PLENTY OF TOYS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 September 1941, Page 6

PLENTY OF TOYS

MADE IN DOMINION RAPID GROWTH OF OUTPUT War and import r< tricti< n w ... not stop New Zealand eliildren from hav ! ing as much fun as ever with toys Hu: year. Although the demand ha been thrown entirely on local indu in'".. New Zealand factories have risen to the occasion, and the shops arc fairly well stocked with a wide variety of novelties calculated to plea c almo. t every juvenile taste, states the "N Z. Herald." Contrary to expectations, the young I mind does not particularly favour toys dealing with the war. In thee line.: the choice is varied Metal soldier | march, charge, stand to attention and i hre from the prone position, while re plicas of full military bands lend a real parade touch. One of the mod popular may be a model of a German soldier with his hands raised in ur render. SHIPS, AEROPLANES ANT) FORTS For those of a defensive frame o! mind, there are anti-aircraft gun*-, and even a cardboard fort, complete with Mags, soldiers, guns and an aeroplane. Children with a love of the sea may prefer wooden boat-, which range from tug-boats and submarines to models of the liner Queen Mary and battleships bristling with make-believe guns The air-mindedness of modern youth is recognised by the number of wellfinished wooden models. There i the deadly Spitfire and the übiquitous Blenheim bomber, complete even to a rear gun turret. But you can't fool young- | sters nowadays with toy aeroplanes, except perhaps the young one aid a shop official. ‘"They know too much about them.’’ In spite of th< seems tnat children will stand by their old favourites, and teddy bears are high on the list. Then- appears to be a better choice this year among soft toys. Among the wooden and metal novelties are all types of animals, fire I engines tip trucks, monkeys on sticks and racing cars which are even provided with detachable rubber tyres. SEVERAL LINES STILL SCARCE Among the most difficult gifts to pro•ure ar- childrens books Mechanical toys again will be short in supply, while rubber balls, sleping dolls, crayons and paints also will be scarce. i Shopkeepers expressed great satisfaction with the rapid strides made by the toy-making industry in New Zea- ! land. The goods were now of a better quality with a finer finish, and the gap caused by import restrictions is gradually being bridged. Numerous factories have sprung up throughout the Dominion, and a surprisingly wide range of toys is i 1 *inu prcduct-d