ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 23, 1996 TAG: 9610230030
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Marketplace
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL
If you're already starting to stress about buying Christmas presents for the kids, you can rest a little easier this year.
Christmas 1996 won't be remembered as the holiday when Aunt Sue got a black eye fighting another desperate shopper for the last Cabbage Patch doll, or when you trekked to every toy store within 300 miles in search of the elusive White Power Ranger.
"I don't see any real hot, breakaway items this year," said Marisa Gordon, spokeswoman for the New York trade group Toy Manufacturers of America.
Licensed toys - typically spinoffs of TV shows or movies - represent about half of the nation's $20 billion annual toy sales. About 65 percent of total sales come during the three months preceding Christmas.
There weren't any licensing blockbusters this year - no Lion King or Power Rangers madness - but there are still enough strong merchandise lines to prompt toy watchers to forecast strong sales for spinoff toys.
The upcoming Michael Jordan movie, "Spacejam," and the live-action version of "101 Dalmations," for instance, should spur sales of related toys. Star Wars vehicles and action figures are hot this year, too, thanks to last year's videotape re-release of the Star Wars trilogy and the hype surrounding the three new movies in the series. (The battleships look about the same this time around as they did back in the '80s. But have you noticed how muscular the formerly scrawny Han Solo and Luke Skywalker figures have become?)
Americans spend an average of $350 a child a year on toys, Gordon said. In the absence of any real gotta-have-it toys, this Christmas we'll be spending more of that dough on traditional toys. Look for a resurgence in the popularity of dolls and action figures. Barbie, the perennial beauty, is as hot as ever, with a new Holiday Barbie, Twirling Ballerina Barbie and a collector's set of Star Trek Barbie and Ken dolls on the way.
If the kids on your list are more into grit than glamour, you may want to hold out for the introduction of G.I. Jane, a female counterpart to the military tough guy G.I. Joe action figures. She should be in stores in time for last-minute shopping, said Earl Snow, assistant director of the Toys "R" Us store at Valley View Mall.
Toys "R" Us started preparing for the Christmas rush a few weeks ago, he said. Once November hits, the store will go into overdrive. The staff of 28 to 35 employees will be doubled - maybe tripled - to keep up with the customers. The store also will be open additional hours, from 8:30 a.m. to midnight.
Although megastores such as Toys "R" Us control mass-market toy sales, smaller, independent toy stores pick up sales of educational and creative toys. And that is an area of growth this year, according to a panel of toy industry experts surveyed by Duracell Inc..
"For us, Christmas starts in about August," said Shirley Hammond, owner of Imagination Station. The local chain, which has two stores in Roanoke and one in Blacksburg, specializes in educational and imaginative toys.
Craft kits that let kids make candles, chewing gum and candy have been selling like crazy, she said, as have Playmobil sets and other old standbys.
Other hot prospects for Christmas, according to Duracell and Gordon:
* CD-ROMs: CD-ROM spinoffs of toys that are already on the market are hot this year, Gordon said. Look for Barbie and Hot Wheels disks.
* Video cameras: yes, for your kids. Tyco has introduced VideoCam, a kid-proof black-and-white video camera that hooks up to your VCR and sells for about $100.
* Other licensed toys: spinoffs of the Batman movies and the Goosebumps novels should be big sellers this Christmas.
If you're a purist and none of these high-tech, big-money toys appeal to you, you're not alone. And you do have another option.
"I don't think they ever take the place of a teddy bear at night when you go to sleep," Gordon said.
New guidelines for buying toys
* For infants and toddlers, avoid toys with small parts. CPSC requires toys manufactured after Jan. 1, 1995, to carry warning labels if they're intended for kids age three to six and pose a choking hazard to children under age three.
* For infants, avoid toys with strings or cords that are 7 inches or longer, as they may cause strangulation.
* For all children under age eight, avoid toys with sharp edges and points.
* Don't purchase electric toys with heating elements for children under age eight.
* Check for sturdy construction on stuffed animals. Make sure eyes and other small parts are sewn on securely.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 linesby CNB