Jaine Blackman asks which toys parents should snap up now to avoid disappointed faces this Christmas

Have you got Frozen yet? Toys linked to the hit Disney film Frozen are flying off Oxfordshire shelves and mums and dads whose little girls have set their hearts on items such as the Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa doll, which sings Elsa’s signature song Let It Go, would be wise to snap it up as soon as possible.

Elsa is one of two Frozen dolls in the Top 12 of this year’s DreamToys list of the 72 predicted bestselling toys for Christmas, selected by a panel from the Toy Retailers Association.

Gary Grant, chairman of the DreamToys committee, and boss of The Entertainer toy stores with branches in Witney, Didcot and Banbury, says: “We could sell empty boxes with Frozen written on them at the moment, the demand for Frozen products is exceptional, and not just for the two dolls in the Top 12, but all of them.

“Parents will be racing round trying to track down all the Frozen items this Christmas. I would really recommend that if children have got Frozen items on their Christmas list, parents get them early and hide them away.”

And it’s not just little girls who run the risk of missing out on the toy they’ve set their hearts on this Christmas. Grant says some of the “techy toys” that boys might have on their wish-lists, like the Zoomer Dino-Boomer, a radio-controlled dinosaur, and the Teksta T-Rex dinosaur, which responds to voices, lights and sounds, “potentially run the risk of being short”. At £99.99 (RRP), the Zoomer Dino-Boomer is the most expensive item in the DreamToys list, says Grant, who points out that about half of the Top 12 toys this year are £25 or under. It’s also worth noting that many shops have offers on and you can find some of these toys for half the recommended retail price listed here.

Coming in under the £25 mark is the £19.99 (RRP) Little Live Pets Bird Cage, a chirping bird which records children’s voices and repeats what they’ve said.

Also in the Top 12, but at the higher price of £58.99 (RRP), is My Friend Cayla, a doll that could drive parents crazy this Christmas. Cleverly working through an iPhone or smartphone app, Cayla understands and listens, and will even answer questions. So if the kids are quiet, the doll could still be chattering.

There are weapons such as the Nerf Demolisher 2-in-1, or the Transformers Stomp and Chomp Grimlock, the biggest ever Transformer.

For preschool children, the Toot-Toot Animals Safari Park, animals that make noises and move round a safari park track, is likely to be in huge demand, says Grant.

There are also plenty of games on the list, with Bop It! Beats, a variation of the older Bop It! toy, involving fast reactions to a music beat, in the Top 12.”

“Nobody makes any money not having what people want in stock,” says Grant. “At this time of year, toy companies are doing a month’s worth of trade in a week, and stocks change quickly.

“If something catches on, shortages can appear very quickly.

“If it’s a Frozen product and you see what your child is asking for, nail it. On other toys that your children have made their minds up about wanting, buy them and put them away, then there’s absolutely no concern that you’re going to be getting to the shops nearer Christmas and finding that item sold out. Don’t panic, but do what’s sensible.”

Oxford Mail:
Zoomer Dino-Boomer

DREAMTOYS TOP 12

* Bop It! Beats (Hasbro £21.99) 
* Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa (Jakks Pacific £34.99) 
* Disney Frozen Sparkle Doll (assorted) (Mattel £16.99) 
* Kidizoom Smart Watch (VTech £39.99) 
* Little Live Pets Bird Cage (Character £19.99) 
* The LEGO Movie: Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP (LEGO £79.99) 
* Minecraft Figures (assorted) (Character £7.99) 
* My Friend Cayla (Vivid £58.99) 
* Nerf Demolisher 2-in-1 (Hasbro £44.99) 
* Toot-Toot Animals Safari Park (VTech £39.99) 
* Transformers Stomp & Chomp Grimlock (Hasbro £89.99) 
* Zoomer Dino-Boomer (Spin Master £99.99) 

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