Consumer Alert: Best sales prices for 2024’s top movie and TV tie-in toys

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Movie and franchise tie-in toys are dominating the market following a surge in sales after the release of the Barbie and Transformers movies last year. This trend is expected, but there’s a modern twist on some classic toys that might surprise you.

Transformers, first introduced in 1984, remain popular, with the latest Transformer One Power Flip Optimus Prime Action Figure model being a top toy for 2024.

Jennifer Lynch, a trend expert with the Toy Association, highlights its appeal.

“This one’s got four different modes of transformation. It’s based on Optimus Prime and the recent Transformers One movie,” says Lynch.

These toys aim to encourage children to move from screen time to imaginative play. For preschoolers who enjoy watching “Spidey and Friends,” a hands-on dual racing track set might be a hit. It’s called the Marvel Spidey and His Amazing Friends Spidey’s 39 inch dual Race Track.

“We’ve got Spidey’s web crawler. We’ve got the techno race. And you can send them flying down through the tunnels. There’s really some great exit ramps on them,” Lynch explains.

Collectibles featuring characters from popular shows like “Monster Tales,” “Paw Patrol,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” are also available. These collectibles have an educational component.

“You pop them open and they’ve actually got little mini books inside based on the characters that they come with,” says Lynch. These are known as Booksys.

Classic toys are also getting a 21st-century makeover. The LEGO Gravity Drop combines LEGOs and paper crafts for a hands-on physics experience. “It allows them to use the LEGOs and the paper crafts to create five different games and the endless customization is there,” Lynch said.

Ride-on kid-powered toys have a modern twist, inspired by the rise in food delivery services. Children can create and deliver their own Play-Doh pizza creations.

“It allows kids to make and deliver their own Play-Doh pizza creations. In the back there’s a little Play-Doh pizza oven built in. It’s got a little phone with them so they can take their delivery orders, then once their pizzas are ready to be delivered they can hop on their scooters and scoot around the house,” Lynch describes.

Just like real delivery drivers, kids can even expect a tip from mom and dad.

The ride-on toy is priced at $95, but the best sales price found was $70-$99 on Amazon and Macy’s.

Note: The links included in this story are to the best sale price found for each item listed.

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