10 hot toys for under $20
By Claes Bell Claes Bell's Twitter profile
Nov. 9, 2009 /
Shopping for toys this holiday season doesn't have to be a budget buster. With toymakers adjusting to Americans' more frugal shopping habits, this season the price of fun isn't as high as in the past, says Chris Byrne, content director of TimetoPlayMag.com.
"A lot of toys are less expensive this year, so a lot of what we're considering the hot toys of the year are really under $20," says Byrne.
And kids don't understand what the toy costs. Ever wonder why kids often take the toy out of the box, then leave the toy and play with the box? It comes down to a factor toy experts call "play value." This value can come from a toy's ability to be played with in a number of different ways, interact with other toys a child might have or foster play among a group of kids, says Byrne.
"Kids, at the end of the day, don't know how much money has been spent on them if the toy has a lot of play value," says Byrne.
"It doesn't matter how well-made a toy is if a kid only plays with it once," says Cliff Annicelli, editor in chief of toy trade magazine Playthings. "What's most valued is a toy that they're going to want to play with over and over again."
Claes Bell graduated from Florida State University with degrees in History and Writing, after serving as a staff writer and assistant Arts & Entertainment editor for The FSView and Florida Flambeau. He took a three-year hiatus from journalism to teach intensive reading at two West Palm Beach-area high schools before returning to journalism as a sports desk clerk for The Palm Beach Post, a freelance copy editor for Bankrate, and a freelance writer published on Bankrate and other outlets. He joined Bankrate full time as a copy editor in 2007. In February 2009, he was promoted to reporter and now writes about banking, CDs, cars and a variety of other personal finance topics for Bankrate. Claes also frequently blogs, tweets, and appears regularly as a guest on various media platforms to speak on personal finance. During his time at Bankrate, Claes has been part of two teams that won notable journalism awards, including a Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists for coverage of the Federal Reserve, and a Best in Business award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for coverage of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. He also helped establish Bankrate's presence on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
12 hot toys under $25 for the holidays
Top 10 toys under $25 this holiday season
5 kids' holiday gifts that keep on giving