Toys for Black Children & Adults - Buyers Guide

Ebony, Dec, 2000

THE first Christmas and Kwanzaa of the millennium should delight children of all ages. Traditional items like plush toys, games, preschool and infant items and activity toys are still top-sellers and include items aimed at African-American children. But high-tech toys and video games are really where it's at in the $30 billion toy industry for this millennium holiday season. Personal computers have increased in popularity in all households, and many Black families are beginning to surf the Internet in pursuit of culturally based toys for their children. "The impact of the Internet on our children will become more significant in the long run than any other technological breakthrough in the 20th century, including television," says one top toy executive. Many of the culturally based toys presented here are available on the Internet as well as at traditional retail outlets.

So who's buying all of these expensive, high-tech toys? In another seismic demographic shift, grandparents are becoming rapid consumers of toy products. According to demographic research, grandparents now buy one of every four toys sold in America. Long the secret weapon of toddlers, preschoolers and teens, grandparents are now the secret weapons of toy retailers. So while the kids are making their lists and checking them twice, here are some culturally based toy selections to pick up for your Black boys and girls who have been very good this year.

Toys for Adults

IF it shakes, rattles, or rolls, it must be a Christmas toy for an adult girl or boy. Kids from 22 to 92 will appreciate the vast array of gifts available to complement their versatile lifestyles. For the first Christmas of the new millennium, adults are staying connected the wireless way. Today every celebrity or person-on-the-go is packing a new handheld computer, and/or some other form of wireless communication. Experts say digital will top everyone's gift list this season. And the hottest gifts of this holiday season are portable DVD players with surround-sound headphones. With portable DVD players, airline seats, SUVs/minivans (with optional car battery cord), vacation homes, campgrounds ... even a boat has the potential to be transformed into a cinematic experience. And with new e-commerce online shopping on Internet spots, adults don't have to get cold or weary fighting the crowds for gifts. Don't forget to look for the traditional favorites like gift certificates for spa treatments, tickets to movies, shows and sports games and airline tickets to exotic destinations, even if only for the weekend. For Christmas 2000, technology has taken over gifts for adults. This is for the child in you.

Action figures, holiday dolls and jigsaw puzzles in shades of brown will fit nicely under the tree this season. The Omega Man Black superheroes action figure toys and comic books are produced by Omega 7 Inc., of Kansas City, Kan., a Black company; the G.I. Joe figures by Hasbro are marching into the new millennium with an assortment of new figures, including a Navy SEAL and Air Force Spec Ops. Future golf pros will enjoy Radica's interactive Tiger Woods Junior Golf game that uses voice instruction and "real swing" games play to teach the finer points of the game. Little girls will love Mattel's new Singing Holiday Brandy Doll, that looks and sounds just like Brandy, and the special 2000 edition of Celebration Barbie that includes a keepsake ornament. Philadelphia-based WB Adams Puzzles and Games--the country's largest Black-owned puzzle manufacturer--features artists Brenda Joysmith and other Black artists on its line of puzzles with African-American images.

Game, set and match go to the reigning queens of tennis, Venus and Serena Williams, with the launch of their new line of collectible dolls from Play Along, Inc. The dolls come with tennis rackets and tennis balls, along with a special collector card, Preschoolers will enjoy Fisher-Price's Chevrolet Silverado, touted as the biggest power wheels ride-on ever, and the only two-seat pickup truck in the battery-powered ride-on category. Baby dolls in beautiful brown take center stage in Christmas 2000. The Niya Doll by Integrity Toys Inc. and HCN Enterprises speaks Swahili, Spanish and English. Hasbro offers Makeup Mindy and My Real Baby, an interactive doll that responds to a child's actions with realistic emotion-like responses. Relda, the cuddly infant doll in the brightly colored sweater in from Anne Geddes' children's book 10 in the Bed. Black author Joyce Carol Thomas' new book, Hush Songs, is a perfect accompaniment to sing these baby dolls to sleep. Parents seeking other great Black children's books, games, videos and CD-ROM software should also check out Colorful World, the Burke, Va.-based African-American mail order catalog business for parents and educators.

Popular street scooters like the new Razor Xtreme, a sporty model by the Sharper Image, are great for maneuvering in downtown traffic and for fun at home. The price tag ranges from $129.95 to $389.95 (Be sure to wear flat, non-skid shoes). Handheld computer devices like the one from Palm Inc., also at Sharper Image, are at the top of adult gift lists this holiday season. The Palm Vx ($399.95) has 8 megabytes of memory and is Windows-compatible. Optional accessories include modem, travel kit and hard case. Motorola's Talkabout T900 personal interactive ($200) communicator is the latest compact entry, in the market allowing users to receive text messages and the latest information from the World Wide Web. In addition, it includes a built-in address book to keep 250 friends, family and co-workers at your fingertips. It comes in colors that won't clash with your outfit.