It'll be Christmas before you know it - many of us have already started to think about what gifts to buy this year. It's always wise to buy early for Christmas - and that's especially good advice this year.
Last year a lot of retailers carried too much stock. In order to clear their shelves they had to offer hefty discounts. Combine that with the fact that the economic climate is still pretty grim and it's easy to see why many retailers have quite deliberately set stock levels comparatively low this year.
As we get closer to Christmas, it could become difficult to find toys and other popular gift items. Retailers who run out of the most popular toys might try attempt to order new stock to meet customer demand - but as most toys these days are of Asian manufacture, the lengthy delivery time tends to be several weeks. Refilling empty shelves before Xmas may not be a feasible option.
One of this year's best selling toys so far is Zhu Zhu Pets. These are a collection of five motorized hamsters, complete with a huge collection of toys and accessories. They use artificial intelligence so that they can interact with the children playing with them and their environment. Kids are just going nuts for these hamsters - they were only released in August of this year. They seem to be a dead certainty for this year's top selling Xmas toy - assuming that stocks don't run out that is.
They are already becoming difficult to find - and prices are rising rapidly. You can now find third party vendors on both Amazon and eBay selling them for considerably more than the recommended retail price.
However, if you can't get hold of the latest fad toy, or if you don't want to pay inflated prices for a fad that could easily die out in just a few months, then you might wish to consider a more traditional toy instead. Whilst these may not be the very latest and greatest craze - the simple fact that they have stood the test of time says a lot.
If you were after a nice toy for a young boy for example, a son or nephew perhaps, then a train set is always a good choice. A Hornby model train set will give years of fun and will still be in use when the latest craze has fizzled out and been replaced by something new.
You could just as easily apply the same reasoning to perennial favourites like Lego, Monopoly and Scrabble. All of these have been around for years and have adapted to meet the demands of today's children. - 29958
Last year a lot of retailers carried too much stock. In order to clear their shelves they had to offer hefty discounts. Combine that with the fact that the economic climate is still pretty grim and it's easy to see why many retailers have quite deliberately set stock levels comparatively low this year.
As we get closer to Christmas, it could become difficult to find toys and other popular gift items. Retailers who run out of the most popular toys might try attempt to order new stock to meet customer demand - but as most toys these days are of Asian manufacture, the lengthy delivery time tends to be several weeks. Refilling empty shelves before Xmas may not be a feasible option.
One of this year's best selling toys so far is Zhu Zhu Pets. These are a collection of five motorized hamsters, complete with a huge collection of toys and accessories. They use artificial intelligence so that they can interact with the children playing with them and their environment. Kids are just going nuts for these hamsters - they were only released in August of this year. They seem to be a dead certainty for this year's top selling Xmas toy - assuming that stocks don't run out that is.
They are already becoming difficult to find - and prices are rising rapidly. You can now find third party vendors on both Amazon and eBay selling them for considerably more than the recommended retail price.
However, if you can't get hold of the latest fad toy, or if you don't want to pay inflated prices for a fad that could easily die out in just a few months, then you might wish to consider a more traditional toy instead. Whilst these may not be the very latest and greatest craze - the simple fact that they have stood the test of time says a lot.
If you were after a nice toy for a young boy for example, a son or nephew perhaps, then a train set is always a good choice. A Hornby model train set will give years of fun and will still be in use when the latest craze has fizzled out and been replaced by something new.
You could just as easily apply the same reasoning to perennial favourites like Lego, Monopoly and Scrabble. All of these have been around for years and have adapted to meet the demands of today's children. - 29958
About the Author:
See the full range of Hornby Dublo train sets - including the famous Hornby oo Flying Scotsman.
