NEW YORK (REUTERS) - More than a thousand toy producers, distributors and sales agents scouted the 2017 Toy Fair in New York looking for the next big thing.

The most prominent trends included movies, technology and collectibles, said industry expert Trae Bodge.

Ms Bodge, Smart Shopping Expert of Giftcardgranny.com, said: "Just a couple of years ago, we started seeing very, very small toys, and maybe little blind bags, you didn't know what you were getting, and it was kind of interesting and new, and now it's everywhere."

Lego, one of the market leaders, showed its own line of collectibles. Making the biggest noise: the Screaming Cat, an audible representation of Lego's newest platform called Boost.

It allows children to build toys with Lego blocks and use iPads to programme code them with motion and sound.

"Lego Boost because it's putting digital together with physical play in a way that only Lego can do. We're super excited about Lego BrickHeadz, which is a very collectible platform, a whole new way to build characters with Lego," said Mr Michael McNally, Senior Director of Brand Relations, Lego.

Other producers like Wicked Cool Toys also showcased collectibles and technology, bringing back Teddy Ruxpin, the iconic talking bear from the 1980s.

Optimism was in the air at the Toy Fair, backed by numbers. According to The NPD Group's Retail Tracking Service, the US toy market grew 5 per cent last year to more than US$20 billion (S$28.4 billion).