Hot Toys Aren't Always On Lists

Family psychologists and parents admit much of the "hot" in a hot toy is the fever parents feel to get just the right thing.

Helen Quiring remembers. In 1983, her 9-year-old daughter, Leah, put a Cabbage Patch doll on her list at roughly the same time the doll appeared on the cover of Newsweek for setting a record as the most successful new doll introduction in the history of the toy industry, according to About.com.

"You couldn't find them. They were just hot," Quiring said, reminiscing recently. "I knew there was no way I could get one for Leah -- she was dying for one."

But there was a Christmas miracle in stereo that year. Quiring managed to walk into the local hardware store in Hampton, Neb., just before Christmas on a day it received a shipment. Then, she turned around and a won a raffle for a doll from another store.

"Unbelievable," Quiring said, her voice still catching with the relief and excitement 23 years later. "To give my daughter a Cabbage Patch doll -- it was just gold, or something."

What Kids Really Want

This year, it is Leah's turn -- with three daughters under age 10 to buy for. But Emily, 7, Abigail, 5, and Anna, 2, aren't touched by the fury of hot toy lists. Emily, a second-grader, is influenced for the first time this year by kids at school. She wants another American Girl doll, partly because her friends have them.

"Emily (also) wants Rollerblades, and Abigail wants what Emily wants," Leah Clarke said.

And experts say there's a lesson here for parents who don't want to fork over five times the list price for a dancing doll: Every child's preferences and influences are different, so don't panic that the hot toys are sold out. If you tune in now, you could have the perfect, overlooked toy in plenty of time.

Lynda Madison, Ph.D., the director of Behavioral Health Services at Omaha's Children's Hospital, said kids' lists vary depending on their exposure to media, their age and how competitive they feel with their friends.

Rebecca Feaster said her 8-year-old son, Evan, was inspired by his teenage baby sitter.

"Evan is insisting on getting a 2-gigabyte iPod Nano, and he wants to download all the Kidz Bop CDs," Feaster said.

Alexandra Campbell, 4½, wants all Ariel, all the time, especially since she received the re-release of the movie "The Little Mermaid" out of Disney's vault. Disney conveniently released a slew of new Ariel merchandise, mom Jackie Madara-Campbell said.

"Alexandra wants it all. In fact, if it doesn't have a picture of Ariel on it, she doesn't want it," Madara-Campbell said.

Go Outside Lists

If your child lacks an obsession or doesn't watch a lot of ad-saturated television, a stop at local toy store could help spark ideas.

Grady Freeman is the manager at Omaha's The Toy Chest, and he said he spends a lot of hours on the job playing this time of year.

"This is something you can only get at independent stores," Freeman said. "Here, we'll play with the whoopee cushion right along with you. Get it out of box. (It) helps parents figure out what their kid wants."

Two of Freeman's favorites include a 2004 contender on some most-popular lists: Webkins. Selling for as little as $6.75, they are a cross between Beanie Babies and Tamagotchi. A child collects Webkins stuffed animals, then logs on to feed, bathe, house and interact with the pet's virtual life.

They're cheap and readily available, and if your child already has one, there's a good chance he wants more, Freeman said. He's serving a lot of repeat clientele this year.

If you wanted T.M.X. Elmo but won't pay the price, Freeman suggested Barbie Loves T.M.X. Elmo -- a $25 gift that combines the fashion-plate doll and a miniaturized version of the hot Elmo.

Freeman said he starts by asking parents what their children are into. If it's dinosaurs, he suggests the Aquasaurs, a relative of shrimp, lobster and trilobites.

"These Aquasauruses have been on Earth since the dinosaurs, and they look like dinosaurs when they're swimming," Freeman said.

Creativity Matters

Madison likes gifts that give back in the formation of a young mind.

"In general, the toys that have the most staying power are the ones that spark creativity and industry -- things children can build something with, use in several different ways or learn from," Madison said.