Stepping foot into specialized toy stores this year, one is likely to hear the following:
· not made in China
· not made in Asia
· made in Europe
· uses only water based paints
· made to strict European specifications/standards
· made with European wood
· it is educational
· approved by child experts
· recommended by kindergarten teachers
These stores must be making a roaring trade since the series of toy recalls that happened in the last 6 months or so.
There is a culture of full on 100% commercialised Christmas celebrations on one side of the family. I, as a nanny just feel absolutely awful to have to buy so many toys for just 5 children. If the Good Samaritan is true to his word, this will be the last time we buy so many presents. I will definitely rock up next Christmas to witness the pressie unwrapping session to see the ‘treatment’ he will receive from them. Despite spending hundreds of dollars each Christmas, this uncle gets negative comments from at least two children. I wonder how he will handle the situation when all five turn on him. LOL. Is this nanny related to the Grinch? LOL.
I absolutely refused to give in to buying anything with licensed characters this year. The bulk of the toys were Lego. I didn’t just choose it because I love Lego myself. I did it because it is a trusted European brand. Fisher Price was a trusted American brand too but have a look at it now. Fisher Price toys have suddenly become very ugly in recent years and I do not blame the Chinese, because many of the toys were already made in China long before they turned ugly. Hopefully complimenting the good quality of Lego is not going to come back to bite me on my bottom.
If you look at the fine print, some sets of Lego do have components made in China. That is scary, huh? I suspect that these are restricted to the motorized parts, electrical parts and parts with simple mechanical features. I can’t be entirely sure but I still trust Lego. I don’t think the Lego Group would risk the good reputation of this toy to start manufacturing crappy components. I think Lego would only go downhill if it was taken over by another company. I can think of at least two toy brands with good reputations that went downhill almost instantly after being acquired by big players in the toy market. The big players will either expand the range of a small label they have acquired to the point that it no longer resembles its original philosophy or they will have the whole range so poorly manufactured that it will become obsolete quickly. How very sad?
Another reason I picked Lego is because of the affordability. Affordable? Are you crazy? In comparison with numerous other toys, it is considerably cheaper. Think about toys like Playmobil, Lundby and Haba. Those are not only pricey; they are almost never on sale. There was a shortage of Lego last Christmas but there is an abundance to choose from this year and I also feel that the price has come down. With stores offering 20% off Lego almost monthly, it is naturally an option I prefer in terms of construction toys.
· not made in China
· not made in Asia
· made in Europe
· uses only water based paints
· made to strict European specifications/standards
· made with European wood
· it is educational
· approved by child experts
· recommended by kindergarten teachers
These stores must be making a roaring trade since the series of toy recalls that happened in the last 6 months or so.
There is a culture of full on 100% commercialised Christmas celebrations on one side of the family. I, as a nanny just feel absolutely awful to have to buy so many toys for just 5 children. If the Good Samaritan is true to his word, this will be the last time we buy so many presents. I will definitely rock up next Christmas to witness the pressie unwrapping session to see the ‘treatment’ he will receive from them. Despite spending hundreds of dollars each Christmas, this uncle gets negative comments from at least two children. I wonder how he will handle the situation when all five turn on him. LOL. Is this nanny related to the Grinch? LOL.
I absolutely refused to give in to buying anything with licensed characters this year. The bulk of the toys were Lego. I didn’t just choose it because I love Lego myself. I did it because it is a trusted European brand. Fisher Price was a trusted American brand too but have a look at it now. Fisher Price toys have suddenly become very ugly in recent years and I do not blame the Chinese, because many of the toys were already made in China long before they turned ugly. Hopefully complimenting the good quality of Lego is not going to come back to bite me on my bottom.
If you look at the fine print, some sets of Lego do have components made in China. That is scary, huh? I suspect that these are restricted to the motorized parts, electrical parts and parts with simple mechanical features. I can’t be entirely sure but I still trust Lego. I don’t think the Lego Group would risk the good reputation of this toy to start manufacturing crappy components. I think Lego would only go downhill if it was taken over by another company. I can think of at least two toy brands with good reputations that went downhill almost instantly after being acquired by big players in the toy market. The big players will either expand the range of a small label they have acquired to the point that it no longer resembles its original philosophy or they will have the whole range so poorly manufactured that it will become obsolete quickly. How very sad?
Another reason I picked Lego is because of the affordability. Affordable? Are you crazy? In comparison with numerous other toys, it is considerably cheaper. Think about toys like Playmobil, Lundby and Haba. Those are not only pricey; they are almost never on sale. There was a shortage of Lego last Christmas but there is an abundance to choose from this year and I also feel that the price has come down. With stores offering 20% off Lego almost monthly, it is naturally an option I prefer in terms of construction toys.
0 comments:
Post a Comment