As summer 2007 comes to a close and the holidays begin to draw near, many parents begin to ask their children what they want for Christmas. Retailers all over the U.S. begin to mark down over-stocked and unpopular toys to make room for the latest hottest toys. Last Christmas major retailers saw a sharp demand in toys such as Elmo TMX and the Nintendo Wii (not to mention their handheld DS). Ebay showed prices as high as $100 in December for Elmo and $500 for a Wii. That's over 100% of the MSRP. This year my friend and I have started a blog here at Xomba.com to keep you informed of what's going to be hot this holiday season. Whether you're a collector, parent, or Ebay prospector make sure you keep checking back here frequently for updates.

The easiest way to do this is to bookmark www.xomba.com/xombyte/toygenius .

We were out today doing some research at a local Toys R Us and found several items that peaked our interest. These items should defiantly be watched as the holidays approach.

Hasbro FurReal Friends Squawkers McCaw Parrot


This parrot talks and squawks just like a real McCaw. Just grabbing the box this bird started up. Not just talking, but it moved as well and from what we could tell it was pretty advanced. Kids love toys they can just take out and interact with. Interact is the keyword since you can "train" this parrot to do all sorts of things. Can anyone say Furby? At 69.99 this is no discount toy, but probably a good choice if you are looking to keep your budget under $100.

Rating
Availability - We saw three on the self and Amazon still has them in stock.

Price - Still at retail.

Demand - To be determined. You won't have a problem finding this at least for this month.

Mattel Barbie 2007 Holiday Doll


The holiday Barbies are big every year. The new ones are just hitting the shelves and you can bet your bottom dollar they won't be there in 4 months. Between young girls and die-hard collectors these things screamcollectible. Plus, they are only available through January. We're not saying Elmo fever, but if you like dolls then you should consider picking up at least one.

Rating
Availability - Plentiful for now....

Price - Still at retail.

Demand - With a loyal fan base, collectible Barbies will always be on demand. Just check the number of bids on Ebay.

That's all for now, but we'll be updating this blog regularly. Feel free to drop us a comment.