It may be true that Christmas comes but once a year - but when it does it can be a make or break period for many retailers. A high percentage of retail profits are driven by the Festive gift giving bonanza. It's the difference between a good and a bad year for many businesses. Small wonder then that so much energy is devoted to predicting what the top selling gift items will be each year.

It may be true that Christmas comes but once a year - but when it does it can be a make or break period for many retailers. A high percentage of retail profits are driven by the Festive gift giving bonanza. It's the difference between a good and a bad year for many businesses. Small wonder then that so much energy is devoted to predicting what the top selling gift items will be each year.

It's especially critical in the toys and games sector. Each year there seems to be one particular toy that is the "must have" toy of the year. In no particular order we have seen Buzz Lightyear, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Beyblades, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furbies claim the crown in previous years.

In general, these toys will claim the top spot for a single year only. Whilst many of them are still available today, they won't be challenging for this year's Christmas best seller - in some cases, they won't even be in the top fifty of the best seller list.

Fads and fashion notwithstanding, there are some toys which are popular choices every year. They have withstood the test of time spanning different generations of children in many cases. For example, and again in no particular order - Monopoly, Lego, G.I. Joe, train sets, Cluedo, Scrabble and Barbie have all been around for years. They may not top the best sellers list this Christmas - but they will be in the top twenty or thirty toys year on year.

Looking at sales figures for the year to date, it looks like the Zhu Zhu pets - cute and furry motorized hamsters which incorporate artificial intelligence - are going to be this year's Christmas number one. Assuming the customers can find them that is - for, as in previous years demand seems to be much higher than supply. It's difficult to find them in stores right now - but you will find them for sale on eBay, at prices very much higher than the recommended retail price. This seems to be an almost annual event and, in the past, some analysts have wondered if suppliers limit supply to create a sense of urgency.

Whilst this almost seems to have become a part of our modern day Christmas tradition, whether or not it is a deliberate ploy is debatable. What is certain is that it very often takes only a few weeks after Christmas for last year's expensive "must have" toy to become old news. More traditional toys, on the other hand, are generally still used and enjoyed for a long period of time. Many of them will become cherished possessions and may even be passed on to the next generation of kids. That's exactly why the more traditional toys and games like Scrabble, Lego and Hornby Dublo trainsets etc. offer such great value for money and are the ideal gift at Christmas.