under the tree.

According to Bermuda's toy experts at The Annex and Toys `n' Stuff, there's plenty of fun, educational and interesting toys for him to choose from.

"The number one most wanted toy this year, has got to be the virtual pets,'' said Tom Nelmes, manager of the Annex, located in the Phoenix Centre on Reid Street. "The Giga Pet, which is the electronic version of a baby and requires constant attention and care, is still very popular. Sing and Snore Ernie, is like last year's immensely popular, Tickle Me Elmo, but has a lot more to it.

It sings a little lullaby and drifts into slumber and starts to snore and his belly goes up and down and when he wakes, he has a very pleasant attitude. So they're two hot numbers.'' With the most popular items sure to be in demand by the majority of Bermuda's population of children, now is the time to buy, said Mr. Nelmes. And the Annex is doing everything to make that possible -- offering the lowest prices on the Island, a lay-away programme which enables parents to buy the toys but keep them hidden from prying eyes, and a free delivery service.

"We want to make sure that every customer walks away with the product they want at the best possible price and we guarantee that our price is the best in town. We will give anyone who finds a better price than ours on the market a gift, and match, or better the price as part of the `Annex guarantee' which is good through Christmas.

"We want people to come here filled with confidence that they can find a variety of products that they are looking for, and assure themselves that they are getting the best possible prices on the Island. We're going out of our way to provide the best service and the best price. We gift wrap and also offer free delivery inside bridges at the Eastern and Western ends.'' Barbie is always a big sell, he said, and with new additions to the line, the age-old doll is expected to be a big hit with young girls this year as well.

"Obviously, Barbie factors big numbers. They now have out a Barbie and her dog Ginger, and there's a Shopping Fun Barbie and a Barbie cruise car.'' Due to a factory closure this Spring with the popular toy makers, Little Tikes, there will be a shortage of many of their popular items, said Mr.

Nelmes.

"There's going to be a shortage of Little Tikes items, they're a company that makes climbing frames and toys targeting the toddler market. Things have been on the backlist for months. It's going to be a letdown for some people because Little Tikes are so popular, but we have a reasonable inventory.

"Other strong areas are the licensed lines, things such as Batman and Robin and Jurrasic Park, two mega-movies of the year for kids. Minor players will be the Dalmations and the Little Mermaid licences. Star Wars is also very big since it was re-worked and re-released this year and was a very big hit. We have 20 feet of store space dedicated to Star Wars paraphernalia -- action figures and vehicles. Everything is interactive. We have walkie talkies, laser games, and a collector's edition Monopoly game which will be highly sought after in the years to come.'' Other big items, said the toy expert, are the Beanie Babies made by Ty.

"They're little bean bag animals which are extremely popular and highly collectible. In some instances, they're worth more than what they're charging for them such as those animals which were created in 1994 and considered `retired' so they're less available now -- especially those like the ones we have which are in mint condition. We've had tourists come in all year hunting for them. They're in very short supply and they're very sought after.'' For young girls, dolls are always in demands.

"In the doll line for girls, we have Gotz collector dolls of which we will only have a limited assortment,'' he said. "They're always very welcomed because they're very sparse on the Island. They're quite fabulous and some are really expensive. They're dolls of all nations and while we will bring in some, for the most part we will sell them as special order items. They're something unique for a child and we sell them pretty close to US prices.

"Other dolls this year include `Casey Cartwheel', a Today's dolls are really sporty! doll that does cartwheels, `My Lickety Treat', a doll whose tongue sticks to her lollipop, and `California Roller Girl', an in-line skating doll. An 18-inch talking `Barney', an imitation of the famed television show, is also pretty popular.'' Always popular with boys, girls, and even some adults, are remote-controlled automobiles.

"We will have the most extensive range of remote-controlled cars, boats, trains and motorcycles on the Island bar-none,'' said Mr. Nelmes. "And gamewise, the old standards will be very strong this year.'' Constant advocates of educational toys, the Annex is making sure every possible toy that will encourage learning is available to residents.

"We have just gone out of our way regarding educational toys. We have everything from globes of the world, to all kinds of science activity sets and chemistry sets and even telescopes. We also have some of the latest products out of the UK which is usually of a very good quality and not necessarily so price-oriented and plasticy like a lot of the stuff you sometimes get out of the US.'' The store also offers those goods, such as model sets, which cater to the demands of the public, said Mr. Nelmes.

"Models are very big this year. A lot of schools have opened up model clubs and because a lot of model shops have closed down, we have had the opportunity to be in a position to provide model materials to schools and individuals. We carry basic stock such as Ravel as well as the top-of-the-line Tamiya brand which is really a deluxe model.

"We also make remote controlled models and this year, on our special toy market, we have BRIO and playmobile items added to our range. We didn't have them at all last year, but we listened very carefully and this year we have the most extensive, the biggest selection on the Island.'' Those persons really interested in making crafts have not been overlooked, said Mr. Nelmes.

"In the craft line, we have a tremendous range as well as a tremendous selection from Europe and the US from quite a number of major manufacturers.

We have a good reputation, in pretty much every category in the craft area whether it be clay paints or anything else you can imagine.'' The company also sells a fantastic line of items by the Lisa Frank company, said Mr. Nelmes.

"They will make incredible stuffing stockings for girls. It's a fantastic line which is inexpensive, most things run from between $3 and $30. They're all bright, vibrant pinks, purples and Toys galore! and blues in really striking materials. They make everything from beads to stencils, kaleidescopes and mobile art. They were really popular with students going back to school this September -- pencils and pencil cases, mouse pads and desk sets, even band aids.'' As always, electronic games will prove really big for children this Christmas with the Tiger corporation leading the way.

"Tiger is a major player and this year Star Wars have the electronic equivalent of battleship and we also have a 13 1 -tall storm trooper room alarm which lets kids know if someone is messing around in their room. It's a game as well as an alarm.

"We also have Head Start computers with expansion cartridges from all brands such as Tiger and ViTech. We also have a lot more educational electronic stuff coming in. Items from the story book character, Winnie the Pooh, are doing very well this year, there's a lot of interactive games and its' 100-acre wood game is especially a big item.'' Lazer Tag, a step up on the famed game, Challenger, is also big with the kids he said and an improvement on its predecessor as it boasts a lighter weight, is more streamlined and shoots over a greater distance with greater accuracy.

"We also have a hands-free phone modelled from the hit big screen movie, Clueless . It's an actual phone,'' he said. "We also have the talk boy line which sends messages and drawings through over 200 feet, even through walls.

Children can use it to communicate with a friend.'' Lucky kids! Also popular is Brain Warp, an electronic command game, as is a new Family Feud electronic game, said Mr. Nelmes.

"We have a plethora of handheld games covering every licence; every major video that's been out. We have the game `Boppit' from Tiger, which is a fun, family game. Tiger is doing a lot of co-operative work with cereal companies and also one of the fast food burger companies. We also have action figures which, as stocking stuffers are always a solid bet. And we also have untold styles and ranges of popular action figures such as Power Rangers, Beetle Borgs, and Beast Wars. We also have everything from Flabber to the Centurion Turbo range and the still-popular male action figure, G.I. Joe, is always sought after as a collectible, and we have a good sample. We also have powered vehicles which are always very hot, by Fisher Price,'' he said.

Carol Bromby, manager of Reid Street based, Toys `n' Stuff, also predicts that the most sought after items are the Nano Babies and Giga Pets lines, favoured by boys and girls from age 6 on up to adults, as well as the new Sesame Street toy.

"Last year there was `Tickle Me Elmo', and we now have `Sing and Snore Ernie' which suits those children from age one-and-a-half to three. Dentist Barbie is another new one for Christmas as are Teen Skipper and Teen Nikki along with all their accessories.

"Of the big dolls, we have `Magic Stroller Baby'. It's a stroller-riding doll that can cry in many different ways. But what's really popular are Cabbage Patch dolls. Of those, we have one which blows bubbles and another We've got it all one that brushes its teeth.'' Tribond, a game that asks what various groups of three have in common and is best suited for children aged 12 and up, is the most popular of the board games, she said.

"But we also have a 15th anniversary Trivial Pursuit, a Star Wars Monopoly game, and the still-popular figures from the Power Rangers series, said Mrs.

Bromby. "What's also still selling well are the Lost World: Jurrasic Park action figures and dinosaurs.'' Construx, offers building materials that turn into animals, cars and trucks for children ages three and up and Kinex makes a similar toy that turns them into cars.

As always, added Mrs. Bromby, race tracks are big and remote-controlled cars are always big Christmas items.

"We also have several educational-type toys, especially pre-computers such as a talking Whiz Kid Honors and a Junior Computer both which come with expansion packs so they can grow with the child.

"And finally, of course, we have bikes and trykes as well as a fair bit of power wheels and jeeps for younger children which are battery operated. And we also sell baseball and cricket sets, basket ball hoops and even trampolines.'' Huggable toys seem to be poular with kids, especially the Sesame Street brand.

This year's predicted must-buy, is Sing & Snore Ernie, shown in front Racecar tracks, remote-controlled cars and action figures are always great buys