Growing up I positively hoarded my collection of Polly Pockets; they were the number one thing I asked for when Birthdays and Christmases came along. When a new one came out I would go bananas about where it would fit into the elaborate towns of Polly Pockets that I would spend hours setting up in my room. My brother was equally crazy for Mighty Max’s which were effectively a Polly Pocket but with spider lairs and cages made of skeleton bones in place of the swimming pools and pet beds that featured heavily in the Polly Pockets.
My kiddos are about the same age as my brother and I were when our respective collections were at maximum capacity and it has got me thinking about what sort of collectable series they have the same level of dedication to. Now, as much as I encourage gender neutral toys in the house it became abundantly clear to me that my girls like completely different things, and nowhere was that more obvious than in their current collectables of choice:
LOL Surprises
These cheerful collectibles were quite the hot tickets of last year’s Christmas and they show no signs of stopping in 2018. Wrapped up in layers with secret compartments that need to be peeled away to reveal each item, these little balls of fun contain anywhere from five to nine surprise items along with a tot doll. The surprises in each ball include things like accessories for the tot dolls, stickers and secret messages, the ball itself then acts as a playset for the doll and their goodies. The new LOL Surprise confetti pops are even more popular.
Flush Force
Truth be told, I’m a personal fan of these lil’, somewhat disgusting, guys! Unlike LOL Surprise there are no accessories with this range, it is all about the collectable figures- a ragtag bunch of mutant creatures and foodstuffs known as Flushies. Appealing to little boys (and girls) everywhere, and me as it turns out, you uncover your Flushies by filling a cracked and decrepit toilet bowl that comes with the pack with water and then shaking. If the water turns a putrid shade of green it means you have a rare Clogger on your hand, and if it is a violent shade of purple you’ve found a super rare Unflushable. The Flushies come in all sorts of varieties including fuzzy ones, ones that change colour, metallic ones, translucent ones and more. The leftover toilets also provide a handy place to store the little critters when playtime is done!
In many ways I think collectables are a good idea for kids, they tend to keep closer tabs on them than other toys which I appreciate, the story creation opportunities that comes along with them are undeniably great and if nothing else it teaches them good negotiation skills when they invariably trade them with friends.
I know that some parents shy away from toys like LOL Surprise or Flush Force out of a worry about hooking their children on a collectable because, well, the kids will want to collect them! A plus side of collectables like these being so popular at the moment is that you can often find discounts for them, for instance, Argos have some great offers right now giving you a great way to save some cash if you want to stock up in advance now to dole them out as required.
A final plus for these collectables is the sheer range of LOL Surprise items and the option to get Flush Force Mega Packs. These bigger items are ideal answers to birthday and Christmas gift suggestions from relatives that you know are just around the corner.