Toy sales rocket as parents bought average of 38 per child in 2015 - including this surprise hit
Thunderbirds, Lego, an old fashioned board game and Star Wars were all in the top 10 most popular toys of 2015
Toys sales were FAB in the last 12 months - rocketing 6% as a retro Thunderbirds playset boosted the industry by £3.2 billion.
Tracey Island , along with spin-offs from movie blockbusters Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Minions pushed sales up £150million year-on-year.
Figures from analysts The NPD Group reveal December accounted for 26% of all toy sales.
On average, parents bought 38 toys for each child with 11 snapped up for Christmas.
And old fashioned playthings were back in favour with demand for action figures up by 20% and building sets and cuddly toys by 14% each.
Lego’s Minifigures topped the best sellers chart with Shopkins and Disney’s Frozen Elsa Sparkling Ice Castle also in the top three.
Surprise hit of the year - family board game Pie Face - also made the top 10, along with Star Wars Millennium Falcon and a Smart 4-in-1 trike.
Read more: How many of these top-selling Christmas toys from the past 30 years did you own?
Frederique Tutt, global toy industry analyst at The NPD Group said “What is interesting about the 2015 performance is the lasting endurance of traditional toys such as building sets and action figures.
“It’s also great to see the variety in the toy industry where a fun game like Pie Face went viral on the internet, alongside the increasing popularity of traditional collectables and the launch of exciting new toys from the movies.”
Today. the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) unveiled this year’s must-haves at the showcase Toy Fair in West London with retro brands Danger Mouse and Teletubbies poised to clean up.
Read more: Eighties kids' cartoon Danger Mouse returns to CBBC after more than 20 years
Parents are being warned that Danger Mouse’s Mark IV Danger Car for £14.99, Teletubbies talking cuddly toys for £9.99 and Lego City Airport at £79.99 are tipped to be in the top 10 toys this Christmas.
BTHA spokesperson Natasha Crookes said: “It’s fantastic to see such a diverse range of products on offer this year - for every budget and play experience.
They include a Brio train set for £39.99, collectible Star Monsters for £1 and a Harry Kane Volley Blaster football training set for £9.99.