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American Morning

What Toys Are Kids Clamoring for This Year?

Aired November 20, 2001 - 08:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the calendar is correct, Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow. That means the holiday shopping clock ticking away. What toys are your kids clamoring for this year?

Natalie Pawelski has primer on hot, holiday toys.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From this year's toys, a lot of noise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Electronics are just moving, moving, moving.

PAWELSKI: So are the toys themselves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let it talk. It -- he said he -- he says he hungry.

PAWELSKI: Big noise, too, from the world of video games.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Xbox and Game Cube, they're a whole new system.

MELODY YOUNG, TOYS 'R' US.COM: The video game business is having the best year that it's had in years.

PAWELSKI: Another kind of noise, or maybe it's art -- music.

CHRIS BYRNE, TOY INDUSTRY: Karaoke is really huge. There are four different karaoke machines on the market for this holiday season. Everybody wants to be Britney.

PAWELSKI: Sometimes it seems everybody also wants to be a certain young wizard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harry Potter.

PAWELSKI: Harry Potter has been box office magic, but will the toys sell?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You like it or you don't. Like there's one side of my school that likes "Harry Potter." One doesn't. You don't have sort of, sort of. Yes, you want it or not.

PAWELSKI: Toys from another movie are also expected to scare up a lot of sales.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Monsters Incorporated.

PAWELSKI (on camera): Even in this world of make-believe, children are aware of the harsher realities of the real world. In the weeks since September 11th, sales of toys featuring real life heroes, like policemen and firefighters, have skyrocketed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The kids, they've seen what happened, you can't hide that. I mean, it's really big. They're looking at soldiers, because they're going big now, and they want to honor people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are role models, the firemen, and the policemen.

PAWELSKI (voice-over): Also since September 11th, sales of huggable, comforting toy, like "Tickle Me Elmo." He's back.

BYRNE: Of course kids want cuddle up with a favorite friend. And Elmo is probably pretty much at top of the chart for the 18 month to 3-year-old kid.

PAWELSKI: Overall, toy industry-types say there is no one must- have toy this year. Their advice: Ignore the trends.

BYRNE: The really important thing is to connect with the child you're buying for and buy them things that reflect his or her case.

We always talk about the hot toy only being hot if it's hot for the kid you buy it for.

PAWELSKI: Whatever makes the child in your life happy, that's the hottest toy of the season.

Natalie Pawelski, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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