| Toy of the Year 1996
After waiting nearly four decades, Barbie won the British
Association of Toy Retailer's 1996/97 Toy of the Year award.
Officially 37 years of age, this is her first time as the
overall winner; she has been Doll of the Year and Best Girls'
Toy a number of times.
BATR Chairman Barry Walker said "Barbie has been a
phenomenal success story, almost always in our top 10 toy
chart. She's now more than a toy. She's achieved cult status."
Her hot rival Action Man (Toy of the Year in 1966) won
Boys' Toy of the Year.
And what of Buzz Lightyear? Unable to get into the chart
due to severe stock shortages, Buzz was undoubtedly the
most sought-after toy of the year. Almost every year some
toy misses the award because of drastic shortages due to
unexpected high demand - remember Tracy Island from Thunderbirds
a couple of years ago? So the BATR has come up with a new
award to cover this unfortunate situation - the BATR Pimpernel
Award.
Barry Walker says the toy will no doubt be used in future
years as making buying decisions early in the year to allow
for manufacture is as difficult and as risky as playing
the futures market and the trade will get it wrong from
time to time.
THE BATR TOY AWARDS 1996/97
BATR Toy o the Year |
Barbie (Mattel) |
Boys Toy of the Year |
Action Man (Hasbro) |
Game of the Year |
Jenga (MB Games) |
Most Innoviate Toy |
Puzz3D (Waddingtons) |
Activity Toy of the Year |
Megasketch (Tomy UK) |
Best New Toy Range |
Football Figures (Corinthian Marketing) |
Baby Doll of the Year |
Baby Born (Max Zapf) |
BATR Pimpernel Award
for the most elusive toy of the year |
Buzz Lightyear (Toy Options) |
|
