Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1060184
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 DECEMBER 2018 NEWS LAURA CALLEJA NOW is the perfect time to get ahead of the Christmas rush. It is never too early to start shopping for the kids, whether it be in store or online. After all, nothing's worse than being under pressure as the count- down to Christmas starts – with kids' expectations run- ning high, there's a reason Christmas is known for being one of the most stressful times of the year. So what should parents watch out for in the world of toys this season? Karl Camilleri, the owner of The Model Shop, is placing a punt on collectable toys, which he says have taken the interna- tional toy market by storm. Toys such as LOL Surprise have become a phenomenon, he adds. "LOL Surprise were inspired by YouTube unbox- ing videos, which in itself is a phenomenon that has taken off in recent years… it's gotten to the point where toy brands don't really focus their efforts on advertising on television anymore – now it's all about advertising on YouTube." Stephania Buhagiar, market- ing and commercial executive for Junior Toy Stores, agreed that LOL Surprise would be a big seller this year. "Even though LOL Surprise were big last Christmas, and even the year before that, it's foreseen that this year they'll be a big ticket item again." LOL Surprise is a hard plastic circular object, usually covered in a fair amount of glitter. In- side are small collectable toys, which in some of the lines, allow kids to assemble their own dolls. Typically, there are several layers for kids to unbox, with the latest LOL Surprise's having codes for each layer, which kids will have to punch in, in order to retrieve their next gift. Buhagiar said that anything unicorn-themed will also do very well this year. "We've no- ticed that anything with uni- corns tends to be very popular – games, soft toys… slime! If it's got something to do with uni- corns it will sell." In fact, she foresees interactive sound and light toy line VTech's Myla the Magical Make-Up Unicorn do- ing very well this Christmas. Another plush collectable toy that has skyrocketed in popu- larity are Beanie Boos. "Beanie Boos have unbelievably taken over this market," Camilleri said. "When you used to walk into the plush section at toy shops, there used to be variety, but now it's almost all Beanie Boos." Cry Babies are also big this year – with three different Cry Babies to collect. These dolls cry real water, and sound just like real babies, with each Cry Baby coming with its own ani- mal print inside. Monopoly Cheaters Edition is a new take on the traditional game, where players are actu- ally encouraged to cheat. The board comes with a handcuff attached to the corner where jail traditionally is, and any player who's caught cheating is handcuffed to the board for a period of time. Paw Patrol still dominates the three to six category for boys – although not exclusive- ly for boys. Paw Patrol is based off characters from the televi- sion show of the same name, broadcasted on Nickelodeon. Kids can play with their favour- ite characters in real life. Paw Patrol comes in a variety of dif- ferent formulas, from individu- ally sold toys to sets. For older boys, ages eight and up, Nerf Guns retain their perennial popularity, with Camilleri foreseeing the X Shot Nerf Gun being a big ticket item this year. Fingerlings are also in- credibly popular this year. Fingerlings usually come in the form of a robotic mon- key, unicorn, or sloth that clings to your fingers and reacts to touch and sound, blinking and blowing kisses. While new toys have taken over the market, traditional toys are very much here to stay – with brands such as Playmo- bil and Lego still doing fairly well. "Traditional toys are still ex- tremely important, because they help with the development of children, and improve criti- cal thinking skills unlike the newer toys – such as the col- lectables that kids really want at the moment, but then end up getting bored of and moving on to the next best thing," said Camilleri. Buhagiar agrees. "Lego City, a very popular range of Lego, will surely do well this Christmas," said Buhagiar. Unboxing on YouTube drives toy demand this Christmas Two girls unboxing Lol Surprise! said. "When you used to walk player who's caught cheating is said Buhagiar. Above: Create realistic buildings, get a job... have fun with Lego City Range Right: Fingerlings move when you interact with them Go on adventures with different characters with Paw Patrol