You know

[Mammamel]

You know, I have heard over and over how folks do not want toys from China.

I understand the sentiment, really I do. However, I work in a small mom and pop shop. We carry toys not only from China, but England, Germany, Denmark and the USA, to name just a few places.

I really get tired of folks who come in and preface their list with “I want, but not from China” then they gag on the prices of the other toys.

You can NOT have it both ways, If you want English, Danish or German quality and safety, there is a price tag that matches.
It is that whole you get what you pay for thing.

You want mega store prices, you get mega store junk. From what I have been told, our company used and still does carry solid good quality toys, but we lost business to the mega stores. People began to value the price tag over the quality. Folks, some times the lower cost items, are NOT as good as those that cost more.

Toys are one of these areas. Radio Flyer, Kettler and Haba cost more than the knock off toys. However they are dependable and your great grandkids may very well play with the same toys you buy for Suzy and Bobby now.

Melissa and Doug do have their toys made in (gasp!) China, however they inspect their toys themselves, and do not depend on cheap Chinese labor to do it. Their toys are inspected once, at the plant, by US employees stationed in China, then again when they reach the US warehouse here in the states to make certain they were properly inspected and not tampered with on the trip here.

I get very irritated when folks turn their noses up at our merchandise and declare, we will get it cheaper elsewhere. Yep, you might, and it will come from China, and maybe last your child 6 months, if not recalled because the manufacturer there got sloppy or worse.

If folks really want to not get stuff from China, then QUIT SETTLING FOR IT! As long as folks go to the mega stores and shell out the cash, the mega stores will keep buying cheaply made low quality chinese junk.

Another issue I have with mega stores, they have hardly any customer services any more. A lady was asking about layaway a week or so ago. Our store offers it, as well as gift bagging, registry list, and personal shopping on request. You can call up and order with your debit card, and when it comes in we will call you. You get cared for by folks who love toys, and most of us know a thing or two about them. I am still learning, but I already have toys I specialize in!
If we don’t have it, we usually have an idea of who does, but we will not send you to a mega store!

[busymommy]

I wish your store was near me. I do not like the junk at the mega stores. And I really miss the customer service. Everyone acts as if I am bothering them when I ask a question.
I also agree with "you get what you pay for" we have haba toys here, and they are good, quality toys.
Thank you for the info on Melissa & Doug. We have a lot of these toys, and there were 2 I wanted for gifts, but the made in China factor worried me.

[catinhat]

The other piece of this that bothers me some is that a lot of people aren't buying the cheap stuff because it's all they can afford...they are buying their child/children a veritable MOUNTAIN of cheap stuff. They could get them a few quality items that would last, that would be educational, that would promote creative play....but they go for quantity.

I actually saw someone post on our local freecycle the other day that she needed a bigger tree, because their small (5') tree 'looked funny' with so many presents under it (!) That seems like an odd problem to me.

And you know that saying about how when you point your finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you? Yes, it's true...Kitteninhat has a lot of toys. A lot of them are actually 'equipment' I bought over the years when I was teaching preschool, and I kept the items to take with me from school to school. A lot of the items came from Goodwill too...and a lot of them are homemade. I do limit the toys that are 'out' at a given time...so that she doesn't get overwhelmed, and I rotate things...put away the wooden farm puzzle for a while and get out the wooden cars and trucks puzzle, that sort of thing. Anyway, my point? It's easy to overdo the toy thing, but what Mel is saying is important...quality and safety should come first!

[Jesticalynn]

The other piece of this that bothers me some is that a lot of people aren't buying the cheap stuff because it's all they can afford...they are buying their child/children a veritable MOUNTAIN of cheap stuff. They could get them a few quality items that would last, that would be educational, that would promote creative play....but they go for quantity.

I actually saw someone post on our local freecycle the other day that she needed a bigger tree, because their small (5') tree 'looked funny' with so many presents under it (!) That seems like an odd problem to me.

And you know that saying about how when you point your finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you? Yes, it's true...Kitteninhat has a lot of toys. A lot of them are actually 'equipment' I bought over the years when I was teaching preschool, and I kept the items to take with me from school to school. A lot of the items came from Goodwill too...and a lot of them are homemade. I do limit the toys that are 'out' at a given time...so that she doesn't get overwhelmed, and I rotate things...put away the wooden farm puzzle for a while and get out the wooden cars and trucks puzzle, that sort of thing. Anyway, my point? It's easy to overdo the toy thing, but what Mel is saying is important...quality and safety should come first!


I totally agree. I think we all get swept up in that "more is better" concept that the world feeds us and our children.
I have to say I'm aghast at the freecycle request. I mean seriously, in most cases, if you can afford tons of presents under the tree, why can't you afford a better tree if that is your desire (not that there's anything wrong with a 5ft tree, mind you, but if they have an issue with it-go buy one, sheesh!). People are strange.

[MamaJamie]

I get so frustrated by this as well! My grandma and my aunt love to buy things for my girls. Lately, they've been in a panic about the China recalls and my grandma has been complaining loudly about how everything seems to be made in China (toys especially). But when I give her non-China options, she and my aunt both complain about the prices. I keep trying to tell her that if she wants to do something about the overseas production, they need to talk with the money. Buy the nicer toys and quit buying the cheap stuff...eventually companies will get the message that we're willing to pay for quality products.