When I think of Christmas shopping, what often comes to mind is a scene I saw as a child on TV back in 1996. A man was wrestling a much younger, smaller woman in a Toys R Us in an attempt to score the prized Tickle Me Elmo doll she had reached just moments before him.
Wrapping it in her strongest embrace, she clearly wanted so intensely to secure for her child the year's hottest - and least available - toy, that she was readily willing to endure physical assault from a stranger who also desperately wanted to bestow the same toy to his own toddler. My 12-year-old self wondered why toddlers all wanted this same red, fairly basic stuffed toy.
While this is still somewhat of a mystery to me, I've come to realize that toys follow trends, just like clothing, food, home décor and everything else people consume.
To give you a leg up this holiday season, we asked local toy expert Patrick Holland to fill us in on what parents will be fighting for. As the owner of Learning Express in North Chattanooga and Mountain Top Toys on Signal Mountain, he not only sees what kids are clamoring for, he gets sneak peeks at new releases.
Different types of slimy toys are some of the top gifts this holiday season."They're all different forms of the same trend. It's the equivalent of comfort food for your hand," he says. Mad Mattr, another soft, moldable compound, is his stores' biggest-seller in terms of slime. "We can't keep it in stock," Holland says. "Even the company struggles to keep up with demand."
Sequins are another trend that follows that same feel-good concept, says Holland. The small, shiny discs are showing up everywhere - pillows, notebook covers, infinity scarves, backpacks. Some sequins even have different colors on both sides of the discs so you can rub your hand in the opposite direction to change the color.
Beanie Babies sit out on a display at Learning Express Toys. According to Patrick Holland, owner, unicorn toys of any type have been a big hit this year.Holland is also calling this "the year of the unicorn." The mythical creature can be found embodied on everything from plush toys to craft kits and string and marquis lights to Bluetooth speakers. The popularity of the narwhal - a real sea creature with a unicorn-like horn - is an offshoot of the trend.
Toys that originally hit the market 20-30 years ago are also seeing a resurgence. Examples include the Spirograph, Simon, handheld games from the '80s, mini versions of arcade games like Pac-Man and Frogger, and the Fisher-Price See 'n Say.
Puzzles, too, are making a comeback, especially more personalized options - such as the Chattanooga puzzle available at Learning Express and Mountain Top Toys.
The Star Diner Restaurant is one of the newer items at Learning Express Toys in Chattanooga and is shaping up to be a popular gift this holiday season. The toy gives the ability for multiple kids to play restaurant at the same time, from the angle of a diner as well as that of a cook or server.