Christmas toys: collectability a big factor

It looks like it is never too early to start shopping for the kids, whether in-store or online. After all, nothing is worse than the pressure of the Christmas countdown and the global postal services heaving under COVID-19 pandemic pressures.

So what should parents watch out for in the world of toys this season?

Stephania Buhagiar, marketing and commercial executive for Junior Toy Stores, says that LEGO, the all-time classic, is doing especially well this Christmas season. “LEGO is an all-time favourite, but this year given the fact that people are staying inside more than previous years, they are looking for toys with higher play value. Which means kids spend a longer time playing with the toys.”

LEGO is an all time favorite and now more than ever parents are turning to the trusted classic to keep their kids entertained for hours

Buhagiar said LEGO has amongst the best collections for building toys. “Obviously to build something takes a lot more time, than just playing with any other toy. Building LEGO has an element of creativity involved – there is also collection integration, which allows kids to mix and match and create their own toys,” she said.

Karl Camilleri, the owner of The Model Shop, agrees, saying LEGO has proved to be very popular this season, along with Playmobil, especially among boys. “Educational toys, as well as board games also did very well this year. The Mega Monopoly was a huge hit – it comes with a bigger board and more exciting rules.”

Buhagiar said the Smashers collection by ZURU has also been popular among boys this year. “They have different items. For example, there is a big surprise egg with toys inside – there are other smashers in the shape of dinosaurs,” she said.

Robo Alive is a huge hit among boys this christmas, featuring almost life like movements

Another item popular this year is ZURU’s Robo Alive. “There are different items, such as dinosaurs, lizards, spiders, dragons and so on. The way these toys move their arms and legs is close to reality. It's more of a boyish toy; obviously, girls can play with it as well – but boys tend to gravitate to it more,” Buhagiar said.

Camilleri said that among pre-school ages, Paw Patrol toys have remained as popular as last year. He added that unlike with the girls, there was not one singular popular brand among boys. Girls are more inclined towards the L.O.L. Surprise! Line of dolls. “MGA, the company that produces L.O.L. has saved the toy industry multiple times during its lows. It continues the collectable craze. I have never seen anything like it,” Camilleri said.

Camilleri said the Na! Na! Na! dolls by L.O.L. have also been a huge hit in the US, and he is now starting to see demand in Malta. Also popular are the L.O.L. O.M.G. dolls: “They are bigger than the dolls L.O.L. produces, and there are also the accessories for them such as the Caravan.”

Buhagiar says other collections popular among girls are ZURU’s Rainbocorns and Itty Bitty Prettys. “They again have collectability which has been popular in the last few years. I think collectability is one of the main attractions this year. With the Itty Bitty Prettys, there are 25 surprises to unwrap, and 13 exclusive dolls to collect.”

The Fortnite Nerf gun collection is a big ticket item this year among older kids

Camilleri said that Cry Babies dolls are also popular. “They cry real tears when you take away their dummies, and also make realistic baby noises,” he explained.

For older kids, Buhagiar said the Nerf Fortnite collection, now a classic toy realigned with the popular online computer game, is very popular. “At the moment Fornite is very much in demand, it’s quite a large collection. Nerf also launched the ALPHA Strike collection, which is more affordable. In the past, Nerf was associated with upmarket toys; however, this year, with the launch of ALPHA Strike, the prices are a lot more reasonable catering for another type of market.”