HIGH TECH HOLIDAY: CHRISTMAS WISH LISTS THIS YEAR INCLUDE LOTS OF HIGH TECH TOYS & GADGETS

Santa Claus is finding more room in his bag of toys as tiny electronic gadgets continue to be at the top of holiday wish lists. And he's probably realizing that the good little girls and boys asking for them aren't that young at all.

More people -- adults and children alike -- are choosing electronic gifts this holiday, especially since technology has become less expensive, said Jeffri Baldner, store manager at Circuit City in Cape Girardeau.

"People have just kind of gone crazy with anything with digital technology," said Baldner.

Most customers come with shopping checklist of the components they want in an electronic purchase, whether it's a computer, digital television or MP3 player for downloading music off the Internet.

"They know why they're here, but we try to help them find whatever best suits their needs," he said.

Gifts can range from $20 to $2,000 and up depending on what a person wants. Most customers come in thinking they need equipment that is more expensive than what they truly would pay, store employees said.

"We don't want to oversell but to make sure they get everything that fits their pocketbook," said Brian Kaminskas, a sales counselor at Circuit City.

Sales counselors -- not sales clerks -- help answer customer questions about equipment. The counselors help a customer determine exactly what they need and what type of purchase to make, Baldner said. Sometimes the sales can last 20 minutes, sometimes two hours, Kaminskas said.

Here's a look at the top-selling electronic gadgetry and gifts:

MP3 player

This gadget is most commonly used for playing music downloaded from the Internet. Most of them are a little larger than a deck of cards, weigh about 3 ounces and can store about three hours of music on memory cards. Since there are no moving parts, the equipment plays music continuously without skipping.

Price: $92 to $256, depending on how much memory is needed and what you want the player to do.

Digital video recorders

This equipment takes the VCR one step into the future. It's a box-like component similar to a VCR that hooks to your television and can record from 20 to 60 hours of live TV to replay later. It allows you to record programs with the touch of a button, not a multi-step process. It can suggest programs to watch, based on previous viewing selections. Other products are TiVO and personal video recorders.

Price: $300 to $700.

DVD players

These were popular last year, too, and have gotten less expensive in the last year.

In about 10 minutes, 90 customers bought DVD players on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Baldner said.

It's the drop in price that makes it a big seller, he added. "It's a phenomenal buy."

Price: Some are as low as $130 after rebates. You can expect to pay between $150 and $350.

Digital TV

If you're looking for a clear, crisp and concise picture on your television, digital TV is the way to go.Hall, Heidi 12/1/00 too much like an ad With bigger screens and better color, the television sets are always popular in the time between Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl game, Baldner said.

Price: $700 to $1,700.

Laptop computers

Computers are a perennial favorite for families looking to make a purchase that can help the entire household, but computer equipment and attachments are changing. Some laptops weigh as little as 3 pounds and offer all the programs and capability of a traditional system.

Webcams are popular additions that let you send video images across your computer. The camera components cost anywhere from $40 to $300.

Another hot item this season are speaker systems suited just to computers, which add surround sound to make games and music "more realistic and loud enough to rock the room," Baldner said.

Price: The range is from $500 to $2,000 depending on what you want to add to the system, like extra memory, printers and larger monitors.

Cellular phones

It seems everyone has a cell phone these days, but the latest models have Web and Internet capabilities that let you send text messages to a person's telephone. They're also handy for checking sports scores and stock quotes at Wall Street closing.

Price: Expect to spend $20 to $50 for the phone and more for your service package.

Digital cameras

Take family photographs without having to buy a roll of film. Digital cameras let a photographer store images on a memory card that can be read by a computer or television. Most of the cameras are light and compact.

Extras and additional memory can raise the price tag on a camera.

Price: $150 to $1,000. Average is about $500.