Rubik’s cube was just the beginning. Then came Cabbage Patch Kids (and Garbage Pail Kids), Trivial Pursuit, Transformers, Barney, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, Beanie Babies, and Pokemon, and many more on the way. One main offer per year. They went viral before that meant anything. The debate has always been, “Did marketers force us to use these products, or did consumers come out in full force on their own without the help of commercials?” Marketing geniuses, when they get lucky, like to point to their own efforts, otherwise how would they get the jobs? Consumers say they made the decision themselves. It’s probably a combination of the two, with a little more emphasis on marketing influences.

So we come to the new Christmas season. New toys. New tricks. New products. “Which of these new toys will go viral?” is the multi-billion dollar question you’d love to know the answer to. Even if they got a product right for a year, they could retire tomorrow.

Two toys from the 2016 shopping season seem to be making a comeback on the 2017 market: Fingerlings and Hatchimals.

Fingerlings are essentially finger puppets that wrap around your finger. They are small, cute, and will be fun for children under the age of seven or eight. Maybe there will even be a branch for parents like My Little Pony had its Bronies. Yes, let’s hope not.

Hatchimal creatures first start out inside a large egg. When your child plays with the egg long enough, it hatches into a furry creature. But it doesn’t end there. She talks and walks and dances. Your child needs to be able to nurture him through the stages of baby, toddler, and child. (Sorry, no Adolescent or Adult stages)

So you’re buying a pig in a poke, so to speak, it hatches and needs to be cared for like the Tamagotchi digital pets of a few years ago. This year’s offer is called Surprise! You’ll get two eggs for the price of probably one and a half. Double the fun at less than double the cost. To be fair though, they are cute little creatures and your kids could spend a lot of time with them.

Marketers seem to be pushing these two toys this year, but no one knows which toy will dominate the market. Actually, the market is ripe for three or four viral toys.