Top-10 Best-Selling Holiday Toys for Girls

Critters Take Over Christmas

By Sheila M. Coyle
January 2008

With additional reporting by Virginia Davis, Terri Hughes-Lazzell and Brenda Ruggiero

Six of 27 toy-store owners reported to TDmonthly Magazine Dec. 26 to 28 that Calico Critters by International Playthings was the most-bought girl toy for the holidays 2007. Close behind were Corolle baby dolls. Since many retailers don’t divide toys by gender, Bananagrams, Webkinz and craft kits did well, too.

Here’s what wound up in little girls’ playrooms after the holidays:

Calico Critters - A Carriage Ride for Connor & Kerri by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC

Connor and Kerri Snow-Warren bounce happily in their carriage as Mother Shannon takes them for a stroll to Cloverleaf Corners’ Community Park. The Carriage Ride for the Connor & Kerri set includes Mother Shannon Snow-Warren Rabbit, the Snow-Warren Rabbit twins Connor and Kerri, a pram with a pillow and blanket, a rattle and a bottle. This playset also comes with a storybook about the Snow-Warren family.
— "You know what? Calico Critters do great in [the 4 to 8] age range," said Linda Hays, owner of Hopscotch Inc. in McMinnville, Ore., when sharing her Christmas 2007 predictions with TDmonthly. Six of 54 retailers agreed.
— "Calico Critters: It’s been crazy and I expect it to continue," said Cathy Foland, manager for Imagination Station in Fenton, Mich., when discussing the upcoming 2007 holiday season.
— "The carriage is highly detailed with moving wheels, sun shade, pillow and blanket," said Sue Tice for International Playthings. 9/20/2007 (MSRP: $16.99; Age: 3 and Up)

Calin Cheerful Bright by COROLLE DOLLS

Thanks to its cuddly soft beanbag body, Calin Cheerful Bright can be posed just like a real baby. The 12" doll has blue sleeping eyes, can wear fashion from the Mon Premier collection, and can have a number of accessories added to it from the Corolle line.
— "Probably any of my Calin from Corolle" serve as the best-selling items in dolls, according to Mary Sisson, owner of Kazoodles in Vancouver, Wash.
— “We sell different styles [of Calin]. About 30 a month,” Marilyn Walker, owner of PlayFair Toys in Boulder, Colo., told TDmonthly in January 2008. 6/14/2007 (MSRP: $26.99; Age: 2 and Up)

BANANAGRAMS® by BANANAGRAMS

The fast-moving word game consists of 144 ivory-like letter tiles in a zippered banana pouch. Players place the tiles face down on the table and randomly select 21 tiles. They turn their letters right-side up simultaneously and proceed to form as many intersecting and interconnecting words as possible, rearranging their own letters as many times as desired throughout the game. Awards: TDmonthly Top Seller 2007; 2009 TOTY Game of the YEAR, 2006 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal; 2007 iParenting; 2007 Parents' Choice Recommended; 2007 Dr. Toy Best Products. (Read Review)
— This product has been making the TDmonthly Best-sellers lists since 2007.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 456 reviews on Amazon.com.
— Eight of 66 retailers vouched for its best-selling status in May 2008; seven of 63 did in Sept. 2008. Shani Watmough of Planet Toys in Rockland, Maine, said her store sells 60 per month. Fifteen of 38 named it a top-selling game in Feb. 2010.
— As of April 5, 2010, Bananagrams had spent 570 days in the top-100 best-selling toys and games on Amazon.com.
— According to owner Brett Sommer of Figpickels Toy Emporium in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, “It was the 2009 game of the year. The brilliant packaging definitely helps this product." ( Watch Video) 6/19/2006 (MSRP: $14.99; Age: 7 and Up)

Webkinz - Hippo by GANZ

To help meet the demand for Webkinz sweeping the continent, Ganz has come out with a new line of Lil'Kinz. Like their larger counterparts, Lil'Kinz characters come with their own codes that are revealed after purchase. Kids adopt the little guys as their own and take them into an online world of fun and KinzKash. Kids can now make Lil'Kinz Hippo their best buddy, play some games at the arcade and stop by the "W" shop to pick up a bowl of crunch "shoots n' roots."
— “We sold over 2,000,” Gwen Boden said of how Webkinz fared in 2007. Boden is the manager of Doodlehopper in Springfield, Va.
— “Webkinz: We sell daily, hourly,” Robin Ellerman, owner of Trains-n-Toys in North Canton, Ohio, told TDmonthly.
— Over 21 percent of retailers told TDmonthly that Webkinz was their all-around best-selling item of 2007. 11/12/2007 (MSRP: $12.00; Age: 3 and Up)

Wee Enchanted Fairy Garden by CREATIVITY FOR KIDS

Wee Enchanted Fairy Garden by CREATIVITY FOR KIDS With a little creative magic, a child can grow his or her own enchanted fairy world. The garden set includes a flower house, tiny gemstone treasures, flowers, butterflies, paint, soil and seeds that grow like magic. It also comes with a friendly fairy, a sparkling garden path and teeny, tiny toadstools. 10/22/2007 (MSRP: $24.99; Age: 7 and Up)

Cutting Food Box by MELISSA & DOUG

Cutting Food Box by MELISSA & DOUG The Cutting Food Box is a super-sized play-food set that comes with a child-safe knife. Kids prepare their own healthy meals, cut into them as they make a crunching sound, and then have fun trying to put them back together again. The set includes a cutting board and a wooden crate for easy storage.
— "I think Melissa & Doug certainly ramped up the trend toward wooden toys in designing things like the food-cutting box out of wood," said Nancy Streeter, owner of Eureka in Newburyport, Mass.
— Melissa & Doug dominated the wooden toys' category in an early 2007 survey, as the brand was cited more than 50 times by a collective 51 retailers.
— Two of 39 retailers told TDmonthly that Melissa & Doug cutting foods make popular playsets.
— As of 8.03.2010, this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 201 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 20 in the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Entertaining and well-made. CONS: Paint can peel. ( Watch Video) 1/31/2007 (MSRP: $19.95; Age: 3 and Up)

Girls' Purse by POSH INTERNATIONAL LTD.

This shiny, synthetic leather purse features a sparkling silver-glitter handle on metal rings. Stylish, yet roomy, this 14" x 10" purse comes with a top zipper—the latest trend for kids and tweens. Rhinestones and a silver-glitter belt embellish the purse. Available styles include Lite Pink, Hot Pink, White, Purple, Silver and Bronze. Launch date: January 2007. 5/21/2007 (MSRP: $14.95; Age: 4 and Up)

Pastel Pink Panne Velvet, Long Sparkle Sleeve Ballet Dress with Pastel Pink Bottom by ADORABLE KIDS

This soft, comfortable and pretty outfit is easy to wear. Roses are attached to the bottom, and it's available in medium (8-10), height 50" to 54". 12/28/2007 (MSRP: $58.00; Age: 4 and Up)