New Zealand / Business

This year's most popular toy revealed

09:55 am on 15 November 2018

The trend of unboxing surprise presents is setting the tone for Christmas toys in 2018.

Poopsie the Surprise Unicorn is as it sounds - a unicorn that poos a glittery slime. Photo: YouTube

A number of options are on the market which allow children to gradually piece together their gifts. This year the LOL Surprise Doll is again among the top toy options, but it's another toy from the same company which is expected to be the biggest hit.

Poopsie the Surprise Unicorn is as it sounds - a unicorn that poos a glittery slime.

Before you get to that point, the doll has to be slowly revealed through, with the body, clothing, unicorn food, spoon and drink bottle all unveiled one by one.

It's like pass-the-parcel for one kid.

"The creator of Poopsie is the creator of LOL," Lonnica Van Engelen of The Warehouse said.

"This is the next level. LOL's not going anywhere, it's still a massive product in its own right, but this is the next iteration.

"It also incorporates the whole slime and surprise element. It's everything all in one."

LOL Surprise Doll. Photo: Supplied.

TradeMe spokesperson Millie Silvester said the site had still been inundated by searches for the LOL Surprise.

"We have about five million new items on site at the moment, and we have a whole range of toys.

"In the last 10 days for example, we've had about 7,000 searches for LOL Surprise Dolls which are the number one Christmas gift on the list this year.

"We also see quite a few searches for old school games like Monopoly, and the good old Nerf Blasters. We've seen about 23,000 searches for those in the past 10 days."

Toy World Wellington owner Phillip Bramley said Ricky the pup was expected to be a big seller.

Ricky has about 100 unique sounds and movements he makes, including balancing a bone on his nose before catching it in his mouth.

"No moulting, no worries," Mr Bramley said.

"He doesn't have to be walked every day, the goodness of a pet without a real pet.

"He eats, he plays with a bone, he walks, he'll follow you around. He'll sit on command. He's as close as you can get to a real pet, without having a real pet."

There's also Yellies, something Mr Bramley said had already sold out once in his Wellington store.

Yellies are spider-like creatures which move faster the louder you yell.

BeyBlades are back this year, with a new battle arena and customisable tops.

Tonka Trucks are still a thing, and then there is Lego, a classic favourite for all kids.

"We see a lot of searches for things like Lego, which seems to be an irresistible all-time favourite," Ms Silvester said.

Top ten toys

  • Poopsie the Surprise Unicorn
  • Yellies
  • LOL Surprise Doll
  • Ricky the Pup
  • Nerf Blaster
  • BeyBlades
  • Lego
  • Rainbocorns
  • Hot Wheels Super Corkscrew Set
  • Polly Pocket Tiny Places