Forget stampedes for the Cabbage Patch Doll, travelling hundreds of miles to pick up a Tinky Winky or camping out overnight to get your hands on the Nintendo Wii.
Christmas 2008 is about to give parents the best gift of all...a year off from the sold-out must-have.
And why? Because traditional toys are making a comeback, according to one of Britain's leading retail nursery experts.
Lucinda Croft, owner of Knightsbridge children's emporium Dragons of Walton Street, says this year's Christmas presents are all about Christmas past. "Everyone wants to make their money last and there is nothing worse than a child unwrapping a present on Christmas Day only for it to be broken by the time the turkey's gone cold. Wooden gifts last a lifetime and can be passed down from generation to generation, and judging by the number of customers requesting hand-made toys it is more fashionable than ever to go for tradition over trend."
She should know: Princes William and Harry grew up in a Dragons' den, while other notable clients include everyone from the Beckhams and Madonna to Roman Abramovich and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Now the industry is taking note. The soaring demand for nostalgia means the traditional toy market is steadily taking over from new technology with £2.6 billion in sales during 2006. No wonder our hard-earned cash will be spent more wisely during this season of goodwill as harassed gift-hunters take a well-deserved rest from the Christmas queues.
But more than anything else it's the trip down memory lane which parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are only too eager to make.
Adds Lucinda: "We all remember the doll's house, or the rocking chair, or the brightly-painted wooden car we received in Christmases of yesteryear. They were magical gifts which turned into faithful friends. These type of gifts are built to last, and, if your family is anything like ours, the current generation of children get just as much pleasure out of them as we did. It's the only investment we should be talking about at the moment - the investment in our children."
October 2008
 Everything at Dragons of Walton Street is hand-crafted by carpenters and hand-painted by artists, from toys and adornments to the comprehensive range of bespoke furniture. Its wooden London bus is a best-seller, with customers able to personalise their every purchase.
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