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The holiday season doesn't officially arrive for another seven weeks, but to toy retailers, this might as well be the week before Christmas.

With today's announcement by Toy Wishes magazine of its "Holiday 2005 Hot Dozen," parents and grandparents get a peek at what will be in Santa's sack -- and on their kids' and grandkids' wish lists -- for the gift-giving season. And then the hunt begins.

Toy sales in the United States slid from $20.7 billion in 2003 to $20.1 billion in 2004, according to the Toy Industry Association, while sales of video games slumped from $10 billion to $9.9 billion during the same time period.

Toy manufacturers and retailers are scrambling to stay on top of which toys or games will fly off the shelves like the Tickle Me, Elmos and Cabbage Patch Dolls of Christmases past. But one thing is certain: Technology plays a starring role in what tops this year's list of most popular toys.

"Kids are getting into electronics at a younger age," says Nancy Lombardi, contributing editor for Toy Wishes. Among the electronically driven items on the list are I-DOG from Hasbro, an animated pup geared to children age 8 and older that plugs into an I-Pod and responds to music with lights, sounds and movement. For the preschool set, there's iZ from Zizzle, an alien-looking character that can be posed in crazy positions and hooked up to a variety of music sources.

Furby, a lovable furry creature from the late 1990s, is back with improved facial expressions that change with his moods and the ability to communicate with his young owner. Another new feature, an on/off switch, is "a big selling point for moms," according to Kelly Cullen, spokeswoman for Toys 'R' Us.

The toy chain last week released its own annual list of popular toys, dubbed the Toys 'R' Us Joy List, which includes 36 toys that are new to the market this year. From that list, 14 toys were selected as the overall "best of the season."

Many of the same items are on both lists, but one plaything is missing from the Toy Wishes roundup this year. Not one doll made the cut, not even Barbie, the tried-and-true teen queen of little girls since she was first introduced.

"Barbie, Bratz, Cabbage Patch Kids, Sky Dancers and Strawberry Shortcake dolls will still be very big," says Lombardi, "but a lot of the interactive toys are more exciting."

The Toys 'R' Us listing includes Barbie starring in her first original 3-D fairy tale movie, "The Magic of Pegasus," according to Cullen. She predicts that another baby doll, Giggles and Coos, with the realistic look and feel of an infant, will be a big seller.

At S.W. Randall Toyes and Giftes, Smithfield Street, Downtown, one floor is devoted to hundreds of styles of dolls, but manager Paul Caplan says little girls generally don't care as much for baby dolls anymore -- "not like they used to," he says.

Caplan says he is pleased that classic games such as Life, Monopoly, Scrabble and Risk continue to entertain youngsters.

"Board games teach children how to win and lose, how to deal with people and good gamesmanship," he says. "You learn life skills with board games that you don't learn with electronic games."

Other traditional toy favorites of Caplan are die-cast models and electric trains. He says that one item already popular with visitors to his store is a Pittsburgh Steelers model O-gauge train from MTH, which comes complete with track and transformer in a set costing $349.95. The train set is available nationwide, he says, "but probably 99 percent of them are selling in Pittsburgh."

Retailers predict the upcoming toy-shopping season will be a successful one, despite the recent hurricanes and high gasoline prices that are bound to take their toll on this year's family entertainment budget.

"Even parents who are having a hard time financially tend to spoil their kids at Christmas time," Lombardi says.

Cullen agrees that families might not be able to afford luxuries like a new car, "but parents still take care of their kids at the holidays," she says. "They want to see smiles on their faces."

12 wishes

This year's "Holiday 2005 Hot Dozen" from Toy Wishes magazine:

Black Belts Karate Home Studio: Age 3 and older. $24.99
Dora's Talking Kitchen: Age 2 and older. $79.99
Fly Wheels Assortment: Age 8 and older. $4.99-$39.99
Furby: Age 8 and older. $39.99
I-DOG: Age 8 and older. $29.99
iZ: Age 5 and older. $39.99
Leapster L-Max Learning Game System: Pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. $99.99
Magnaworld Magnacity: Age 6 and older. $49.99
Pixel Chix: Age 7 and older. $29.99
Shell Shocker: Age 8 and older. $79.99
VCam Now: Age 8 and older. $79.99
V.Smile Pocket: Age 5 and older. $89.99, system; $19.99, games

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