CHILDREN'S TOYS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24743, 7 December 1945, Page 3

CHILDREN'S TOYS

WIDER VARIETY AVAILABLE THIS CHRISTMAS Several large retail shops in Christchurch have window displays of children's toys, and although there is a shortage of some lines, a greater variety is available than in recent years.

Parents and others who have had experience of Christmas shopping for children, have found that peace has come to. the toy departments. Whereas in recent years warlike toys had prominence, this year there are few tanks, battleships, and other toy armaments on sale.

There are no small metal toys and no clockwork toys, which used to be imported from Germany and Japan Toys available range from paper dolls and bubble-blowers to dolls' houses and model yachts. The usual rattles, soft toys, dolls, animals and f£?vimi » are t in * airl y good supply. Bakelite tea-sets have again made their appearance, proving popular with shoppers.

There still no imported toys on the market, and New Zealand has to rely on its own toy industry, which is m its infancy. Many toy-makers are persons who do the work as a sparetime occupation. Some full-time toy hju C t Tnft 5 fcfJ 6 }n the Dominion, but soft toys and dolls are usually a SSSi. e «£ f soft factories, which fs avanaWe em "?° essen^l wo^