List Of Hot Toys For Christmas Released

DENVER -- You may not yet care, but Christmas Eve is just nine weeks from Tuesday -- that's 63 shopping days away.

In New York, the first of many top-ten toy lists was unveiled at the PlayDate Inc. toy showcase.

Video games have become a huge staple of the holiday toy trade and that's true this year. And after all these years, Cabbage Patch babies are back, according to the showcase.

But the top toy in all the categories was Rapunzel Barbie. The doll scored top honors among retailers.

Others in the top ten list in alphabetical order are:

Bratz Funk 'n' Glow
Disney's Toddler Princesses
Dora the Explorer dolls
Harry Potter: Basilisk playset
LeapPad learning system
Rescue Heroes
Spider-Man: Dual Action Web Blaster
Star Wars Lightsabers
Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards

If you're looking for trends in the toy pile this year, look to interactive education toys.

"We're seeing educational products like LeapPad and Smarty's Workshop are going to be best-sellers. Nostalgia products or retro toys from the past like Power Rangers, Care Bears, Cabbage Patch kids (will also be popular). We're seeing a continuation of families wanting to spend a lot of time together inside the home," said toy surveyor Sean McGowan.

And as always, where there are toys, there's plenty of hype, so be picky about what you buy.

The West Coast port strike has thrown the logistics of this year's toy delivery up for grabs. That means if you see a toy you want to give this year, buy it now and hide it.

Otherwise, if you wait, you will have to gift wrap a rain check and put that under the tree.