It’s probably the best time ever to be a fan of toys. There’s so much cool new stuff out there. But it’s also getting more expensive and people spend less.
Those are the findings from a study by MyVoucherCodes cited by ToyNews. The study compares the average prices of Christmas gift toys from 1980 to 2017.
It turns out that toys from 2010 to today are about £25 more expensive than the so-called noughties or 2000-2010. The top toys for Christmas are getting more expensive over the 37 years of research. Even so, parents aren’t spending as much as they did before.
The costliest time was actually all the way back in 1991. Then parents spent on average £146.28 in today’s money. The main reason for this was the iconic Gameboy.
Jumping all the way to this year now. Parents are likely to spend on average just £83 on toys for Christmas. This means parents are buying less toys and toys on average cost more. So, you get less presents, but generally they should be of a better quality.
With the exception of the Gameboy in 1991, pre-Millennium top toys rarely went above £30, ToyNews reports. The lower costs were largely attributed to the 80s and 90s obsessions with action figures – Power Rangers, Barbies, WWF (as it was known in 1992, today WWE) and more, all costing a tenner or less.
“We all have a Christmas present (or two!) from our childhood that is firmly etched in our memories, having been played with until parts started falling off,” commented Chris Reilly, MD of MyVoucherCodes.
“While today’s toys certainly cost more than the Power Rangers and Rubik’s cubes of yesteryear, hatch a plan to save money this Christmas by searching around for the best deals.”
So, you may be spoiled for choice, but in the end, it seems people opt for the easier choice. They get less toys, but ones that they hope will keep the interest longer.
