Christmas 2008 – The Best Toys
Christmas is always an expensive if exciting time, especially for those of us with children. With kids being targeted by TV advertising, it is no easy task to sort the wheat from the chaff and to spend our hard earned money wisely.
The British Toy Retailers Association represents over 150 members in the toy industry with its members selling over 90% of the toys sold in the UK market. Being an independant body established over fifty years ago, it serves as the retailer’s voice and spokesman taking into account what customers are looking for, what excites children and keeping abreast of the latest trends. Every year, following the major toy fairs where all the new innovations are shown to the toy trade for the first time, they print a report of what impressed them and what they expect to be the top selling toys the following Christmas.
Now when I was a lad the ultimate high-tech toy was a Triang electric train set. Nowadays there are truly incredible toys such as life-sized puppy dogs that obey your spoken command, dolls that drink, sleep, eat, cry and even pee !! and a complete host of electronic toys which range from consoles to voice changing masks to strange little gadgets that can find monsters floating around the ether.
Let’s take a look at a few of this year’s stars and we’ve simply got to start with that amazing puppy. It’s called “Biscuit – My Lovin’ Pup”, made by FurReal. It costs a a hefty £119.95, but this astonishing life-sized Golden Retriever puppy obeys your spoken commands. He sits, lays down, gives you his paw and has a number of sensors that know when you’re stroking him so that he can make little puppy yelps and barks whilst wagging his tail. Leave him undisturbed for a few minutes and he nods off and starts snoring.
It’s time to move from cute and lovable to sci-fi high-tech and absolutely weird. The Catcha Beast is a little hand held, battery operated toy that finds invisible beasts that live in the air that we live and breathe. Once found, the monster has to be reeled into the machine. It’s pretty to explain, so I’d advise that click the link and watch the video of the toy being used. The Catcha Beast is for sale at £17.95.
Let’s finish with something priced halfway between the two earlier toys. Elmo Live is a much loved character from Sesame Street and sells at £59.95. He’s another amazing creation being able to speak, sing, sit and stand together with crossing his legs whilst seated on a chair telling stories. He isn’t voice activated like Biscuit the pup, but he performs a number of actions as you squeeze his foot, tummy, back or nose.
So there we have it. Our top three toys for Christmas 2008. Check out our top toy website for a selection of other great presents.
