The cost of living may be biting but sales forecasts suggest parents don't want any of the pain to be felt by their kids this Christmas.
A 20% jump in toy sales is being predicted and store managers are already stocking up for the rush.
Top sellers are likely to be the big name brands: Lego, Barbie, Squishmallows and Pokemon. An expert in marketing from the University of Otago Rob Aitken said he's not surprised, given kids are swamped by brands from as young as two through TV, online games and social media.
"We've lost the battle. From five-years-old onwards kids start to make associations with brands. They think they'll be happier, more popular and that people will like you more, so it's a powerful appeal."
It's true that kids love a brand. And an argument can be made that brands equal quality. Toyworld store manager Chris Gray certainly sees it that way.
"Brand developers spend a lot of time on research and development and also on quality testing. For example, they make sure drop tests occur so the products won't shatter into pieces."
But big name brands also come at a price, and Aitken thinks it's an inflated one.
"The mark-up's quite significant, you're paying through the nose for something you could probably get in another way."
He believed many low-price products are equally good quality and can provide just as much fun.
Take Lego and competitor Cobi. Lego is off-patent, which means other manufacturers can make plastic tiles that join together in the same fashion. There are product differences.
However, in an unscientific test carried out by Fair Go, kids failed to spot them, and it was the same for the parents.
Cobi products can be a bit cheaper than Lego. On the day we looked, we found similar construction sets from each brand, both providing about 330 pieces. The Cobi product varied in price from $29 (on sale) to $59. The Lego product ranged from $55 to $80.
There are other examples. A Gabby's Dollhouse trike at the Warehouse is being sold for $89. A similarly pink and pretty one, with accessory basket, is being sold at Dick Smith for $59.
Aitken believed parents are mostly aware they're being manipulated by brand-mania but that kids are too young to understand.
His research suggested many parents aren't happy with the situation, with 80% saying there should be restrictions on brand advertising to children and at least 50% wanting to have it banned altogether.
If children do become brand obsessed, he thinks parents can use it as an opportunity to start explaining how brands are so influential so that children can make more informed choices.
As for dad of four and granddad of one, Aitken has always balanced playing with brand toys with some good old-fashioned DIY fun.
This included making dolls house furniture, "once my children got over the embarrassment of it then their friends would want to join in".
And there's a final bit of good news from this marketing guru. His research has shown that more is less. "There's a notion that the more toys the better but what we found was that the more toys kids have then the less they play with each toy."
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