Meet the Street: This Season's Toy Story

Harry Potter and Monsters, Inc. are working their magic on the toy industry.

Expectations for toy sales around these two expected blockbuster movies have been among the factors that have driven the stock prices of a couple of toy makers this year. Hasbro(HAS Quote), which owns the master license for toys based on Monsters. Inc., is up 60% this year, while Mattel(MAT Quote), which owns the master license for toys based on the upcoming Harry Potter movie, has risen 32% so far.

Here to discuss the impact of these films on the toy world is Chris Byrne, otherwise known as "The Toy Guy." Over the past 22 years, Byrne has held several marketing, research and analysis positions in the toy industry and is currently the editor of trade publication The Toy Report. He has spotted a variety of trends and top toys early on, including Tickle Me Elmo and Furby. Byrne's toy reviews can be found on his Web site. ...