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Christmas may come only once a year – but when it arrives, it is a critical time for retailers. It can mean the difference between a good year and a disaster. So it’s no surprise that so much effort goes into predicting what the best selling items will be each year.

It’s doubly important in the toys and games market. Every year there seems to be one particular toy that is the “must have” toy of the year. In no particular order we have witnessed Buzz Lightyear, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 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 Christmas. 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. 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 improbable that any of these will be the best selling this Christmas – 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 Hamsters – cute, 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 stores. You can however, find them on eBay – at prices way over the ticket price. This appears to happen each year and toy suppliers 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 unusual. Whether or not it’s a deliberate strategy by the suppliers 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, Scrabble, Lego etc. offer such great value for money and are always a welcome addition to any kid’s toy box.


Filed under: Buy Tickets

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