Most Popular Christmas Gifts in Chicago
I am hearing rumblings about what people are giving and getting this Christmas in Chicago. I have friends and family that are secretly shopping for gifts for loved ones without them finding out but want to know what is cool and hot this season. It’s a good Christmas season and sales are up already over last year so if that is any indication, there is a lot of good stuff out there. (both in gifts to give and gifts to ask for ) Here are some of the gifts I am hearing a lot about already.
1. Video Game Systems and Video Games in General are very hot to give again this Christmas. I am not sure how it became “normal” for adults to ask for video game systems for Christmas and have them in the living room with the DVD player and coffee table but they are totally mainstream now and not just for kids. Every guy I know has one and they become obsolete every 2-3 years so there is always new systems to buy and accessories and games to add on. The video game systems everyone wants this Christmas are the Wii and the XBox. Some people are still into PlayStation but the Wii is really what people want for it’s versatility. It’s the DDR of 2007.
2. Computersare hot as gifts because they just got cheaper again. I am not sure how they do this but Walmart, Dell and Amazon have laptops for around $300 bucks. It’s an entry level laptop without all the memory or features you may want, but for kids that need one for high school or college it’s way cheaper than the 2K we had to fork over in the 1990′s.
3. Flat Screen HDTVs. Ok, I notice a trend with Electronics here. The Digital TV Signal Replaces the Analog one in 2009 so many people are looking at this Christmas and lower prices to replace that old Analog TV even though it’s still working. There will be digital TV converters on sale in 2008 but Best Buy and Circuit City would rather you just get a whole new TV this Christmas and won’t tell you anything about a converter until next year.
4.iPods – Um, yea… Anything Apple remains hot.
5. For little kids toys can be dangerous since so many are mad in China and so many Toys have been recalled this year due to Lead in the paint. So, be careful and check all the store lists for recalls and see if you can find some local made in the USA toys among the racks of China made toys. The Tickle Me Elmo Extreme is big for kids from 3-5 years old and Bratz are still big for girls into dolls and are more popular than the age old Barbie.
6. The American Girl Dolls have also still maintained a lot of loyalty and popularity this year. I see families on their way to the American Girl store downtown all the time. It’s still a big attraction here.
7. The new Transformers movie has also rekindled a lot of interest in the toys that transform. The movie related transformable robot toys are hot as is the DVD. I know adults and kids that are both looking for these this season.
8. Rubick’s Cube Revolutions. This toy is hot but not a rubick’s cube. The sides do not rotate at all, and instead have other games in them. Most purists hate this, but the kids that never saw the original are totally excited over this remix of old and new.