Let's Hear It for the Toys: eBay Survey Reveals Holiday Favorites
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- November 11, 2008 -- The holiday season without toys is like Santa without his sleigh. Toys are a staple of childhood holiday memories and the tangible excitement of the season's whimsical magic. Celebrating this holiday magic, a recent survey commissioned by eBay found that board games like Monopoly and checkers top the list of all-time favorite holiday toys, beating out video games.
Conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, the survey(1) found:
- Monopoly is the all time favorite toy reported by survey respondents. This iconic board game, widely popular today, "beat" every other toy or game. Can anyone say "real estate moguls?"
- One in four respondents said that Barbie, the original material girl and constant re-inventor, is their favorite doll.
- Nearly one-third of the sample thrives off of competition, citing checkers as their all-time favorite classic game.
- Who remembers Monchhichis? These morphed monkeys were tied with Webkinz as the least favorite toy reported by survey respondents.
"eBay is the number one place to find the most coveted toys of this year, many of which are reinventions of nostalgic toy favorites," said Cat Schwartz, eBay gadget and toy director. "This holiday season, I'm seeing numerous toys and games on the market that families can enjoy and experience together."
All-Time Favorite Toy Guide
Video Game Systems: Although the Wii is tiny, it packs a lot of punch. The console is tied with PlayStation. Other popular systems were Nintendo NES and Atari.
Action Figures: Even without super powers G.I. Joe tramples his competition. Superman's super powers only launched him into second place.
Fictional Toy Character: Christopher Robin is not the only one who treasures Winnie the Pooh - Pooh Bear was the front runner in the fictional character category. Curious George, the mischievous monkey, was the next most popular protagonist.
Classic Games: Even though there's a king on board in a game of chess, checkers reigned supreme beating out chess as the cherished classic game.
Board Games: Monopoly's Park Place was a favorite place to play, but more female respondents preferred to take their chance on Scrabble. These popular games that always attract new generations of players are available on eBay.
Educational Toys: Love to learn? LeapFrog Tag Reading System is the top educational toy, followed by Speak & Spell.
Dolls: Note to self, steer clear of life-like dolls when purchasing gifts this year. Our survey respondents ranked Betsy Wetsy as one of their least favorite dolls only giving her two percent of their votes.
Classic Toys: Fifty years after the toy was invented, Etch A Sketch is still going strong. Do people love playing with Etch A Sketch? You betcha!
Building Blocks: Half the respondents chose Legos as their favorite building blocks; clearly, they are still a favorite of today's kids.
Stuffed Animal: Everyone loves to cozy up with something soft - and with whom do we most like to snuggle? Beanie Babies and Care Bears are the favorite creatures to cuddle.
(1) About the Survey
The findings are from a survey conducted online Oct. 9-10, 13-14 and 16-17, 2008 among a national sample of 3,272 adults 18 years of age and older. The online omnibus study is conducted twice a week among a U.S. sample of 1,000 adults 18 and older. Respondents were selected from among those who volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. The data has been weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the 18+ population. Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to multiple sources of error, including, but not limited to sampling error, coverage error, error associated with non-response, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day, empowering them to explore new opportunities and innovate together. eBay Inc. does this by providing the Internet platforms of choice for global commerce, payments and communications. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, StubHub, Shopping.com and others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.
About Opinion Research Corporation
Opinion Research Corporation, an info Group company, has offered innovative solutions to the toughest market research challenges of clients worldwide since 1938. Since the 1960s, ORC has conducted CARAVAN®, the USA's longest continuously running consumer omnibus. In addition, the firm has been conducting national, speech reaction, state and flash/overnight polls for CNN since April 2006. To learn more, visit www.opinionresearch.com.
