In recent years, Pokemon, Furbies and Tickle Me Elmo have brought shoppers to the stores in droves. Store employees said they expect to see some different trends this year, but some ISU students said they don’t know what’s going to be the next must-have toy.For older kids, scooters are the most popular item, said Shawn Forrester, assistant manager of Wal-Mart, 3015 N. Grand Ave. Appealing to people from ages five to 25, the scooters continue to sell as soon as they reach the shelves. “I can see scooters being big this year,” said Amy Rogers, senior in mathematics and secondary education. “They’re fun and good for any age. I probably won’t ask for one, but I would want a scooter.”Electronic dogs are also a popular item at local stores, department store employees said. “So far the most popular toys we have seen have been Tekno the robotic puppy and the Barbie Volkswagen Beetle,” said David Peck, toy manager at Kmart, 1405 Buckeye Ave. Tekno and Poo-Chi are “electronic dogs that respond to the environment. They respond to sound and to touch,” Forrester said.The robotic pets appeal not only to younger children and teen-agers but also to college students.”I like the little dogs,” said Annalies Marshall, sophomore in psychology. “They’re cute and housebroken.”The Barbie Volkswagen Beetle is available in a variety of colors and comes with stickers to allow children to personalize the vehicle.”The Volkswagen Beetle Barbie has been a popular item,” said Jason Schulz, toys team leader at Target, 320 S. Duff Ave. “They go out quickly.”While local stores cite scooters, electronic dogs and Barbie cars as the highlights of the season, students remain in the dark about their gift. “I’ve heard of the little dogs and Playstation, but other than that I don’t really know of any toys this year,” Marshall said.Lori Hughes, freshman in elementary education, also didn’t know the toys on the market. “The only thing I’ve heard about recently is Playstation 2,” she said.With production delayed on the long-awaited video game system, PS2 is not expected to reach shelves in full stock until at least March. The system was expected to be a hot holiday item but will not be available in time for the Christmas rush, Forrester said.”I don’t really see a Furby-type item,” he said. “I don’t think there will be any mad rushes this year.”

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