Retailer bets on flying fish, tiny monsters

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This article was published 21/09/2011 (5150 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW YORK — Every year, toy makers and sellers hope there will be a runaway hit toy to help spur excitement around the holidays and boost sales. Toys “R” Us is betting that 15 toys ranging from a flying, inflatable remote-control fish to tiny collectible monsters will be big hits this season.

Making the right picks early is crucial for toy sellers so they have the right mixture of toys at the right prices to lure shoppers. The holiday season can account for about 40 per cent of a toy seller’s annual profit. In 2010, U.S. toy sales rose two per cent to US$21.87 billion, according to the NPD Group.

Karen Dodge, senior vice-president and chief merchandising officer of Toys “R” Us in the U.S., said “there’s lots of really interesting and different and unique toys on the list.”

The 15 toys on the Toys “R” Us list are (all prices in U.S. dollars):

Air Hogs Hyper Actives by Spin Master, $49.99: Radio-controlled miniature racing cars.

Air Swimmers Extreme by Animal Planet, $49.99: Inflatable fish and shark balloons that are radio controlled and seem to swim through the air. Helium tank sold separately.

Lalaloopsy Silly Hair dolls by MGA Entertainment, $34.99: Rag dolls with button eyes and bendable hair. They come with an accompanying pet with a bendable tail.

LeapPad Explorer by Leapfrog, $99.99: A tablet-like device that children can use to read books, play educational games and take pictures.

Monster High Fearleading 3-Pack by Mattel, $42.99: Three dolls which are offspring of famous monsters, dressed in Fear Squad cheerleading outfits.

Moshi Monsters Moshling Mini-Figures 3-pack by Spin Master, $5.99: Tiny collectible monsters related to a hit online game.

My Keepon by Wow! Stuff, $39.99: A bright yellow blob-like robot that dances to music.

Nerf Vortex Vigilon by Hasbro, $24.99: A foam dart gun that launches foam discs up to 15 metres.

Ninjago Lightning Dragon Battle by Lego Systems Inc., $79.99: A 645-piece construction set offered exclusively at Toys “R” Us with characters from Lego’s popular Ninjago line.

Poppin’ Park Elefun Busy Ball Popper by Hasbro’s Playskool, $29.99: A colourful elephant that can launch plastic balls and plays music.

Power Wheels Dune Racer by Mattel’s Fisher-Price: $279.99. A child-size dune buggy that can ride over grass, gravel and mud.

Radica Fijit Friends by Mattel, $49.99: Robotic toys that dance and respond to squeezes and spoken words.

Sesame Street Let’s Rock! Elmo by Hasbro, $69.99: An Elmo doll that sings and comes with a drum, tambourine and microphone.

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, by Activision, $69.99: A video game that includes action figures that can be placed in a portal and then appear in the game.

The Trash Pack Garbage Truck by Moose Toys, $19.99: A garbage truck that can hold 10 collectible Trashies, which are tiny collectible characters. It comes with two special edition Trashies and is a Toys “R” Us exclusive.

— The Associated Press