In a survey of more than 3,700 boys ages 6-17 Star Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Spider-Man all finished in the top five in terms of popularity for holiday gifts.  Star Wars topped the list of licensed properties, which appears in the November issue of License! Magazine.  The NFL came in second followed by Yu-Gi-Oh!, Spider-Man and the NBA.  NASCAR finished in sixth place followed by Major League Baseball, Lord of the Rings, Dragon Ball Z and Hot Wheels.

The presence of Lord of the Rings and DBZ in the top 10 indicates the longevity of certain key properties.  Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith may be the last feature film in the series and it has been out of the theaters for months, but Star Wars toys will remain the hit toy brand of 2005 (see 'Star Wars Toys #1'), and don't expect them to stop selling in 2006.  And although the Dragonball property is well past its prime, it remains in the Top15 on the Lycos survey of Internet searches and it has been there for 322 weeks -- ever since Lycos began publishing its Top 50 (a feat matched only by Pam Anderson, Brittany Spears, and the WWE).