Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

HOLIDAY FLASHBACK: Totally Tubular Toys

Playthings that reached height of popularity in the 1980s are back on children's wish lists

Transformers, robots that are, as the 1980s advertising campaign put it, "more than meets the eye," are back. The Unicron Armada Transformer is known as the "devourer of worlds," and can transform from the ultimate evil robot into the ultimate evil planet. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTEL Toy store representatives expect the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures and accessories to be a hit this holiday season. PHOTOS COURTESY OF PLAYMATES TOYS INC.

Forget Furby.

Well, you probably already have. The furry little interactive creatures are so yesterday.

The hot toys for this year, and sure to be a hit for the holidays, are cutting-edge, progressive toys: My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures, and He-Man and Masters of the Universe action figures, to name a few. Oh, and these cool robots in disguise called Transformers (they're more than meets the eye).

Cowabunga, dude!

Before you check the date on this newspaper, it's not from the 1980s. But, as those of you older than 25 know, the toys are.

The nostalgia of Gen-Xers has inspired toy companies to rerun or emphasize these retro toys, and industry representatives hope they will be just as popular with the current generation of kids.

Adults who grew up during the 1980s are now in their late 20s and 30s "and they want their kids to play with the toys they had," said Pamela Faatz, spokeswoman for Toys R Us.

Maybe. It could also be cosmic payback time. Remember when you were a kid and you pestered your mother or father to get that new Leonardo action figure with Katana Blades, Turtle Fist Daggers and Ninja Stars?

Get ready for the begging of boys and girls everywhere. At some point, parents will probably hear pleas for that as well as Giant Leonardo, Mini Leonardo, Scootin' Leonardo and all his vehicles, weapons and fellow turtles.

Not to mention the pleading that Love-A-Lot Care Bear plush toys, notebooks, T-shirts or key chains will invoke. The pastel bears with their sweet names have led the holiday charge among shoppers. People started visiting FAO Schwarz with holiday lists in hand right after Labor Day, said Shannon Carlsen, the toy store's assistant general manager.

"The popularity of the Care Bears is what has surprised us the most," Carlsen said. "We can't even keep them in stock."

Many of the toys, such as Transformers and My Little Pony, were always available, but hard to find. Now they're everywhere, enjoying a resurgence in popularity that Carlsen expects to carry through this upcoming holiday season. Also, unlike past years, the supply will probably meet demand, she added.

"You know, every year it seems like there's that one product everybody wants. But it's not like that this year. There's a range of products that should (interest) people and they aren't going to be running around trying to find that Furby," Carlsen said, referring to the hot toy of 1998 that seemed to drop off the radar almost as soon as it hit big.

The toy industry could use a boost this year, as traditional toys suffered a 1 percent decline in sales last year, according to figures from the Toy Industry Association. Retail sales were $20.2 billion in 2002, compared to $20.5 billion in 2001.

Board and card games have proven strong in the past two years, said Lisa McKendall, spokeswoman for Toy & Game Inventor's Forum. Nearly 200 inventors met at the Rio earlier this month to talk about the toy industry.

Several entrepreneurs were on hand displaying their latest games, including the Patriot Challenge, a Trivial Pursuit-style board game. The focus of the game is to simulate the democratic process, said its creator Christine Nelson. Players answer questions such as "Why should a citizen vote?"

The first player to travel around the board, collecting points along the way, wins. Some of the questions are subjective and are awarded points by the other players, Nelson explained, while other questions have a clear answer.

Yu-Gi-Oh! -- a card game similar to Pokémon -- has been popular since its U.S. release last year, Carlsen said.

Genio, a card game released last month, also should do well, Carlsen said. It's similar to Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! in that players battle each other with their cards. But parents should like the game, too, as each card contains an educational fact, she added.

"It ought to be a very exciting holiday season with all the things that are coming out," Carlsen said.