OTHER NEWS - Nov. 18, 1991

Back to Basics This Christmas: The hot sellers among toys this Christmas season will be the “most basic products--building blocks, erector sets, puzzles and games, and Barbie dolls,” said Bob Seligman, editor of Toy & Hobby World, a monthly trade publication. Major toy companies are going to be scrambling to boost sales in a retail climate that is lackluster at best and a downer at worst. The toy industry is expecting a 5% sales gain over last year, when sales reached slightly over $13 billion. But barring a sudden turnaround in consumer confidence and the economy, most experts predict that sales will be flat or only modestly better this holiday season.