Christmas toys go on parade
Wealthy parents will be spoilt for choice
A ROBOTIC fish, a lifelike puppy and a new interactive Furby will be among the musthave toys this Christmas, London’s famous toy shop Hamleys predicted this week.
Unveiling its annual forecast for the Top Ten Toys nearly six months before Christmas Day, Hamleys revealed a list dominated by pets.
Buying all 10 toys will set parents back a whopping £543 (about R8 190) — and that’s before one-off “exceptional” gifts such as a Swarovski tutu, costing £250 (R3 770).
Of the top 10, Laura Olver, Hamleys’s head buyer, predicted kids would be desperate for the latest Teksta Puppy, which, for £75 (R1 130.85), barks, cries, whimpers like the real thing, but can also play music downloaded from iPads.
Robo Fish, which imitates the swimming movements of real fish, also features in the Top Ten, alongside Chasin Cheeky, a £26 (R392) monkey game, and last year’s bestseller Furby.
Hamleys believes this year’s edition of the retro toy — Furby Boom — could smash all records, but refused to give details of how Hasbro has updated the furry critter ahead of its official launch in 10 days’ time.
Sources claimed kids will be able to connect iPods and iPads to the pets. Some apps on the market already translate what Furbys are saying, and how one feeds them.
Olver said: “It’s a sign of what is happening. There is now a mix of digital and physical, with lots more interaction. But also we are seeing a revival of toys that were already hits in the ’90s.
“Furby was launched in 1998, and in the first year over 27 million were sold globally.”
Outside the top 10, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back, with Hamleys selling a Secret Sewer Lair, a model of the lair the turtles call home in the TV show.
There is also a Nerf Rapid Strike gun with a 75m range and a Star Wars Anakin Skywalker figure whose voice changes as you dress the intergalactic hero as Darth Vader.
For those parents who have the money, Hamleys also unveiled the Exceptional Eight — presents that cost a small fortune.
They include a ballet tutu studded with “elements” of Swarovski stones. There are 12 tutus, available only at this shop.
Hamleys was bought by France’s Groupe Ludendo last year. Olver said at the time that the deal defied the doom and gloom engulfing the rest of high street.
Now she says: “We are having a great year so far. It’s been a really strong start, and I think that’s because there’s something quite magical about coming into the finest toy shop in the world.
“As long as we keep giving people the right experience and toys that cover the full price spectrum, we are really positive about Christmas.”— © The Daily Telegraph, London