Hot Toys from Yesterday and Today

Every holiday season there's one hot toy that seems to turn a nation of parents into a scene out of Mad Max as the race is on to find the one last Cabbage Patch Kid still for sale in the state of New Jersey. With marketing hype of all kinds taking a holiday of its own right now, no toy has yet emerged as THE ONE, so our very own Corey Greenberg gives us his picks for the best new toys this season.



Simple toys are in again and also wooden toys like Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs are making a big comeback, with newly reissued "retro" editions that duplicate the exact look and feel of these classic toys. And Fisher-Price has come out with a whole line of Winnie the Pooh toys that combine the warmth and permanence of wood with more modern features like blinking lights and interactive sounds.




Toys having to do with policemen, firemen, and other rescue themes are very hot this year. Matchbox -- whose collectible mini cars are still just a buck a piece like they were back when I had my plastic carry case full of them -- has police cars, fire trucks, bulldozers, and even TV news vans, and there's even a new FDNY edition of the popular Billy Blaze rescue action figures where a portion of sales go to the relief efforts.




The new Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll is poised to reprise the original version's extraordinary success as the hit toy of Christmas 1996. This year's Elmo has a host of improvements -- five tickle places instead of the first Elmo's one (under each arm, on both feet and on his tummy) and you have to find the one that makes him shake and roar with hysterical laughter -- it's in a different place each time) And as if that wasn't enough, on January 9th, every new Tickle Me Elmo is going to deliver a secret message to the child who owns it that unveils a secret new way of playing with Elmo that the manufacturer steadfastly refuses to divulge. Trust me, more people know where Dick Cheney is hiding than know what Elmo's going to say on January 9th to millions of kids around the world. And as if THAT wasn't enough, five Elmos will also tell their owners that they just won prizes including a new computer, a Volkswagen New Beetle, savings bonds for college, and $200,000 toward a new home. Unless you carry extensive medical coverage you'll do well not to be standing between a parent and a Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll for the next 30 days.