Best-selling ’90s fad Furby tops many of this year’s hottest toy lists

• Furbys, they're baaaaack

The reboot of the best-selling 1990s Furby toy is one of the most expensive and complex product-development projects in the history of Hasbro, which is betting the toy will appeal to adults who once played with Furby themselves as well as tech-obsessed children this holiday season. (Washington Post photo)

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In the movie “A Christmas Story,” all poor Ralphie wants is a Red Ryder BB gun. Despite numerous warnings that with such a gift he would “shoot his eye out,” Ralphie knows that this BB gun would make his life complete.

So it goes for most children during the holiday season, which could be why stores spend more than just the holiday season keeping an eye on toy trends.

“Our merchants work year-round to identify the hottest toys of the season,” said LaToya Evans, a spokeswoman for Walmart.

Walmart announced its Top 20 Toys List in September, which ranged from the new Monster High team to that timeless lady, Barbie.

Kmart publishes its “Fab 15” toy booklet in early November, which quickly disappeared from Mitchell’s store.

The top toy listed for Walmart, Kmart and many other toy retailers? Furby, a reboot of the ’90s hit toy, has come back for a second stint in the spotlight. The pseudo-stuffed animal comes in a variety of colors and is advertised to respond to touch, music and other Furby toys.

Both stores also list the 2012 Holiday Barbie as a top item, and the current popular culture trend of vampires, werewolves and monsters has seeped onto the toy shelves. Monster High, spooky sort of cousins to the Barbie or Bratz dolls, are high on both lists.

Kmart also lists “Johnny the Skull,” an interactive game, and Lego Monster Fighters: The Vampyre Hearse, which includes a “vampyre” and a zombie.

It’s not all creepy and crawly, though.

Evans said this year’s top layaway items at Walmart are across the spectrum, from the tried-and-true to technological innovations, including the Leap Pad 2, Innotab 2 and Monster High High School Playset as well as the Little People Disney Princess Songs Palace Playset.

But it doesn’t stop there. Evans said to keep up with people’s penchant for toys, Walmart introduced “Toyland Tuesday,” which brings in new rollbacks on toys every Tuesday until Christmas, and launched the 2012 Toyland Wish List Book on Nov. 4. She said the book lists more than 450 of this season’s biggest sellers.

Tags: gift guide, life, furbys, toys, christmas