toys

The 8 Hot Toys Your Kids Really Want This Holiday Season

While it's been a while since we've had a toy craze on the level of Furby or Tickle-Me-Elmo, there are certainly some in-demand toys this holiday season. Here are eight of the hottest -- the ones you should probably buy before it's too late, if it isn't already.

Extreme Shoppers Score $8,000 of Stuff for $1,300

How's this for holiday savings: Bringing home a haul of remote control cars, tablets, coats and boots worth $8,000 for just $1,300. That's what extreme couponer Joni Crothers and her "coupon-tourage" accomplished on a Black Friday shopping spree to fulfill the wish lists of 16 children in need.

5 Things You Shouldn't Buy on Black Friday

According to the National Retail Federation, 147 million Americans plan to shop on Black Friday weekend, because that's when they'll get the best deals. But that's just not always so. For these five types of purchase, you'd be better off skipping the post-Thanksgiving stampede.

Mattel Goes Hollywood: Can It Beat Hasbro at the Movie Game?

Hasbro has cashed in on its marquee brands in recent years, breathing new life into decades-old toy franchises like Transformers and G.I. Joe through movie releases and updated product lines. Now, larger toy maker Mattel looks like it wants to follow in Hasbro's footsteps.

Hot Toys For the Holidays: Toys R Us, Walmart Make Predictions

Toys R Us and Walmart have unveiled their hot holiday toy lists, sending the message that the Christmas shopping season has officially begun. Here are a dozen that the nation's top two toy sellers expect will fly off their shelves this holiday season.

Toys R Us Takes Aim at Holidays with Hot Toy Reservation Program

Toys R Us is hoping to have a happy holiday shopping season this year by making it easier on parents. The company is launching a free Hot Toy Reservation program that will allow customers to reserve popular toys before they're in stock, sparing them the mad dash to the store later.

Support Builds for LEGO Anti-Sexism Drive

LEGO's newest toys are drawing a some loud complaints from parents, who complain that the girl-centric marketing of the Friends line is sexist. In less than a month, a petition against it has generated more than 42,000 signatures and plenty of commentary.

Target Debuts 'Almost Last Minute' Holiday Sale

Retailers are finding ways to put a fresh spin on the classic limited-time sale this holiday season. Target's latest effort -- the Almost Last Minute Sale. From Dec. 8 to Dec. 11, it will offer discounts on items from its most popular gift categories in stores and online.

Holiday Shopping Alert: The Best Deals Are Ahead

Attention holiday shoppers: Don't feel blue if you missed Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Retail analysts say the best deals are yet to come, with discounts growing deeper as Christmas draws nearer.

Dangerous Toys: What to Leave Off Your 2011 Gift List

Safety standards for toys have been in place for decades, but this year's Trouble in Toyland report from U.S. PIRG reveals that some new toys still hold hidden risks. What should you avoid to protect your child from toxic chemicals and choking hazards? Read on ...

Toys R Us Releases Hot Toy List for 2011

When it comes time for children both naughty and nice to make their holiday shopping lists and check them twice, they may have a few things in common. Click inside for a peek at why Toys R Us thinks these will be some of the hottest toys of the 2011 holiday season.

Toys R Us Plays Up Exclusives for Holidays

Toys R Us took the wrapping paper off its strategy to "win" this Christmas season, unveiling a raft of exclusive merchandise, such as new toy line Moshi Monsters, based on the online children's game, and a beefed up e-commerce operation to better serve shoppers.

Why Are LEGOs So Expensive?

It's a question that echoes across the Internet, on blogs and message boards, and in the content of a specialty wiki called Brickipedia: "Why are Legos so expensive?" Our search for an answer starts in Denmark, and ends in the playrooms of countless children around the world.

McDonald's Happy Meals Get a Healthier Overhaul

For more than 30 years, the standard McDonald's Happy Meals have been exactly the same -- a burger or chicken nuggets, fries and a soda. But no more. In an attempt to help youngsters make healthier food choices, the fast food chain is making big changes to its kid's-meal-in-a-box.

Made in America Leaders That Make a Real Difference

How many problems with the U.S. economy would be solved if more people bought American, and if more companies would were willing to help them do so by manufacturing here? Joel Joseph of the Made in the USA Foundation thinks it would help plenty, and he's honoring those that have taken the lead.

Summer Spendin': Who Wins When School's Out?

Summer vacation has hardly begun, and the chorus of "buy me, buy me" is already at full volume in homes across the country. And parents can only say no to so many of those requests. So which companies are gong to benefit from the school break? DailyFinance has a few ideas.

Cars 2 Could Lap the Field in the Movie Toy Race

Cars 2 doesn't open until June 24, but its toy line is already revving up the summer movie-toy season. Sales of Cars 2 merchandise will surpass Disney's entire Toy Story franchise within 12 months, predicted Jim Silver, editor in chief of TimetoPlaymag.com.

Using an Easy-Bake Oven Is About to Become Difficult

The Easy-Bake Oven is falling victim to the fight against global warming. The incandescent light bulbs that heat the toy ovens are being phased out in 2012 in favor of energy-efficient compact fluorescents. But precisely because they are energy efficient, they don't get hot enough to bake a cookie.

At Walmart This Holiday Season: Higher Toy Prices

Walmart Stores increased prices of thousands of toys at each store this month, as the world's largest retailer looks to turn around its trend of negative same-store sales by spurring holiday-season revenue, Bloomberg News reported.

Barnes & Noble's Earnings Rise, but Profits Fall

It has been a tumultuous year for Barnes & Noble, the country's largest bookseller, and its quarterly earnings report reflects that. Total sales for the quarter were $1.9 billion, a bit less of a gain than analysts had predicted, while earnings were a net loss of $12.6 million, also worse than expected.