Each and every year there is a list of “must-have” toys for the Holiday season and it seems that each year the gifts get more and more extravagant. As a toy reviewer and researcher for Kidazy.com I watch these toys upcoming on the market and after a while you begin to know which toys are going to be successful “must have” holiday items. This year, however, does have some very affordable toys on the list for those of you like me who don’t care to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to get that one over-priced, under-stocked toy of the season.

Transformers

Transformers are a must for kids this year and the fortunate part of this toy is that they are more than affordable, the unfortunate part of this toy is that they are getting harder and harder to find as the holiday season draws near. The best places to begin searching for the Transformers toys are your local Walmart and Target stores. You can find online stores which carry the Transformers toys; however, I advise avoiding sites such as Ebay where you will end up paying twice the toys worth when immediately following the holiday season you are going to be able to find these toys everywhere for their retail price. If you can’t find them in regular stores at regular prices, my tip is to wrap up a gift certificate with a picture of the toy you’re going to get. DON’T OVERSPEND!

Bratz Dolls

Bratz Dolls have been big for years but this year with the release of the Bratz movie they are making a bigger comeback and new dolls have been released to compliment the movie release. The dolls are also reasonably priced and pretty easy to find in any toy store but again if you can’t find the one you want keep looking, don’t get ripped off for hundreds of dollars for something that’s going to be regular priced right after the holidays. I don’t think you will have an issue finding these toys for the holiday season though.

Wii

The Wii console is one of the high end more expensive gifts for this holiday season just as it was last year; however, they are a little easier to find this season than they were last. The cost of the console, $249.99, is more reasonable than most consoles out there and the interactivity of the unit makes it a great gift for kids as far as video game consoles go. The consoles are currently in and out of stock in most local stores (either Walmarts and Targets or specialized video game stores.) The consoles will begin to sell out again right before Christmas though so if you intend on picking one up this year make sure you grab it while you can still find it.

Playstation III

The Playstation III is the highest end toy on the Christmas list this year. The reason it made the hot toys list is because of the recent price cut. These consoles are a lot easier to find in stores this year than they were last but like the Wii console they will begin to sell out the closer it gets to the holiday season. If it comes down to the PSIII or the Wii my choice would be the Wii because it encourages physical activity whereas the PSIII encourages more sedentary playing.

Barbie

Barbie is always and will always be a great gift idea for a child during the holiday season. Barbie is affordable and collectible which makes it ideal for parents of all social standing to give as a gift. Also don’t forget that each year there is a collectible Holiday Barbie which is released and these make great additions to any Barbie collectors collection!

Nintendo DS and the PSP

Both the Nintendo DS and the PSP have come down in price considerably since their initial release. What I love about these two video game systems is that they are both affordable and portable which makes them extremely handy for families that have to travel over the holidays. The PSP also plays movies which inches it ahead of the DS in terms of desirability; however both are affordable enough and useful enough to make it on to the hot toys of this holiday seasons list!

So there you have some ideas for this year’s Holiday shopping list! Make sure to start your shopping early to make sure you get your toys before the crazy shopping rush! Shopping early also helps make sure that you get your toys at retail price and don’t end up overspending on auction sites and through third party sellers. Good luck in your shopping and remember, holiday shopping doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

Which figure has a missle that fires “farther than you might like?”

Transformers, the Hollywood movie about two clashing robotic clans namely the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, has started showing already. Above all the excitement on the movie is the anticipation from a car maker which has taken a huge part on the film.

It is no secret that the cars used in the movie are models from General Motors the producer of high quality Saab vehicles with durable Saab air filter. And because of this the Detroit-based automaker is hoping that the exposure of its vehicles in the Hollywood summer movie Transformers will bring in more sales for them. Some of the featured GM vehicles in Transformers were the Chevrolet Camaro concept and the Pontiac Solstice.

According to Dino Bernacchi, GM’s associate director of branded entertainment, “You’re going to see these cars as the heroes. You’re not going to see the other actors. These cars are the stars‚ literally‚ in the movie.”

The Transformers movie came just in time when the automaker is looking for an effective medium to reach younger car buyers. And the movie was just perfect. GM is hoping that through Transformers it may be able to attract car buyers ranging from 18 to 34 year of age. The company’s huge presence in the film not to mention the accompanying promotional toys and video games has really helped in increasing awareness for GM’s brand of vehicles.

For the movie, GM will be spending millions in promotion and in marketing its Transformers tie-ins but refrained from giving details on the exact figures.

In the movie, the word Camaro was mentioned many times by various characters plus there were also close-ups of the Chevy, GMC, Pontiac, and Hummer logos which has given these GM brands quite an exposure.

David Koehler, a clinical marketing professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago said, “Product placement has never been so blatant‚ and the potential for a global platform to build brand awareness could not have come at a better time for GM. The younger demographic most likely to flock to the theatres is exactly what GM needs.”

Erick Merkle, Vice-President of Forecasting for Grand Rapids-based auto consulting company IRN Inc. has a different opinion. He said that there is no assurance that those who would see the movie will end up buying GM vehicles that is despite the fact that they might be impressed with the rides. He further added, “Keep in mind that some of the vehicles they’re showing are vehicles the youth market won’t be able to afford. But they do have a tremendous influence over what people who can afford those vehicles go to buy. You shouldn’t underestimate the influence of the youth. I don’t know a baby boomer out there who doesn’t want to be cool.”

Mr. Merkle has also pointed out that those who will go and see the movie are not there because they are concerned about free-falling market shares or upcoming union negotiations and these according to him should be considered by GM.

Citroen C4 Transformer – rockon!

The optimus Prime movie poster from Transformers the Movie (2007) with the release of  Transformers the Movie 2 just around the corner! Hopefully Bumble Bee, Jazz, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave will be back in action on the screen soon on their home planet of Cybertron.

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Not long to wait now!

A Great scene from Transformers the Movie to start this blog!