2009 Hot Toys

Each year during the holidays, certain toys become the "I just gotta have it!" items.  Do you remember some of those "gotta have it" toys from your childhood?  For me, a radio flyer sled was high on the list, as was a growing hair Chrissy one year and a bike with an oh-so-cool banana seat!  The sled got years of use, as did the bike but the Chrissy doll was quickly forgotten. 

Each year, toy manufacturers try to figure out what those hot items are likely to be.  With the holidays only a couple of months off the lists for 2009 are coming out.  Toys-R-Us  has these toys on their top 25 list: (List is sorted by best-selling as of the date of this blog.)

1. Zhu Zhus - an electronic hamster with lots of accessories.  This is already a hot seller and is almost impossible to find except on Ebay and Amazon. 
2. Barbie Fashion Fever Fashionista doll - considering the collectibility of Barbie, it's not surprising she almost always makes the list.
3. Barbie Fashion Fever Disco Ball doll - we return to the 80s.
4. Moxie Girlz Jammaz doll
5. Liv Fashion doll
6. Scatterpillar Scramble - This preschool game looks like it might be fun for the little ones.
7. Leapfrog Text and Learn
8. Crayola Color Me A Song
9. Chixos Design A Loft
10. Playskool Chuck My Talking Truck - Not the first time this guy has made the list!
11. Original Tickle Me Elmo - Have to wonder if there will be that great a demand for this one.
12. Bakugan: Battle Brawlers with Naga Collector Ball and Exclusive Bonus Ravenoid & Manion In-Game for Nintendo DS (pre-order)
13. Bakugan: Battle Brawlers for Sony PS2 (pre-order)
14. 
    Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS-35 Blaster with 35 Darts
    
15. Mega Bloks Battle Strikers Tournament Set (29480)
    
16. Little Mommy Baby Ah-Choo - This was on last year's list.
    
17. Harumika - Runway Showstopper Set - design your own fashions!
    
18. Bakugan Battle Brawlers New Vestroia Maxus Helios 7-in-1 -  a TRU exclusive
    
19. Wii Sports Resort for Nintendo Wii
    
20. Bakugan: Battle Brawlers and Exclusive Bonus Ravenoid & Manion In-Game for Nintendo Wii
    
21. Fisher-Price Little Superstar Jammin' Band Musical Microphone
    
22. Bakugan: Battle Brawlers for Sony PS3/Xbox360
    
23. Fisher-Price Imaginext Dragon World Fortress Castle - I confess, I want to play with this one!
    
24. Matchbox Rocky the Robot Truck
    
25. MindFlex Mental Game
    

It's obvious from the list that TRU expects Bakugan to be a big seller.  It'll be interesting to see if they are right or not as the prices have come way down for this item at places such as Ebay and Amazon. Time was you'd see many of the Bakugan going for double and triple the money.  Now prices look to be similar to the store which should imply it is cooling as a hot collectible.  Personally, I'm betting the Zhu Zhu will be hot as well as the new Lego lines.  Any opinions on what will catch this year's toy buyers interests?

It doesn't have to be old to be valuable

Many people assume that toy collecting means only old toys.  Although there are old toys that go for hundreds and even thousands of dollars, there are also new toys that enjoy a popular following.  Some of these are popular for a brief time and then values decreases.  Others hold or increase in value.  Either way, if you enjoy collecting, the consideration of value should be secondary to the collection itself. 

Some current toys considered hot collectibles are Bakugan, My Little Pony, Transformers, Star Wars, TMNT, Club Penguin, Movie or Tv related figures, Marvel Universe (comic) figures, and RPG game figures such as the Warhammer of Dungeons and Dragon series. Oh, and lots not forget the old standards of Barbie, GI Joe, and Hot Wheels.  The fun of collecting new toys is that they are often more readily available than the older toys.  Also, if you have a youngster just starting a collection, this is a way to get them going without spending a small fortune.  Most of these toys can be found at local stores as well as online at places such as Ebay, Amazon and ToyWiz.

If you collect a current toy, I'd love to hear about it.

How To Buy Collectible or Vintage Toys on A Budget

So, you really want that vintage Sindy Scenesetter or the Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle but you just can't swing the price.

                             

Well, there are many ways to get the pieces you want.  Ebay is probably the most popular place people go to search for vintage items.  Amazon is also a great place to check.  People tend to think of Amazon as being new and current products, but they also have a number of sellers featuring collectible or vintage products.  Oft times the price and product guarantee is better than can be found on Ebay.

Still, if you're serious about collecting, there are many, many other sites available.  A few of which are:  Bonanzle, Atomic Mall, Ecrater and IOffer.  Many times these lesser known sites will offer the same item at a discounted price.   Another wonderful avenue for collectors is Craigslist.  Craigslist defaults to search within your local area but it is easy to go to the menu and choose another city to search on.  Major metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, New York or Chicago often offer more choices than the smaller, rural areas.  Plus, many people are more than willing to ship - all you have to do is ask.  An example of this would be if we looked at the Lego Harry Potter Dumbledore's Office set.  Amazon has it for $105 and up, Ebay it's ranging from $70-100 and the Sacramento Craigslist has it still in the sealed box for $50.  Even with shipping you'll still be cheaper than either of the big guys.

Still another option to check is online auctions other than Ebay.  These are usually live auctions that offer internet bidding in real time.  A popular site for this is Proxibid.   Pricing can be competitive or much cheaper than at the common sites, it all depends on who's there at any given time and how popular the item is.

Finally, you can also consider collecting a set in pieces.  An incomplete set will go for far, far cheaper than a new in the box set.  Buying a mostly complete set and then locating the couple pieces that are missing is often an ideal way for the budget conscious to collect.  An example of this would be Ebay auctions closing last week for the vintage Fisher Price Little People Sesame Street Set.  The set that was complete with the box went for $239.99.  Another set that had the box but was missing Big Bird closed at $107.50 or less than half of the complete set.  Big Bird is an easy item to find and sells for around $6.00.  So had you bought the 2nd set and a Big Bird you would have spent $113.50 to complete the set saving yourself $126.49.   Plus, you would have had the fun of "hunting" for the pieces you need.  Searching to complete sets is the modern day equivalent of a treasure hunt - there's the excitement of the hunt and the thrill of victory when you are the winning bidder.

A final consideration for the collector is to join groups that collect the same things you do.  Both modern day toys and vintage ones have groups available.  Besides the pleasure of online conversation with people that have like interest, groups often offer sale days to their members as well as wish lists.  Furthermore, many members are willing to discount their prices to members of the group.  

So, whether you choose to buy complete sets or by the piece there are lots of different choice and lots of ways to do it without breaking the bank.

New Toys, Old Toys, Toys, Toys, Toys!

Pretty much everybody loves toys.  Whether you're an adult or a child, there's just something about toys that spark a connection.  Run across an old toy train at an auction and it's liable to bring back memories of the year your brother got one for Christmas.  See an old set of paperdolls at an estate sale and be transported back to the times you'd wait for mom's McCalls magazine to come so you could get the Betsy paper doll page.  Watch a kid in the toy aisles, or when the ads come on tv.  Their faces light up, excitement booms forth as you here "I've gotta have that!"  Toy manufacturers know kids like to collect as much as adults do and have many lines of toys designed and marketed for collecting.  Modern collections include Barbie, Hot Wheels, Bakugan and Star Wars, to name but a few.

Some people begin collections as children that they continue on to adulthood.  Others don't start collecting until well into adult life.  Pieces in collections can cost thousands of dollars or just a few dollars.  Whatever sparks your interest can be collected.  For that matter, a collection doesn't have to be just one type of item.  I know lots of people (myself included!) who simply collect toys.  For me, I'm fond of the vintage Fisher Price Little People, the old Marx army guys I played with as a child, anything Star Wars of Star Trek and the Lego mini figures (don't ask me why, I just love the little guys!). 

So, what do you like to collect?