No Toys For XMas - Tariffs??

[Jacob Petersheim]

Sounds like a sleazy ploy: "But now or get nothing! Shortages coming, so buy, buy, buy now!"

Hasbro: NO TOYS for Christmas 2025 -- Blame Tariffs?!

 

[Yvonne Smith]

The tariffs are only on overseas items, and many companies are now opening or reopening their factories here in the US. I do not think that we will have shortages by Christmas, unless shipping is stopped for some reason.
I have noticed some food prices going up, like meat (which comes from right here in the US), and coffee, which had a bad year due to the drought in Brazil; but most everything else seems to be the same, or cheaper (like gasoline).

The video has that “clickbait” look, so I just browsed through it, but it seems like they are mainly talking about board games like monopoly.
I don’t think that is what kids want for Christmas anyway; plus, this is almost August, which is when the push for Christmas sales starts every single year. They are just using a different trigger to get people to start spending money this year.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I don’t think that is what kids want for Christmas anyway

You probably hear "toys" and think "children."

I am finding that this outlook is at least two generations out of date. I see people in the 40s spending thousands of dollars on Lego, and others many hundreds on Star Wars dolls, Funko Pop dolls, and such. Boards games have gone far beyond Monopoly, and these are in high demand at absurd prices among the "adult children" from 18 to 45. Not to mention video games and other ridiculous high-ticket items.

It isn't really about "gifts" except for "gifts to oneself."

But I believe the "warnings" from Hasbro et al. are just late-Summer marketing to drive sales through a fear of missing out.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

I had not considered that, but i do think that you are right. I remember seeing a facebook friend talking about ordering legos for herself, and she is in her 40’s.
We pretty much get by with necessities ; so the thought of buying toys for an adult (or oneself) just never occurred to me at all.
But we have moved past the summer sales, and even the back to school stuff is almost done; so the Christmas marketing is the next thing up now. Some of that stuff you mentioned, I have never even heard of, @Jacob Petersheim ! What is a Funko Pop doll ?

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

What is a Funko Pop doll ?

Weird little vinyl cast big-headed dolls made of real people, fictional characters, and bizarre fantasy people.

Funko Official Store, Home of Pop! Vinyl, Personalized Pops! | Funko

Funko designs and sells unique pop culture collectibles, accessories, and toys.

funko.com

 

[Axel Slingerland]

The video has that “clickbait” look, so I just browsed through it, but it seems like they are mainly talking about board games like monopoly.

I agree, and for that reason I didn't even bother watching it. However, if they are mainly talking about board games like Monopoly, I would say sales will be low this year. How many different versions of Monopoly are there? Here's list of Licensed and localized editions of Monopoly: USA.

Looking at that list, I see several copies that Cindy bought. The kid's never played any of them.

I see people in the 40s spending thousands of dollars on Lego, and others many hundreds on Star Wars dolls, Funko Pop dolls, and such.

When you say "40s", are you referring to the 1940s decade or people in the 40s age group? I'm curious because Star Wars stuff didn't appear until after the first film, now known as "Episode IV: A New Hope", was released in 1977 and became a big hit with the SciFi crowd. And of course, there were Star Wars fan in our family. I never heard of Funko Pop dolls, but Legos were always a good thing to give them.

People in their 40s buying outdated stuff for their kids is nothing new. That's why I told each our kids to make a wish list for Christmas, and there was no guarantee they get any of it, but we wanted ball park figures to work with. We were time of spending money on things that were cast aside almost immediately. They didn't like it very much, but after Cindy died, I said I wasn't doing Christmas anymore.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

1940s? Er, no. I was referring to those 40 to 45 years old, Millennials.

And no, for the most part it isn't even those first films anymore though people are still buying toys related to those films. But there have been many more films and TV series revolving around Star Wars since the 1980s, right up through today. All of these are strongly aimed at selling toys.

The Lego is not a bucket of blocks for creative play. Instead they are large, specialized sets sold as kits for assembly into just one thing. Sort of like a crude but very expensive version of the old plastic scale-model kits kids used to glue together into airplanes and tanks and such.

The board games are not like Monopoly and other old standard games. They use very elaborate boards, game pieces, cards, and polyhedral dice with quite complex rules. Playing a game can take days or weeks, not just an hour or two.

I didn't even mention the weird and childish "adult backpacks" with colorful cartoon characters, or the strange makeup, wigs, and costumes usually placed in the "toys" category now. Imagine 35 year old women dressed up a The Powerpuff Girls.




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