Parents brace for holidays as inflation hits the toy aisle hard

[Drosselmeyer]

Parents brace for holidays as inflation hits the toy aisle hard

The Toy Insider editor-in-chief on the most notably cost-effecient toys from the "Hot 20 Toy List"

FOX News   Published September 21, 2022 2:55pm EDT

With the holiday season fast approaching and parents anticipating tough price hikes in the toy market, The Toy Insider editor-in-chief Marissa Silva brings the hottest and most cost-efficient toys on the market to "Mornings with Maria."

"We really recommend that consumers build in another 15% or so into your 15%. Now, it may be only working out to about two or three dollars per toy, but if you're buying for a lot of kids, it can add up pretty quickly," Marissa Silva told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday. 

The Toy Insider revealed its "Hot 20 Toy List" for 2022; a few notable products include the "Level Up Gaming Chair," "Cocomelon Ultimate Learning Bus," and the "Pokémon Trading Card Game: Pokémon Go Elite Trainer Box." According to Silva, the "Level Up Gaming Chair" is "sure to sell out" this winter.

"This is an amazing toy for 18 months and up. But it's a replica sort of these gaming chairs that adults and older kids are playing with when they play their video games. But this is really cute one," Silva continued. "It's really cool, educational and screen-free."

One of the hottest kids programs that has recently taken the world by storm is "Cocomelon." With over 139 billion views on YouTube and 143 million subscribers, Cocoemelon has become the most viewed YouTube channel in the United States, practically ensuring the success of their new toy, "The Cocomelon Ultimate Learning Bus." 

"When you drop in the letter, it recognizes the letter. It'll tell you which one you dropped in. So kids are learning phonics, letters, numbers," the editor-in-chief said. 

Though Americans everywhere are feeling overwhelmed by inflation, the "Hot 20 Toy List" provides consumers with highly regarded yet cost-effective toys for the 2022 holiday season.  

For more information on where to find the most sought-after toys ahead of this holiday season, visit The Toy Insider's Holiday Gift Guide on their website. 

 

Read it and check the video here:    https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/parents-brace-holidays-inflation-hits-toy-aisle-hard

[TamaleClaus]

Many moons ago when my children were young, I purchased one of the "Highly Sort After" toys and my kids sort of cared less.  Anyone else remember when you purchased a item, and they were more interested in the box?  Or it was their favorite until after New Years day, when it started being just forgotten about?

[Santa SteveKl]

1 minute ago, TamaleClaus said:

Many moons ago when my children were young, I purchased one of the "Highly Sort After" toys and my kids sort of cared less.  Anyone else remember when you purchased a item, and they were more interested in the box?  Or it was their favorite until after New Years day, when it started being just forgotten about?

My boys had similar issues, so i understand where you are coming from. However, we learned to go after toys that they actually loved to play with regardless of what was popular and they enjoyed them more. Sure they got many of the popular ones, but they enjoyed what they got and to this day thank us for how we raised them.

[Sundblom Santa]

1 hour ago, TamaleClaus said:

Anyone else remember when you purchased a item, and they were more interested in the box?

Too funny! I’d probably guess that (as far as children’s behavior) has to do with imaginary play/pretending.

Funny story: as far as Santa portrayal goes, I was apparently (and I have the photos to prove it) bit by the bug early. I asked for a Santa suit (child-size) for my birthday (I think I must’ve been four or five) and pretended a cardboard box (or the couch) was a chimney. As long as I didn’t slide down the bannister, my good, old-fashioned mother was like, “Eh, he’ll be fine . . . He’s probably fine.” 🤣 Heck, I even lined up chairs and pretended they were Santa’s reindeer and sleigh (like Charlie in The Santa Clause).

[Sundblom Santa]

1 hour ago, Santa SteveKl said:

My boys had similar issues, so i understand where you are coming from. However, we learned to go after toys that they actually loved to play with regardless of what was popular and they enjoyed them more. Sure they got many of the popular ones, but they enjoyed what they got and to this day thank us for how we raised them.

Exactly! Of course, I think a lot of it goes back to (and I mean this as a general statement), you gotta know your kids. Whether that’s with toys, activities and interests, or discipline, or anything else. There’s no one-size-fits-all as far as kids are concerned. All children are individuals and God makes each child unique.

[Grandpa Gus]

I think I'm going to change what I ask children from " what do you want for Christmas, to what do you wish for this Christmas".

[Rob Thompson]

The gite is on over here this year, particularly for those on a limited income. Even the Charities are straggling this year to meet the demand  at food banks etc, Christmas is going to be a real challenge for so many this year. God bless 

[JimBoone]

I really like the What do you wish for, will use that this season

[Schwindy]

12 hours ago, Grandpa Gus said:

I think I'm going to change what I ask children from " what do you want for Christmas, to what do you wish for this Christmas".

I always tell the children when I visit, REMEMBER it's a "WISH LIST" learned that here on CN and have been using it EVER SINCE, & I KNOW the parents are appreciative as they mouth "THANK YOU" or tell me about it after our visit happens. 

4 hours ago, Rob Thompson said:

The gite is on over here this year, particularly for those on a limited income. Even the Charities are straggling this year to meet the demand  at food banks etc, Christmas is going to be a real challenge for so many this year. God bless 

Yes I know that the neighbor helps with his company, they run a pretty big Christmas donation center. From T4T and food drop offs, he's constantly gathering and delivering all drop offs to the rightful places. He told me LAST year was bad and he's worried about this year being worst. I think we can all say, Yea I seen this coming. & around this neck of the woods the gas is slowly climbing!! That's the biggest problem, moving anything anyway all takes gasoline one way or another, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA GET UGLY!!!  I pray that I'm wrong, but I just don't see it going any other way for everyone.🙏🏼  

[Tommy]

I work for an outdoor retailer, I probably shouldn't name the company even though it is a good one.   We are beginning to see the arrival of Christmas products.  We do sell some ride-on toys for children, but the price tags this year begin at $499 and go up, makes me wonder if people will actually buy some of these items this year. 

I've seen prices for our apparel items increase as well.  $60 for a hoodie is expensive in my book.  Now, there are less expensive items, but many people want the name brands which are $$ this year.  Just as a side note, our store  misses our projected sales goal most days.  The weekends are pretty good in terms of sales, but as inflation continues and if gas prices go back up, it makes me wonder how the Christmas season will end up.  Maybe this is the year people learn, "Christmas doesn't come from a store wrapped in boxes with bows.  Perhaps, it means a little bit more."

[Rob Thompson]

3 hours ago, JimBoone said:

I really like the What do you wish for, will use that this season

I always ask children what would they like rather than what do they want. I also inform them that I never promise to bring the things they would like but I will always do my best.  

This always goes down well with the children and I know the parents are happy with this response as it can take a bit of the pressure off them  

[Grandpa Gus]

Sometimes, what I have found is that children want "the most popular toy of the year" is for the sake of their own popularity. It gives them a chance to be one up one on children who were not able to receive that gift. Too often I have learned that the most wanted or the most popular toy of the year is the hit on Christmas morning but begins to lose its shine very quickly after that. When presenting myself as Santa, I now ask what would you wish for Christmas. And I try to tell them that Santa will try to make their wish come true. But I never tell them that they will get what they wish for, because sometimes parents just don't have the means to get what they have asked Santa for. Or the gift just might not be the right thing for that child, you don't give a child a fishing rod when they live in a dessert. The one thing that as Santa I always try to leave with a child is a sense of hope, that they will receive something they will enjoy. This brings to mind of one Christmas a few years ago. I met a woman whose husband had left her and his children. Now when I met her and her children, the youngest girl looked at me and asked if Santa could bring her a Christmas tree. I wasn't even wearing red that day. But I knew where I could get a tree and stand, mom told me that they had decorations for the tree, just not money for a tree. So, a week before Christmas I delivered the tree and stand and set it up and left before the children got home from school and left. From what I heard later; it was the best Christmas her little girl had since her father left. Not the most popular toy, but the best gift she received. 

[Rob Thompson]

[Schwindy]

On 10/21/2022 at 11:33 AM, Grandpa Gus said:

 From what I heard later; it was the best Christmas her little girl had since her father left. Not the most popular toy, but the best gift she received. 

@Grandpa Gus
YOU'VE DONE WELL MY FRIEND!!
YOU'VE DONE VERY, VERY WELL!!!