goes into forecasting what the top selling items will be every year.

It’s especially important in the toys and games market. Each year there seems to be one special toy that is the “must have” toy of the year. In no particular order we have witnessed Buzz Lightyear, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Beyblades, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furbies take the “top toy” title in previous years.

Typically most of these toys will enjoy one year at the top of the list. Whilst the majority of these toys are still around today, they won’t be number one this Xmas. Many of them won’t even break into the top fifty.

However, there are some perennial favorites which are always popular choices every year and have stood the test of time across generations of youngsters. Some well known examples, again in no particular order, might 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 year – but they will appear in the top twenty or thirty toys year after year.

Considering the current volume of sales, this year’s best selling toy looks like being Zhu Zhu Pets – furry, robot hamsters which interact using artificial intelligence. However, as in earlier years, demand seems to be outstripping supply. It’s already hard to find them in the stores. You can however, see them on eBay – at prices way over the ticket price. This appears to happen each year and toy manufacturers have been accused of artificially restricting supply to create a sense of urgency 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 open to debate, but it has almost become an annual event these days. Usually, just a few weeks after Christmas, last year’s expensive top toy will be old hat. The more traditional toys on the other hand, will still be used and enjoyed for a long time to come. A lot of these toys will even be handed from one generation to the next. That’s why toys like Hornby Dublo train sets, Lego, Scrabble etc. are such excellent value for money and are always a welcome addition to any youngster’s toy collection.