- December 16, 2024
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These days, it would appear fewer children are asking Santa Claus for actual toys.
The top toys of 2024 on Amazon include a flying hover orb, a robot pet dog, an instant print camera, and kids' night vision goggles.
Target.com offers a more classic top toy list that includes Legos and a Barbie Dreamhouse, but also includes a PlayStation 5 and a Meta Quest virtual reality headset.
There’s more competition for kids’ attention nowadays. Are the days of the Slinky numbered?
Children aged 8-12 in the United States spend four-to-six hours a day watching screens while teens average around nine hours, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Lakewood Ranch's Richard Pierson, the owner of the Sarasota Toy Museum at 3580 17th Street, is well aware that toys have evolved over time, but that’s not stopping him from trying to share his passion for toys with younger generations.
Pierson hosted a 'Toy Stories' presentation at the Lakewood Ranch Library Dec. 11. Although only one child showed up on time and stayed for the entire presentation, Pierson wasn't deterred.
“From my perspective, I feel like toys had declined for a while,” Pierson said. “I feel like there is a resurgence in it, and it’s been brought on by the new episodes of Star Wars and anime, which was huge. I think people are getting back into collecting toys.”
Pierson noted that some toys are becoming very popular, but the way they’re used has shifted drastically from the 1900s.
Toys like Funko Pops — figurines with exaggerated heads — other action figures, and trading cards are now bought with the intention of collecting and displaying rather than being played with.
Few are as plugged into the trends of toys as Pierson.
He estimates he has anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 toys in his 6,000 square foot museum. The toys he has include anything from original Cracker Jack toys and some of the first toy robots to modern-day Pokemon, anime and Star Wars.
Although his toys in the museum aren’t for sale, there is a retail section at the front of the building where customers can purchase anything from Pokemon cards to graded comic books.
Some toys go in and out of style simply due to fads and trends, and Pierson has a background well-suited to stay on top of the current climate.
After spending a career in international fashion for Tommy Hilfiger and Guess, Pierson knows that some toys are here for a season while others are built to last.
“Some toys like Beanie Babies and Cabbage Patch Kids came and went, but then you see something like Pokemon, which is as strong as it’s ever been, and only getting stronger,” he said. “Funko Pops, I keep waiting for them to potentially go the way of the Beanie Babie, but they’re one of my top-selling items here.”
Although attendance wasn't what Pierson hoped for at his 'Toy Stories' presentation at the Lakewood Ranch Library, he's also exploring other avenues for reaching kids.
The one child in attendance, Kolt Sweda, asked if the decades-old toy robots Pierson brought were voice-activated, and Sweda was interested in a video of the museum’s model train.
Judging by Sweda's questions, there's certainly still some interest in old-school toys.
Pierson is trying different methods of spreading his passion throughout the community. He recently hosted the Special Needs Railroad Association, an art walk to showcase the work of local artists, and hosted his first birthday party at the museum.
“We have a larger traction of older people than we do kids right now,” said Pierson, who initially wanted to turn his ‘Toys Stories’ presentation into a series at the library, but isn’t so sure after the turnout. “That’s why we’re going to start promoting it out there a little bit more as, you know, an attraction to the family. I think we’ll see more kids coming in here as tourism comes back, and people look for something to do instead of going to the beach.”
