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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1987)
W, For the unique in holiday i H giving—science and j if natural history books, s j| games and gifts j| g^ The Museum Shop at j| University of Nebraska State Museum ^ § Hours Tues.-Sat. 9:30-4:00, Sun.-Mon. 1:30-4:00 $5 Come In Out Of The Cold with winter wear by Gerry ’is Sport and Ski The winter season won’t seem so long when you warm up with genuine down-filled denim jackets or choose ~ from a select ion of name-brand ski w ear. You can find the best prices in town at eit her Gerry’s locat ion, 70th & O St. or 1120 P St. ^ GERRY’S SPORT & SKI Wear Contact Lenses by Christmas * Free in-office consultations to discuss your eyes and which lenses are best for you. * A thorough examination of eye function and eye health by the doctor. * Individual selective fitting considering all types of contact lenses: Soft, Extended wear. Gas permeable, and Tinted * Full time availability of doctors and staff including lunch hours and Saturdays. * Close supervision of all contact lense fittings by expert professionals. * individual private instruction on care and handling of any lens type. * Thorough follow-up care that includes; 1. Close observation of comfort and health monitored as needed. 2. Lens strength or fitting changes made if indicated. 3. No charge for damaged lenses - minimum charge for lost lenses. 4. Guaranteed success or your contact lens cost refund. * Same day replacement of most lenses. * A continuing care program - future upgrading of lens care of contact lenses. No interest, no carrying charge, as low as $20 a month. International Contact Lens 3427°° ®* (JMMifflRI VISION CENTERS. 4 5' 030 Shells designed in landlocked state ■ ~ SHELLS from page 10 shop on campus. But the success of Furlong’s business is visible in more than just her expanded line. “I have this dream studio,” she said of the turn-of-lhe-ccntury warehouse she has turned into a comfortable, artistic workplace for her staff. Furlong bought the warehouse after moving to Salem, and Tho mas Laging, professor of architec ture at UNL, went to Oregon to help her design the new interior in a post-modern style that preserved theold brick flavor of the building, she said. She named it Carriage House Studio after her original workplace in Lincoln. Furlong said it’s interesting that she began designing with shells in a state so far from the ocean. “I had to move to Oregon to sort of legalize my shell designs,” she jokes with friends. Yet her years in Nebraska were inspiring, Furlong said. She be came a Christian the year she began her ornaments. The beliefs she had just taken on and the emotions she was feeling that Christmas season undoubtedly influenced her work, she said. Now that her Christmas angels and wreaths are being mass-pro duced, Furlong considers them to be designs rather than art. But she c (0 « V) n £ n at Z >* 5 O o t <3 o> 3 O Q Margaret Furlong continues to work on ner inner interests and finds inspiration in her four-year-old daughter Caitlin and the environment of Oregon. Furlong said doing landscapes became hard when she first moved west. Oregon has fewer open spaces than Nebraska, she said, and she fell a bit claustrophobic in the heavily wooded environment. But although she loved Ne braska, “we have a new love now in urcgon. i ms uin, 101 example, she began working on some land scapes of the northwest part of the slate. And she docs colorful pastel and watcrcolor pieces on yearly trips to Hawaii. So while she is busy most of the time putting her ideas into her ornaments and their packaging, her landscapes are different. “1 do those just for myself,” she said. Stores nationwide are trying to predict what the seasons hot-selling toys will be NEW YORK (AP) — You can be certain of two things at this lime of year: Christmas is coming, and the children of America will find scads of gift-wrapped toys under ornament laden trees. But no one—not toy makers, store owners or Wall Street analysis — is sure just what those toys will be. Unlkic past Christmases, there arc no “mega-hits” in sight, such as last year’s La/.cr Tag, or Teddy Ruxpin in 1985. Many toys for which manufacu trers had high hopes early in the year have either Hopped or never made it to market because of production prob lems. And many stars of the past — such as La/.cr Tag and Pound Puppies have lost their shine and retailers arc marking them down to clear the way for new merchandise. With these problems, 1987 has been a disappointment for much of the toy industry. Sales and earnings have 1 alien off sharply and some loymakers — most notably Worlds of Wonder Inc., which says it may seek a merger with another company — have been hurt badly. With sales down, many retailers have boughlcautiously for thisChrisl mas, and thatcould mean popular toys arc in short supply, said Paul Valen tine, a toy industry analyst with Stan dard & Poor’s Corp. “This is going to be the toughest year to lind the toys you want since 1983,” when there were not enough of the hottest toys to go around, Valen tine said. But their is a possible silver lining to lhatcloud. If demand remains high, the toy industry could see a stronger 1988. “Shortages are a stimulant for the toy industry,” said Valentine. “It Ineds to increase the attractiveness of specific toys in consumers’ minds.” However, noting that talking dolls were popular last Christmas but fizzled afterward, Valentine cau tioned that early 1988 sales could still go flat. A more immediate worry for many retailers — whether the stock market crash will affect consumer spending — is of little concern to the toy busi ness. “Despite all the doom and gloom you may hear, on Dec. 25 the holiday is going to be celebrated and when the children come down in the morning and look under the tree, they’re going tq find lots of gaily wrapped boxes,” said David Lcibowitz, an analyst with American SecuritiesCorp. “Thechil dren of America will not be denied.” Among the toys they’ll find will be a few perennial favorites and some new variations on old themes. Video games, which are in the midst of a comeback, arc expected to be big sellers, led by Nintendo Enter tainment System, one of the lop toys so far this year. Analysts also expect Captain Power, an interactive video game by Mattel Inc., to bea best seller. High-tech toys, including talking dolls, have largely been a disappoint ment this year. But analyst Valentine predicts several will have a successful Christmas, including the talking ver sion of Coleco Industries Inc.’s Cab bage Patch Kids, which he says have “met with a successful initial re sponse.” Two other talking dolls that have sold well are Worldsof Wonder Inc.’s Julie, adoll that can read special books and tell the difference between hot and cold, and Mattel Inc.’s Heather, a doll whose vocabulary matures like that of a child, analysis said. Talking characters such as Mickey Mouse and Mother Goose by Worlds of Wonder have sold well, said Angela Bourdon, a spokeswoman for Toys R Us, the nationwide toy store chain. Worlds of Wonder’s Teddy Ruxpin, although a relative toy veteran, also is said to be doing well. Valentine said he expects Coleco’s talking All', a plush version of the NBC-TV show character, to be popu lar, as it has been all year. Mr. Gameshow, an interactive board game by Lewis Galoob Toys Inc., featuring an animated, wisecrak ing “host,” is not turning out to be as big a hit as expected, but should still do well, Valentine said. However, most of the items indus try watchers expect to be on gift lists arc much simpler, more basic toys. “The early trends suggest that people arc looking for traditional rather than faddy” toys, said Peter Harris, the president of F.A.O. Schwarz, the Manhattan-based toy store chain. Board games such as Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, By Colcco’s Selchow & Rightcr division, arc expected to sell well. Pictionary, the most popular board game this year, also is expected to be as big at Christmas, said Rick An guilla, editor of Toy & Hobby World, a trade publication. The brainchild of a new company, Games Gang, Ltd., Pictinary is played like charades, but on paper. F.A.O. Schwarz reports kaleido scopes are big movers, and Toys R Us says scooters are on their list of lop sellers. Staples like Mattel’s Barbie and Hasbro Inc.’s G.I. Joe — which have been on best-seller lists all year—also arc expected to be under a lot of Christmas trees. so arc some toys ostensibly de signed for children, but which may be a bigger hit with adults. Valentine points out two: Gotcha by LJN Toys Ltd. and Coleco’s Couch Potato. Gotcha, based on adults’ survival games, includes a gun and pellets that platter washable dyes on whoever is in the line of fire. Couch Potato, a play on the seden tary lifestyles of many Americans, isa stuffed figure wrapped in it’s own sack. F.A.O. Schwar/. said it has already sold out of the toys and has ordered more. Fischer-Pricc, a company not usu ally associated with hit toys, is having a strong year and should have a good Christmas with its line of preschool toys, analysts said. The company’s Fun With Food, a set of plastic fake food toys, has been a hot item and likely will be in short supply this season, Anguilla said. Fischer-Pricc also is marketing a video camera and recorder for chil dren, which retails for about $225. The analysts were split on how suc cessful it would be, but Toys R Us listed it among its top-selling toys.