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Toy Fair 2000 Just Around The Corner
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 It's a new year and soon toy retailers from around the world will be converging on New York City for the 97th annual American International Toy Fair to decide what we'll be pounding the pavement and Internet for next holiday season.What will the class of 2000 "hot" toys be? Predicts Christopher Byrne,contributing editor to The Toy Book trade magazine and known as The ToyGuy: "Even amid burgeoning technology, toys that will rise to the top are those that can deliver a valid play experience. Traditional toys that put kids at the center of an imaginative experience will find an audience." Here's a sneak peek at what the retailers will be seeing at Toy Fair: Dolls: From Barbie to baby dolls, kids love to play pretend. Dolls will be walking and talking this year, and even saying their prayers. As follow up to the immensely popular Sweet Faith doll that recites the popular bedtime prayer, DSI Toys-Meritus introduces its Pride & Joy line of dolls that do everything from say mealtime grace to the Pledge of Allegiance. Arts & Crafts: The company to watch in this category is Ideoplastos,Inc. (the company formerly known as Pastime Industries). Ideoplastos has made great strides in the past two years with candy craft kits, introducing gradeschool girls to the Candy Dot Maker and Bubble Gum Shoppe. This Toy Fair,they'll be unveiling the Ooey Gooey Gummy Maker and Sandy Candy Craze kits, toname a few. Construction Toys: Move over Lego, K'NEX, and Zoob, there's a new kid onthe block. Introducing the Anatomics line from new company, Inhabit Toys.Anatomics are a "ball and socket" jointed construction toy that builds flexible creatures, including life-like dinosaurs and bugs.
 Traditional Preschool Toys: Interactive plush is always popular. Look for the delightful Musical Thomas The Tank Engine plush toy from Prestige ToyCorp., rolling into Toy Fair. Squeeze him and he "choo choo's" and then plays the Thomas theme song. Moms should be ready for hot pastels to start taking the place of primary colors in the nursery with products like the popular Jellabies characters from the hit Fox Family Channel show being translatedinto a colorful line of toys and playthings from Jusco. Also new for the little ones -- endearing CD-ROM characters like Putt Putt, Spy Fox and FreddiFish leap from the computer screen to the playroom with a new line of preschool toys based on the popular Humongous Entertainment software.
"Remember," says Byrne, "technology has not eclipsed traditional play --it simply means that the kids toy boxes are getting bigger." Source: PR Newswire [Updated 1-11-2000]
  
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