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This Year's Hottest Toy Is A Snore

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Last year's hottest Christmas toy giggled when you tickled him. This year's

latest craze snores when he sleeps.

Sleep & Snore Ernie has been selling out of local toy stores almost as fast as

Tickle Me Elmo did last December. Toy Works in Newtown sold out of the popular

doll soon after opening its doors last Friday morning. At Toy Works in

Danbury, the first Sleep & Snore Ernie didn't make it onto the shelves until

Sunday, but sure enough, they were snatched up in minutes, according to

customer service representative Anna Radcmacher. The sleeping Ernie, whose

belly expands and contracts with each snore, is made by Tyco and costs between

$25 and $30.

Last month, Mattel had everyone talking about Barbie, the world's oldest

teenager, when it announced that the doll would begin taking on a new look.

From now on, the toy company announced, Barbie would become a more realistic

doll with less voluptuous body parts.

Speaking of Barbie, toy stores are reporting large sales of the new Rapunzel

Barbie, a child-sized Barbie that lets down her hair on command. Price: $139.

Then there's the Barbie with the computer chip in her head. When you hook her

up to a computer, she talks to you. And who ever said Barbie was an air head?

Price: $100.

Every kid loves Barney and this year's purple dinosaur actually sings songs,

recites rhymes and plays peek-a-boo. Price: $100.

When it comes to video games, Play Station is the hottest item. Toy Works in

Newtown was selling the 64-bit games last week for 149.99. Play Station is

taking the place of last year's hot item -- Nintendo 64.