During a recent visit to New York I found myself in FAO Schwarz , the most famous toy store in the United States. (Remember that scene in the movie “Big†where Tom Hanks visits a toy store? That’s it!). Of course, I had been there many times before in my single days working in the toy industry but…never as a parent and certainly never as a not-quite-crunchy one.
Browsing THE Toy store for high society New York, I expected and did see toys that cost more than my monthly mortgage payment.
A life size Lego Batman for $27,000.
A Battery Operated Hummer for $15,000
A $1200 Noah’s Ark Play set for your toddler
But, I also saw…lots and lots of crunchy toys: Wooden toys, organic toys, Waldorf Dolls, some pricey; some not; most made somewhere else, anywhere else but China.
And you were sure to know that!
The folks at FAO Schwarz, quite obviously aware of the stigma now associated with toys made in China, had little placards prominently placed over each display:
â€This toy is made in Germanyâ€;
‘This toy is made in The Philippinesâ€
“This toy is made in The USAâ€,
I guess are a sign of times. I just had to laugh though…is it now trendy to avoid toys made in China? Does New York’s high society now brag at cocktail parties that their children “…don’t own one toy made in China!�
by MC Milker
[tags]kids, children, parents, parenting, holidays, gifts, wood, plastic, USA, China, cocktail conversation, friends, acquaintances, store, FAO Shwarz [/tags]
Photo graciously provided by jek in the box, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
2 responses so far ↓
Guardian Angel // Dec 4, 2007 at 7:50 am
Hi! Your right, China should be more careful especially if it concerns with children. This scandal from China had reached my country and my government is working hard to deal with this. Anyways, I watched “BIG” and you are lucky to be familiar with that toy store. I am also happy they sell toys from my country. By the way, thanks for mentioning them, it helped me to be more proud of being a Filipino.
nan // Dec 5, 2007 at 5:39 am
Hey! Those little wooden houses in your picture! I had them growing up, and then saw them in covent garden a few years ago. I bought lots! They are now starring as our “sprawling metropolis of Bethlehem” which seems to be taking up my whole coffee table.
You may think this is random blather. Well, okay. It is. BUT the house with the blue knob on top? Used to be a church, with a blue cross on top.
It was prettier as a church.
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