New York Toy Fair Offers Sneak Peek At Season's Hottest Products
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The latest and greatest toys were on display over the weekend at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
People in the industry got an up-close look at thousands of toys and games.
The annual toy fair helps determine which products will make it onto the shelves and which ones will be left behind.
It's also the largest in the western hemisphere, with more than 30,000 attendees.
"To give you a good visual, it's over seven football fields of toys," Isabel Carrion, mother of two and toy trend specialist for the Toy Association, told CBSN New York's Alex Denis.
SEE IT: CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas Reports From Inside This Year's Toy Fair
So what are some of the hottest trends?
"We have identified, actually, six top trends, and one of them is unboxing 2.0," said Carrion. "Unboxing is a big hit among kids, but also just in general. And this year, manufacturers are coming out with new toys where the packaging is actually part of the play experience."
Carrion said she's also seeing throwback toys.
"We have big anniversaries this year, like, believe it or not, Little Mermaid is turning 30, Sesame Street is turning 50, Barbie 60," she said. "So those anniversaries kind of make it so that manufacturers come out with all these toys that are based on these characters.
"But there's also iconic toys, classic toys that never go out of style – parents and grandparents just love to play with them and play with their kids with them," she added.
SEE IT: CBSN New York's John Dias Reports From Inside This Year's Toy Fair
How can you tell which toys will be a hit?
"It's a combination of manufacturers responding to what consumers are looking for and what's been hot in the previous years - toys that teach, toys that get children learning from an early age those have been very popular over the past few years and they continue to be so."
For more insight from Carrior, watch the full video above.
