Oldies Are Goodies

Nostalgic toys coming for holidays

By Shelley Emling
Cox News Service

Nostalgic revivals were out in full force Tuesday at PlayDate, a media showcase for what retailers see as the most promising toys for the holiday season. They included plush Care Bears, Masters of the Universe action figures, and a whole new crop of soft-sculpture Cabbage Patch Kids.

Indeed, dolls — one of the world’s oldest toys — appear to be making the biggest comeback, according to a survey of retailers released by PlayDate Inc., a marketing services firm.

Retailers believe Mattel’s Barbie as Rapunzel will be this year’s hottest toy. Other dolls among the projected top 10 sellers include Dora the Explorer, the Disney Toddler Princesses, and the Bratz Funk en’ Glow dolls.

Dolls — the best-selling toy category for 2001 — accounted for about $3 billion in sales between June 2001 and June 2002, or nearly 14 percent of all toy sales. ‘‘Dolls today are not only being enjoyed by little girls, but are being aimed at older girls — like 12-year-old girls — an age range that enjoys fashion,’’ said Sean McGowan, a toy industry analyst and co-founder of PlayDate. ‘‘Dolls look a little older these days. If they look like teenagers, then the preteens will want them.’’

Toy experts say they expect the doll category to be boosted even more this year by revivals such as the Cabbage Patch Kids.

It was two decades ago that Georgia resident Xavier Roberts started selling the hand-stitched dolls that eventually turned into the scrunched-face playthings ‘‘adopted’’ by young and old alike.

Now Roberts has cut a deal with Toys ‘‘R’’ Us limiting the sale of a new line of dolls — which includes dolls dressed as firefighters and police officers — to the chain’s stores.

‘‘When the line came out last August, there was a store in Alpharetta, Georgia, that sold out in just one day,’’ said Susan McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for Toys ‘‘R’’ Us, adding that ‘‘the dolls have proved incredibly popular all over.’’

The popularity of the past also was evident in the strong presence of licensed products.

Indeed, licensed products accounted for 25 percent of all first-half 2002 sales. They include tried-and-true classics such as Batman, Scooby Doo, Spider-Man, and the Power Rangers, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.

‘‘Licenses are emerging as the big thing at a time when there’s an absence of one major hot toy,’’ said John Reilly, a spokesman for KB Toys. ‘‘Anything with Dora the Explorer on it will be a major seller. Spider-Man is doing really well. Care Bears were popular in the 1980s and are doing well with kids again.’’

One emerging license is Yu-Gi-Oh!, the trading card game based on a Japanese animated cartoon. Many retailers expect the Yu-Gi-Oh! craze to be as strong as the one surrounding Pokemon.

The country’s nesting instinct, widely noted since Sept. 11, 2001, continues to bring about a strong emphasis on board games.

Cranium Cariboo, which allows 3- to 6-year-olds to search for treasure on the island of Cariboo while learning their letters and numbers, is expected by retailers to be the best-selling new board game this holiday season.

‘‘People still are looking for items that allow them to enjoy family time at home,’’ McGowan said.

Predicting the course of Christmas Future is certainly not child’s play for an industry that relies heavily on end-of-year sales.

The industry accounted for retail sales of $25 billion last year alone. With video games included, retail sales totaled an impressive $34 billion.

While some toy experts predict overall toy sales to be flat this year after climbing 1.7 percent in 2001, others predict toy sales could jump as much as 6 percent this year despite the recent labor disputes that closed West Coast ports.