New York's top toys
Age three and over
The evergreen Barbie doll, in striking Rapunzel outfit with floor-length blonde hair and musical hairbrush. UK price: £20, batteries included, from Daisy & Tom, 181 King's Road, SW3. US price: $27.05 (£18) from FAO Schwarz, 767 Fifth Avenue.
Buy Barbie dolls here
Age five and over
Hasbro E-kara Karoke Machine. Pop in a cartridge, with lyrics, plug into the television screen and you'll have hours of your kids singing to their hearts' content. UK price: £65 from Daisy & Tom. US price: $86.58 (£57) from FAO Schwarz.
Age eight and over
Leapfrog Explorer Globe allows children to learn about continents and countries by asking questions. UK price: £100 from Daisy & Tom. US price: $108.25 (£71) at FAO Schwarz. Buy the Explorer Globe
Older children
You'll make a serious killing on CD and MP3 players where you can expect to pay in dollars what you'd pay in pounds over here. Kids want the durable Sony DCS 901 CD player, which also plays MP 3 files. It's skip free for better playback and resistant to the harshest treatment. UK price: £159.99 at Chelsea Audio Visual Centre, 203 King's Road, SW3. US price: $162 (£107) from Sony Style at Madison and 55th.
The super-small, light and sleek MZE 909 MP3 player plays back, but doesn't record. Fits into a pocket. For style-conscious kids on the move. UK price: £229.99 from Sony Centre. US price: $325 (£213) from Sony Style at Madison and 55th.
The digital camera they're all talking about is the super-light Minolta Dimige Xi, the smallest and lightest in the world. More features than they'll know what to do with, including shooting a 35-second movie. UK price: £349.99 from Photo Optix, 187 Kings Road, SW3 US price: $432 (£284) from RCS Computer Experience, 575 Madison Avenue.
(Prices converted at the rate of $1.52 to £1)
