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Children
turn away from conventional toys and look for action games Does it sell? "Yes," she says but adds that most teens have now outgrown the Barbie doll craze, and look for other items, such as stationery and hair accessories of the brand instead. She added, however, that older girls (some even as old as 18) come in search of the collectible dolls, such as Barbie as Odette in 'Swan Lake', Rapunzel and even the Elvis Presley collectible. Play Station (PS) has also taken the shoppers by storm. The manager of Nastars, Liberty Plaza says that the age-group for PS is mostly 8 to 14 years, but that older children come asking for the machine as well. Costing almost Rs. 30,000, PS has become a hit with most boys, particularly because it features a number of games with so many action heroes. A few toy storeowners
predict more sales of Play Station 2 this Christmas, despite its
price and have stocked the PS-2 machine in anticipation of fast
sales for the season. Some other shops have simply ordered more
of the PS cards and game cartridges, as according to one shopkeeper
"only a few people can actually afford the machine”. Of the conventional toys that still have a market are board games, with both parents and children coming in search of Scrabble, Monopoly, Cluedo and Pictionary. Ten in 1 combined board games comprising chess, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders are fast-selling as well. Action figures, however, are still a favourite among boys. The legendary figures of Hercules, Spiderman, Batman, X-men are still very popular amongst most boys, in addition to the boy wizard Harry Potter which is bought by both boys as well as girls. Xena - the warrior princess is bought for girls, although Barbie still rules the roost with most of the younger ones. Action figures enjoy better sales when the movie or book has just been released, says one toy vendor. In addition to the action figures of Harry, his friends Ron and Hermione, and even Harry in his famous invisible cloak, there are also jigsaw puzzles and a remote controlled 'Aviator Competition' game complete with lifelike dolls and combined race tracks, depicting Harry and pals playing Quidditch. "Harry Potter is certainly selling big this Christmas," says Sithi, and the variety of Potter paraphernalia knows no boundaries. Jigsaw puzzles, one of the more 'conventional' play items that have not been too popular in the recent past are 'in' again. As one parent reveals, "My kids used to hate jigsaw puzzles because it took too long, but they will sit for hours at the coffee table trying to put Harry together." The Harry Potter puzzle also has an additional attraction: complete the jigsaw and you can look through the special decoder to discover mysterious objects hidden in the picture! Educational toys are also very popular, although most shopkeepers reveal that it is the parents who come in search of the product for their kids. Brand names such as V-tech and Oregon Scientific are much sought after children's laptop types and the age group for the products ranges from 3 years to about 14. Most boys in their early teens also like construction sets such as 'Machanix' and the branded Meccano Junior, while the younger ones seek Lego products. Conventional
girls’ toys such as sewing machines and dolls’ houses
are definitely not the 'perfect gift' these days, as some kids prefer
the doll to the house, while most others are shying away from the
more 'domesticated' toys such as kitchen sets and playing house.
Paper dolls were also very difficult to come by, and Upul from Play
House at MC reveals that prams were also not the most fast-selling
item this season. For little children,
building blocks are ever popular, possibly because no alternatives
can be found for that age group. Soft toys, however found themselves
comfortably placed in most shopping lists, with vendors saying that
it wasn't just children of all ages, but also adults who came looking
for their favourite cartoon character. |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved. |
The
bright yellow car sits pretty in its corner in a toy store at one
of Colombo's shopping malls. It's large enough for a five-year-old
to get into, is battery operated and can be manoeuvred by its young
driver. It also costs a staggering Rs. 45,000- but it has been bought
already, and will be driven away to its little owner on Christmas
eve.
With
the toy market picking up, and competition very much apparent, the
gradual shift from the more conventional toys to high-tech games
is also evident. There was a time when every teenage girl's dream
was a Barbie doll from Santa Claus. But watch them shop now and
you'll find that by the age of 11 or 12, they've totally outgrown
dolls. Barbies, and Barbie accessories are produced by the thousands
every year, with brand new concepts and ideas for the world's most
famous female doll. "The Swan Lake Barbie is the fad at the
moment," says Sithi of the Foto & Sports Centre at Liberty
Plaza (LP), adding that Barbie accessories range from Barbie's wardrobe
to her kitchen, bathroom, pool and outdoor party.
As
for boys, cars seem to be the obsession of the time, and parents
are found to be willing to indulge in the kids' fad. As Priyanka
of P.G. Martin Wonderworld reveals, branded toy cars such as 'Little
Tikes', which cost about Rs. 15,000, are one of the hits with four
to five-year-old boys. Remote controlled cars, however, are the
hot item with the older ones, while remote controlled train sets
complete with rail track are also a popular Christmas gift. Most
kids follow the 'bigger the better' concept, but there are also
those who come looking for the smaller cars which are branded, she
says, citing Hot Wheels and Matchbox which cost Rs. 300 upwards.
