Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 297, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1910 — WOMEN CRAVE TOYS [ARTICLE]

WOMEN CRAVE TOYS

Children Show Preference for Scientific Devices. Youngsters Call for Aeroplanes, Kites and Models Where Electricity Supplies Power—Reason for Boom. London.—Simple “silly” toys are all the rage just now. The Teddy bear is responsible for the boom, and following him a host of simple, unbreakable, woolly animals, manikins and “babies” has sprung upon the toy market. Cheap mechanical clockwork toys and things that “windup” seem to have temporarily lost favor with children. Boys up to twelve years of age, girls of all ages, and even grown-ups have taken a violent fancy to the cloth or woollen toy which can be punched, kicked, sat on or kissed without ill effects, either to the owner or to this toy. Inquiries made at the leading London toy shops show that during the coming winter season the simple toy will be the chief article sold. At one large Regent street establishment “One side of the shop Is already stocked with “silly” toys, and in a few days’ time hundreds more will arrive—lions, elephants, bears, sheep, dogs, rabbits, etc. —costing anywhere from 25 cents to sls each. “The simple toy is having an undoubted boom just now,” said the manager. “These toys are really intended for babies, but I have known ladies to fall in love with them and buy them for themselves. “While the craze Is certainly affecting the sales of cheap mechanical clock-work toys, it has not hurt the scientific toy trade. “It seems that children ’ nowadays

either like an extremely simple toy or a really ‘brainy’ amusement, such as making electrical experiments, putting toy aeroplanes together, or scientific kite flying.” Popular “silly” toys already selling well are “Baby Bumps,” fitted with a “Can’t-brealt-’em-head,” and a very live looking duck called a “Puddledu’ck.” Each of these toys has been bought as a mascot by ladles and taken out in motor cars. An interesting reason for the boom in simple animal toys was given by an enthusiastic theater-goer. “Plays like the ‘Blue Bird,’ ‘Pinkie and the Fairies,’ and ‘Peter Pan,’ in which animals possessed of wonderful intelligence are seen on the stage, have a considerable influence over children,” he said. “In the ‘Blue Bird’ animals such as the cat, dog, and horse are made to possess a soul. They reason and argue like human beings. “Now the successful toy manufacturer endeavors to put this live, soulful quality into his goods—he makes the cloth dog or rabbit as ‘cute’ and lifelike as possible. “It is the soulful quality of these toys—if I may so express it—which attracts. I have known ladies positively rave over a fluffy little cloth dog, making it sit by them at dinner and talking to it for hours in ‘baby’ voice.”