2012's 'top' Christmas toys go back to the future
Adults hitting the high streets for children's presents this Christmas can take a trip down memory lane with old favourites Lego, Twister and the Cabbage Patch Kids among the toys being tipped to sell well during the festive period.
Furby, the enormously popular Christmas trend from 1998, also appears with the classic gifts - alongside a range of interactive electronic gadgets - in the list of top predicted presents released today.
The electronic owl-type creatures sold more than 40 million units in their first three years of production, but return to the shops in a 21st century guise.
Sporting expressive LCD eyes and the ability to adapt their personality in reaction to user behaviour, the 2012 versions even have their own iOS app.
It was enough to earn the £59.99 Furby a place on the list of the top 13 toys of 2012, which reads:
Cabbage Patch Kids, Jakks Pacific, RRP £29.99
Furby, Hasbro, RRP £59.99
InnoTab 2, VTech, RRP £84.99
Jake And The Neverland Pirates - Pirate Ship Bucky, Mattel, RRP £49.99
LeapPad 2, Leapfrog Toys, RRP £89.99
Lego Friends: Olivia's House, Lego, RRP £69.99
Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Mines of Moria, £68.99
Mike The Knight's Deluxe Glendragon Playset, Character Options, £29.99
Monster High Ghouls Rule Dolls, Mattel, RRP £22.99
My Moshi Home, Vivid Imaginations, RRP £39.99
Nerf N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire, Hasbro, RRP £44.99
Twister Dance, Hasbro, RRP £26.99
Web Shooting Spider-Man, Hasbro, RRP £34.99
Miles Penhallow, of the Toy Retailers Association, helped to compile the list that was unveiled today at a Dream Toys event in London.
He said this year's selection offered "nostalgia with a twist", adding:
The festive season means big business for the toy industry, with the UK's market the biggest in Europe, with an estimated worth of £2,969 million in 2011.
More than a third of UK toy sales occur within the Christmas season, totalling around £1,013 million last year.