So, apart from Furby and Dustin ag caint, what other toys are going to be grabbed off the shelf this year? At Nimble Fingers in Stillorgan, Beanie Babies are exiting from the shop as soon as they are displayed on the shelves. "Everyone wants them," says June Staunton.
Beanies are yet another version of the ever-popular soft toy; little plush-velvet bean-bag animals. They're imported from the US, where they have been selling by the menagerie-load for months and months. All the Beanies have different names and personas.
"We have a turkey Beanie that's doing really well," Staunton says. "It's 100 times better than Dustin - you don't need batteries for it." The Beanie everyone wants is a green bear called Erin, complete with shamrock. They all sell for the modest sum of £4.99, and seem to be popular with a range of ages.
Like many of the other toy shops, Nimble Fingers report that Baby Born (£34.99) is selling well again this year, in the six to eight age group. What's the difference between Tiny Tears and Baby Born? "Tiny Tears just cried," Pat Staunton explains. Baby Born cries, eats, drinks, uses a potty, and comes with a range of baby-accessories.
Nimble Fingers specialises in the traditional-type toys, rather than the current crazetoys. "Anything to do with painting is walking out. They seem to be interested in it much younger now - pastels are big this year." Boxes of pastels start at £4.99. Lego, as ever, sells on.
"Dolls houses are strong again this year," Pat reports. The wooden houses sell at £79 unfurnished and £100 furnished. Chemistry sets are still being bought, especially the 120 Experiment Box (£27.99). "There's experiments with crystals, dyes, perfumes, inks."
The ever-popular traditional board games are still enduring. Cluedo (£13.99), as seen recently stretching the investigative skills of the Father Ted crew, is still selling, as is Monopoly (£13.99), for the property developers of the future.
"We're also getting a lot of orders for outdoor equipment, even though it would seem to be an unusual time of year for playing outside. Slides, trampolines and soccer goals." Must be anticipation of working of all that pudding.
At the Pied Piper in Dun Laoghaire, Sindy is so passe that she is no longer stocked there. "Now that Sindy is gone, Barbie is selling even better," is the report. New for Christmas is Cool Colours Barbie (£11.25). This Barbie comes dressed in surprisingly dated-looking clothes - blue corduroy dungarees and stripy top.
Famous for that trademark blonde hair, Cool Colours Barbie also comes with "blue hair mascara to share with her owners". That translates as blonde and blue striped hair, which matches her top. The effect is decidedly odd, but it's a huge hit with the small girls of the country.
"Action Man Polar Mission (£27.95) is new this year and big with boys from six to nine." This latest incarnation of the muscled one comes with a ferocious-looking white Husky dog called "Wolf Blizzard". Action Man is dressed in an arctic suit and has some arcane missile strapped to his sled.
Small moulded soldiers (£10.50) are also selling well with small boys; a spin-off from the Christmas children's film, Toy Soldiers.
"Baby Annabell (£49.99) is the big new baby toy. She's like Baby Born, but she has a soft body. Baby Born has a hard body." Annabell gurgles, giggles, burps and yawns. Unlike real babies, she can be made go to sleep - although noise will wake her up again. Pied Piper report that "she was only in the door when she was gone again".
Following the trend, Smyths Toy Superstores confirms that there is huge interest in Furbies, Dustins, Baby Borns, and Beanies. At £129.99, you'd want to be either a feckless Lotto winner or very very sure that your child will like top-selling Playstation Console. Of course, you'll probably end up playing with it yourself.
Also selling well is the V-Tech IT Laptop (£199). Like the toy typewriters of old, the VTech is designed to introduce children to bigger, better versions of computers. You can store up to 75 pages of A4 text in the memory, and the software will teach children about computer applications, programs and system controls.
Amazingly, the unlikely hit toy of last year, the quartet of Smartie-coloured Teletubbies are surviving a second year on the toy wish list. The 98 Teletubbies talk. Talk? Well, press their stomach and they'll say their names and a few catch phrases, like "Eh oh." The under-fours love them. And there are lots of them available, unlike last year. If Furbies are still around next year, they'll probably be so advanced that they'll be able to cook your turkey. Watch out, Dustin!
