Memo to Santa

It's not too early for the toy industry to size up the likely top sellers this holiday season. A hot toy can do wonders not only for the smaller companies, but for giants like El Segundo-based Mattel. And the industry has been slumping for some time, so everyone is looking for the next big whatever. At a toy show in New York this week, Toy Wishes magazine announces its "hot dozen" list that includes a bunch of local players: Mattel, Radica Games (recently purchases by Mattel), MGA Entertainment in Van Nuys (home of the Bratz dolls), Jakks Pacific in Malibu, Fisher-Price (a unit of Mattel), and Play Along (a division of Jakks). How did Socal become such a hot bed for the toy business?

Here's the lineup, in alphabetical order:

1)Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses (Mattel)
2)Bratz Forever Diamond (MGA)
3)Butterscotch My Furreal Friends Pony (Hasbro)
4)Digi Makeover (Radica)
5)Fly Wheels XPV (Jakks)
6)Kid Tough Digital Camera (Fisher-Price)
7)Lego Mindstorms NXT (Lego)
8)Magtastik (Mega Brands)
9)Monopoly Here & Now (Hasbro)
10)Speed Stacks Stackpack (Play Along)
11)T.M.X. Elmo (Fisher-Price)
12)Wii (Nintendo)