Playing the Right Games for Success

by Emy Yankowich

Imagine yourself in a room filled with toys! Nothing but toys from Talking Teletubbies to Pokemon figures, Star Wars action figures to Barbie Dolls to upside down chickens sporting lolly-pops! Jim Silver, Editor of Toy Book magazine works in that room every day!

An "expert" on toys, Mr. Silver gave members of our staff the run down on what makes a toy a success. "There are essentially three elements that predict if a toy is going to be a success," Mr. Silver told us. "If a toy is presented under a hot license, like Pokemon, it is almost guaranteed to be a success. Second, extremely innovative, technologically advanced toys are often predictable winners as was the case with interactive Furbies, Bounce Around Tigger and Talking Teletubbies. The third area that represents a sure bet, is a toy that will end up as a treasured collectable. Beanie Babies, Barbies, Madame Alexander dolls and Star Wars action figures represent some of the toys people collect and never open, or the toys will loose their value!"

Believe it or not, teenagers represent the largest population of collectors. They are more apt to follow the trends in toys and perceive the value of a toy over time. This was recently the case with Beanie Babies, which were played with by young children, but collected by teenagers. "For the most part, teens who collect action figures, plush toys, and Barbies, started out playing with these toys. As they grew into their teenage years, collecting these toys grew into a serious hobby," Silver informed us.

Sometimes, however, collectible toys loose their value. Baseball cards are a perfect example. In the sixties, baseball cards were very popular amongst young kids, who would collect and trade them. Soon, teenagers were struck by the notion that baseball cards should be collected for value.