Old favourites and new arrivals on Santa’s list

Santa won’t be the only person making and checking lists over the coming weeks as parents across Ireland gear up for the present-buying, pre-Christmas frenzy.

Thu, 07 Nov, 2013 - 00:00

Toy retailers and manufactures yesterday offered a helping hand to St Nick and his band of adult helpers by predicting what the Top 10 best-selling toys will be this year.

The Dream Toys list compiled by the Toy Retailers Association should generate plenty of ideas for parents anxious to satisfy their kids’ desire to have the trendiest gifts of 2013.

The list is compiled by a panel of buyers representing 80% of all retailers in Britain and Ireland.

One of the best-selling toys is widely tipped to be the Teksta Robotic Puppy — a modern hi-tech version of an old favourite. The life-like robotic puppy, which responds to voice, physical gestures, lights and sounds, and has tricks including a back-flip is likely to be the interactive pet of choice this Christmas.

Furby, another long-term favourite — which was Toy of the Year in 1999 — is also back in fashion with the Furby Boom bringing the creature up to date with the latest technology as a virtual friend.

For young girls, the Monster High 13 Wishes Doll from the makers of Barbie is certain to prove a best-seller, although the Flying Fairy will provide strong competition. The popular board game, Monopoly is cleverly reinventing itself with the new Empire version which allows players to buy leading brands like eBay and Google rather than traditional street property.

It also has new rules which mean a game should last just 30 minutes compared to several hours, according to retailers’ association spokesman Alan Simpson.

“A really notable trend is how toys and games which have been around a long time adapt new technology to refresh their appeal to new generations. It’s ironic that both Furby and the Teksta Puppy were both best-selling toys around 15 years ago.”

Another hardy annual is Lego with the manufacture’s new City Coast Guard set likely to prove popular across the ages.

For older kids, multimedia tablets such as VTech’s Inno Tab 3S and the LeapPad Ultra will prove welcome stocking-fillers.

All the leading games and toys will be on display at the forthcoming, first-ever Dublin Toy Fair which takes place at the RDS in Ballsbridge on Nov 27-Dec 1. “Children love to mimic their parents and it’s easy to see that the most popular toys cater for that,” said event organiser, Patrick O’Sullivan.

More than 15,000 visitors are expected to attend the five-day show, with pre-booking recommended for visits to Santa.