A PLAY FOR THE PAST TOY MAKERS COUNTING ON BARBIE, CARE BEARS AND OTHER RETRO NAMES FOR BIG HOLIDAY SALES.Byline: Chris J. Parker Correspondent IF THE SHELVES in Toyland look a little familiar this holiday season, well, that's no coincidence. ``Familiarity'' is the word of the day in America's toy stores. And if that's a bit of a mouthful for most children, they can take comfort in knowing its synonyms: Retro, re-release and repetitive. Ridiculous? Hardly. Whether it's an old toy that's finding a new audience, or a movie franchise that's already established a multimillion-dollar fan base, toy companies are rushing to put familiar products in front of shoppers this holiday season. After all, when $25 billion is at stake - the amount of money spent in 2001 on toys - why take chances on unknown products? Starting with well-known brands ``is the best way a toy can be advertised,'' says Julie Edelman, author and family lifestyle editor at BestStuff.com. But it's not the end-all. Manufacturers can no longer just slap a logo or familiar character on a shoddy shod·dy adj. shod·di·er, shod·di·est 1. Made of or containing inferior material. 2. a. Of poor quality or craft. b. Rundown; shabby. 3. product and expect it to sell, she says. ``Kids are so much more sophisticated now and there's so many toys,'' Edelman says. ``Manufacturers have to really pay attention to what kids want and to the quality of their products.'' Advances in technology help increase the quality of many products, especially re-released - or retro - toys that are back on the shelves after an absence of a decade or more. Consider the following: This year's hottest plush toy will probably be the Care Bears line, back from the toy liquidators and suddenly a must-get toy for many Gen-X parents. American Greetings American Greetings Corporation, Inc. NYSE: AM is the world's largest publicly-traded greeting card company. It is based in Cleveland, Ohio and sells paper greeting cards, electronic greeting cards, party products (such as wrapping papers and decorations), and electronic , which first sold the plush teddy bears in its greeting cards See e-card. stores 20 years ago, has bears, perfumes and cell phone covers - among other licensees - this time around. ``People really are so excited to see them back,'' says Ilona Weinerman, spokeswoman for American Greetings. ``It's a part of their childhood. --Looking for a doll? Cabbage Patch Kids Cabbage Patch Kids are a brand of doll created by Xavier Roberts in 1978. The original dolls were all cloth and were available at local craft shows, and later at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia. are back, 20 years after they were a cultural icon A cultural icon is an object or person which is distinctive to, or particularly representative of, a specific culture. An example is the bowler hat which could be considered an English cultural icon. Others include tea, The Beatles and association football. (and one of the first impossible-to-find presents). For boys, He-Man has been re-released by Mattel's Masters of the Universe line. --Darth Vader is back, along with everyone else who has held a light-saber or blaster in a ``Star Wars'' movie, thanks to Hasbro Games' ``Star Wars - Epic Duels.'' Players can pit ``Star Wars'' characters against each other, even if they never squared off in one of the five movies. So Vader better watch his back: Yoda is gunning for him. --Elmo returns seven years after his hit rookie season, only this time the Sesame Street Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. muppet doesn't get tickled or giggle. He's wearing a chicken costume, and he's not afraid to dance in it. --Possibly the biggest retro success story of the year is Barbie, which only a few years ago was being called out-of-touch. Not anymore. Many toy industry watchers, including PlayDate 2002, are predicting that the ``Barbie as Rapunzel'' doll will be the top-selling toy of the holiday season. And that's not including all the accessories that go with this version of ``Barbie,'' or the direct-to-home video that's being credited with reigniting kids' interest in Barbie. Barbie is not the only familiar face at the top of the toy heap. Characters from a half-dozen theatrical movies are transitioning very successfully to the silver shopping cart this holiday season. In fact, 2002 has to be considered one of the top movie tie-in years to date for the toy industry, with no less than a half-dozen movies expected to spur toy sales dramatically. At the top of the list is ``Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,'' closely followed by ``Star Wars: Episode II'' and ``Spider-Man.'' Other successful movie-toy vehicles this year include ``Scooby-Doo,'' ``Ice Age'' and ``Lilo 1. (operating system) lilo - Linux Loader. 2. lilo - first-in first-out. & Stitch,'' while the success of ``Treasure Planet,'' ``The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and ``Wild Thornberrys'' has yet to be measured. ``It's cyclical,'' says Jim Silver, co-publisher of Toy Wishes magazine. ``Some years, you have very little good movie tie-ins. But studios more than ever before now realize that tie-ins are important for their business. ``It used to be just Disney, through the mid-'90s, that released two movies a year with good tie-ins. Now you've got six studios a year doing that.'' ``Star Wars'' toys dominated the first half of 2002, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Toy Industry Association The Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA) is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. , with multiple ``Star Wars'' toys on the TIA's top- 10 sales lists for the months of April through July. Hasbro has new ``Star Wars'' products for the holiday season. But ``Harry Potter'' products are expected to dominate the final month of the year, thanks to a host of new, high-quality products and a strong theatrical release. Must-have toys ``Hot dozen'' toys From Toy Wishes magazine (in alphabetical order) 1) Barbie as Rapunzel 2) Barbie Wireless Video Camera 3) Bratz Stylin' Salon 'N Spa 4) Chicken Dance Elmo 5) KidClips Disney Tunes 6) FurReal Friends 7) Musini - MagicSensor 8) Lego Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets 9) Harry Potter Slime Chamber Play Set 10) Quantum Pad Learning System 11) Tony Hawk
12) Yu-Gi-Oh! Collectors Tin Top 5 toys in L.A. From Duracell batteries 1) Tyco Air Rebound 2) Play-Doh Activity World 3) ekara Real Karaoke Singing System 4) Barbie ``Shop With Me'' Cash Register 5) Lego Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets Faves in Toyland Retail shelves are stuffed with toys - new and old - for children. Here are 10 toys - in alphabetical order - that should get a lot of attention this holiday season: Air Rebound (Tyco; $50) Ages 8 and older. This remote-control car has a huge, neon green front wheel and a futuristic body that's nearly indestructible in·de·struc·ti·ble adj. Impossible to destroy: indestructible furniture; indestructible faith. [Late Latin ind . If only General Motors could make a full-scale model for parents. Bratz Stylin' Salon 'n Spa (MGA Entertainment MGA Entertainment is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1997. Its products include the Bratz fashion doll line. External links
Care Bears Plush (American Greetings; $7 to $40) Ages 3 and older. In less than six months, American Greetings will ship more than 1 million Care Bears and expects to generate more than $50 million in sales as Gen-Xers buy the plush doll of their youth for their own children. The '80s are, like, totally awesome! Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets (Lego; $70) Ages 6 and older. With 600 pieces for four different scenes, the instruction booklet is almost as big as J.K. Rowling's novel. Lego fans are drooling drooling the discharge of saliva from the mouth. A normal feature in some breeds of dogs such as St. Bernard, Newfoundland and English bulldog, presumably because of their loose, pendulous lips. over this set; Muggles will struggle to muddle through. Icee Maker (Spin Master Toys; $20) Ages 6 and older. From the creators of last year's mega-retro hit, Shrinky Dink Oven, comes another blast from the past. What's next, homemade Pixy Stix Pixy Stix is a powdered candy packaged in a wrapper that resembles a drinking straw. In the US, they are popular during Halloween. Pixy Stix are made by Willy Wonka and similar products are made by other companies. The candy is usually poured from the wrapper into the mouth. ? Magnet School magnet school n. A public school offering a specialized curriculum, often with high academic standards, to a student body representing a cross section of the community. (Parent Magazine; $15) Ages 18 months and older. Teaches toddlers about letters and numbers, using magnets. Parents will like it because it comes in its own carry case and the magnets almost guarantee that pieces won't get lost. Almost. Power Wheels The creator of this article, or someone who has substantially contributed to it, may have a conflict of interest regarding its subject matter. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Firerock Jeep Wrangler The Wrangler (also known as the YJ, TJ, and JK, as explained below) is an off-road vehicle produced by American automaker Chrysler under its Jeep marque. (Fisher-Price; $160) Ages 2 to 6. A ``souped-up'' version of the car every kid on the block wants. Parents who can't afford a new auto lease this year can at least upgrade their kids' wheels. Singing Starz Video Karaoke Machine (Jakks Pacific JAKKS Pacific, Inc. NASDAQ: JAKK is is a multi-brand company that designs and markets a broad range of toys and consumer products and is based in Malibu, California. Its product categories include action figures, art activity kits, stationery, writing instruments, performance ; $100) Ages 6 and older. This is one of a dozen family-friendly karaoke machines on the market this holiday season. Kids can pretend they are an ``American Idol'' contestant without all that annoying chatter between the judges. Spider-Man & Friends (Toy Biz; $8 to $20) Ages 3 and older. Everyone's favorite self-effacing superhero su·per·he·ro n. pl. su·per·he·roes A figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime. and his super friends get recast re·cast tr.v. re·cast, re·cast·ing, re·casts 1. To mold again: recast a bell. 2. as everyday heroes such as firefighters and police officers. Nice to know Spidey has a few jobs to fall back on in case the superhero gig doesn't work out. Yo-Gi-Oh! Collectors Tin (Upper Deck; $25) Ages 8 and older. Move over, Pokemon - this is the trading-card game that's all the rage General Public's All the Rage was released in 1984 by I.R.S. Records. Track listing
- C.P. CAPTION(S): 14 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1) Scooby-Doo Animated Stocking (2) Chicken Dance Elmo (3) Barbie Tote n' Teach (4) Barbie as Rapunzel Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer (5) Yo-Gi-Oh! Collectors Tin (6) Air Rebound (7) Bratz Stylin' Salon 'n Spa (8) Care Bears Plush (9) Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets (10) Icee Maker (11) Magnet School (12) Power Wheels Firerock Jeep Wrangler (13) Singing Starz Video Karaoke Machine (14) Spider-Man & Friends Box: (1) Must-have toys (see text) (2) Faves in Toyland (see text) |
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