by John G. Fedoriska Jr.

Created on: October 18, 2009

Toys are based mainly on role-playing and imagination. They are heavily promoted on TV, in magazines, and store circulars mainly around Christmastime. Morning children shows carry the bulk of the promotion the rest of the year. So does word of mouth from one child to another after bringing home something great while shopping with mom. One child's birthday gift played with in front of others is also a good reason for wanting the same item. Who can remember "You can't have it just because Jimmy Jones has one. I am not Jimmy's mother, so there."?

Toys come in all shapes and sizes and are made mostly of painted plastic that simulate real things. They break a lot easier than their counterparts do in real life however and as always many are not worth their asking price. Still when Tommy is taking a hissy fit in the Toy aisle because he wants what mom can't afford, their makers are counting on Tommy winning and sometimes he does. Trying to discipline him like my mother did to us, "Shut up right now or I'll tell your father when I get you home and you'll have something to cry about" may not work today. It just might bring social services to your door. Not that mom would have minded having someone else raise the five of us. Those agencies just weren't a big thing back then.

Today we have as much danger in bad toys as we had years past. Paint containing lead or other chemicals, parts that can cause choking, and most of it comes from China where they have so many kids they just aren't in a rush for safety regulations. As the older consumers worldwide demand changes in their product safety I'm sure they will adapt. Starting wars to grab as much of the world's resources for there economy may be a better way of thinning their population. It's all part of a free market economy at the end of the barrel of a gun and it has been used by some countries successfully for years with the help of the Western Nuclear Club.

One of my memorable toys was "The Untouchables" snub nose '38 replica that fired plastic bullets propelled from real looking shells that you attached those round caps to on their back. The hammer would spark the cap and their short trajectory didn't have much force but you eventually lost them all and wound up with an empty shell cap gun (Hopefully before you hurt someone's eye at close range). I lost all mine in two days. Another was the plastic yellow-handled Zorro sword. Mom bought two and my brother and I broke the thin clear narrow plastic blades in our first bout.

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