Mattel: Beware of Toymakers Bearing Gifts   Christmas is to
Christianity as revenue and profits are to retailers worldwide.
Retailing's most important holiday is just a few days away,
which means there are only a few days remaining to capture pre-
Christmas sales at the registers before post-holiday markdowns
go into effect.  Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) is the world's largest
manufacturer of toys and is highly dependent on retailers in its
major markets -- the U.S., Europe, and Latin America (e.g.,
Brazil) for its sales.  The toy maker will report revenue and
earnings on Jan. 28 for its quarter ending Dec. 31.  Analysts'
consensus estimate is for $1.15 per share earnings on $2.30
billion in revenue.  If Mattel meets estimates, this will
represent a 7.48% earnings increase, and a 6.97% revenue
increase, from last year.  First, let's look at Mattel's revenue
history:                    % Chng YoY          Source: Capital
IQ  The first thing that should be apparent is that Mattel's
revenues are seasonal, with the peaks