Jingle All the Way may be a classic holiday movie, but let’s face it: Nobody wants to be Arnold Schwarzenegger battling crowds (and “sleazy con men in red suits”) to score the only gift your kid wants this year. But, due to COVID-19 production shutdowns sparking a shipping container shortage—making it harder to get products made overseas to the U.S.—experts are predicting that 2021’s hottest toys may be even harder to get than in years past.
This is especially true for sleeper hits, like products surrounding the Netflix show Gabby’s Dollhouse, says toy-reviewing authority and TTPM CEO Jim Silver. Manufacturers didn’t know the show would be such a huge hit, he explained, so they didn’t make a ton of toys to begin with. That, coupled with production delays, means they can’t pivot as quickly to produce and ship more. So, which toys are expected to be the hottest this year? Here are Silver’s predictions, as well as a few we pulled that have appeared on everyone from Amazon to Target’s “most wanted” lists.
