CHRISTMAS TOYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20292, 28 December 1927, Page 10

CHRISTMAS TOYS.

DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH TRADE. CHILDREN’S FAIRYLAND. TOUR THROUGH A LONDON STORK /From Ocr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 11. A few years ago Germany produced a doll which was made in the image of a real baby, and wa s not the travesty of the human features which children had previously put up with. British manufacturers have followed this artistic precedent and have gone one better. The head and shoulders are made of a composition not unlike china, but it i s unbreakable. The features are true likenesses of those of a happy, healthy infant, and the colouring is true to life. These may be seen in their hundreds at any one of the great London stores which have already arranged their toy departments in readiness for the Christmas_ season. A tour through one cf these children’s fairy lands is a pure delight. The soft “cuddly ’’ beasty seems to be the .particular product of British manufacturers. No foreign competition comes in here, and what an array there is of those marvellous creatures, evolved, as it were from the original Teddy Bear. We are told, however, that Teddy remains the favourite. Every pleasant and unpleasant animal seems to be represented, but the very latest is the squirrel with a bushy tail. WONDERFUL DOLOURS. This year, however, these creatures have come on the market in a variety of colours that far out-rival Nature. The golden brown is s till to be seen, but they appear with coat s of cherry, petunia, and cyclamen—very delightful, rich, and warm colourings, but thir prototypes in Nature would get a shock if they saw them. As an indication of the spread of the Imperial spirit the page s of that delightful book “ Bib and Bub ” are exploited, and all the Australian animals are represented in the woolly group. Of course, there are sizes to suit all purses, and doubtless there are buyers for the kindly woolly dogs as largo as a real bear and costing six guineas and more. There are probably buyers, too, for the life-size lions, goats, bears and zebras, made true to life, but they cost £2O each. In a wonderfully-made ■■■' -le may be seen a variety of wild animals—monkeys in the trees, lions in their lairs, antelope on the rocks, bears, and a dozen other kinds—so that a fortunate child in these days could make for itself a zoological garden of inanimate animals. Another lino in which British manufacturers now excel is the theatrical doll. It is made of cloth and the features are hand painted, the dresses being perfect miniatures of the smart models of the day. A fine scheme of colouring - is seen in bluebell and copper, and the hundreds of little figures are grouped on what might be a replica of a Riviera sea front. The Italian theatrical dolls are a handsome line, but the British makers are doing just as wellTHE COMPLETE RED INDIAN. Boys are well catered for in a full equipment of Red Indian articles. There is the wigwam itself, and there are shields and axes of silver wood, clubs of papier mache, spears, knives, tom-tom drums, and Canadian canoes which run on wheels. A new line is a Zulu blow-gun which shoots harmless darts. The whole outfit may be had at 5s lid. Repeating pistols fire wooden bullets or peas, and an elaborate Hotchkiss battery fires indiarubber shells. The miniature motor car has been developed so that it is practically an imitation of a large car except for the engine. Moreover, prices this year have been reduced considerably. A simple car for a sraali child may be bought for a guinea. The more elaborate range up to £l4. Realism has been brought into the equipment of rocking horses, and the best, with saddle and bridle and all other appurtenances the real thing, may be had for lOgns. Five guineas, however, is the price for a less elaborate but excellent article. For a small child there is the Jolly boat, with rubber-tyred wheels, so that lie may propel himself about a room. Boats on rockers seem to be favourite articles. All these larger toys are of English make. But the rocking horse, with a fur coat, can only ,he obtained on the Continent. Dolls’ houses seem to be still in demand. There is the eight-roomed house with garage, and electric light for every room run from an accumulator in the loft. It is an elaborate affair for some favoured child, for it costs £24 10s, but there is a fine selection of more humble abodes, one with a lift which is worked by a handle outside. MECHANICAL TOYS. Meccano and Hornby trains are of Bri tish make, but mechanical toys for boys are coming mainly from America or Germany. German steam engines hold the market. The few manufactured in this country are of a high price. An improvement in the model steam engine is the vapourised burner, the methylated spirit being vapourised by a small pilot burner before corning through a rose. From America comes a line of clockwork toys which could not help but gladden the heart of any boy. In the first place, the springs are strong. Thc/e are clockwork motor cars. There are military tanks for 18s 6d, and tractors and wagons for about £l. The tractors and tanks go over any obstacle just like the real article. Expensive mechanical animals come from Germany. A bear who walks, stands up, and moves his head and grunts, costs 52s fid. There is a dog who walks and turns his head and barks; a cat who walks and meows; a pig that grunts, and a horrible fighting cat which c>owls and whose green eyes light up by means of electricity every few moments. It is a fearsome sight. A FLYING TOP. In these days of the aeroplane it is natural that flying toys should be found in plenty, hut an attractive novelty is a. flying lop. One presses on its centre with a | screw stick and it rises to the roiling, I comes down to the floor again, and con ■ tiniios spinning on the floor. I Finally, for the Christmas season, there are great paper crescents and stars which may bo fitted over an electric lamp. From these there hang a variety of presents to lie nulled off at the appropriate lime. Artificial Christmas trees are provided, much like the real thing, but the branchymay be pressed hack along the trunk and the tree packed away for another tear.