4 ms·

Does ToysRUs sell bad quality toys? My mom always bought us name brand toys and they were all excellent, we got Ghost Busters, Jurassic Park, Power Rangers, Act

by tinco 9y ago

Does ToysRUs sell bad quality toys? My mom always bought us name brand toys and they were all excellent, we got Ghost Busters, Jurassic Park, Power Rangers, Action Man. All got years and years of play from both me and my little brother. Don't they also sell Lego, Playmobil and Barbie? I hardly think toy quality has to do with their problems. I think the answer is just 'Amazon', as it is to most of the world's retail industry. I don't think wood is a very suitable material to make children's toys with, but to each his own.

wjnc 9y ago
My rant was more against the whole cheap plastic toy industry. The big chains definitively sell more cheap stuff (daresay shit) than my eco-self would like. But you're right: Legos, Playmobil and indeed Barbies (my girl is a few weeks old, so yet to start on that avenue) are all very durable plastic toys and a large staple of what Toys R Us and other big toy stores sell. I agree with the other commenters that Amazon and Alibaba online and local discounters locally only serve to enhance the get-plastics-for-nearly-free market in toys. An example: The metal miniature cars of the 80s still survive to this day. The plastic miniature cars, even those with metal tops, of the 10s get ruined by my boys in 24-48 hours. I don't even think they play like little monsters. A few good falls and it's gone. Then I get to toss it away and I really cringe. I blame toy stores for that, but that's totally naive.
- wdr1 9y ago
  > My rant was more against the whole cheap plastic toy industry. Honestly, I don't have a problem with cheap, plastic toys. This is something my wife & I don't see eye-to-eye on. She favors things made from wood, tend to be more expensive, etc. I personally don't care. At this age, kids are hard on toys. Their change and they might play with a toy for 5 minutes & the never again. All the more reason for something cheap & inexpensive.
  - wjnc 9y ago
    But ... your child and your childs' child will inherit our planet. Not saying your reasoning isn't economically sound, but the external effects of all that plastic are clearly not in the price.
pjc50 9y ago
> I don't think wood is a very suitable material to make children's toys with Why not?
sarabande 9y ago
Wood certainly is a suitable material -- in Germany where I live, there are at least two toy stores around the block that carry a large selection of wooden toys. It may be a German thing, but people here hold them in high regard. Wooden toys are more expensive and often less complex -- perhaps that is what you are referring to?
- tinco 9y ago
  Yeah, like for example I really adored the Brio railways a sister comment mentioned, but I never saw anyone have more than maybe a figure eight with a bridge, presumably because they're intended for younger kids that will want the more complex Lego stuff a year or two later anyway.
avip 9y ago
Wood is the best material for toys. In the unlikely event it breaks, you just fix it in 5m and get extra good feeling for no cost.
- dexterdog 9y ago
  Reason number 7 that the toy companies moved away from it
virtualritz 9y ago
> I don't think wood is a very suitable material to make children's toys with, but to each his own. I grew up with Brio railway[1]. I still remember the vast networks my brother and I built. 40 years later these same toys are used by our own children. These wooden toys have stood the test of time much better than any plastic ones we had at the time. In every regard. [1] http://www.brio.us/products/all-products/railway http://www.brio.us/products/all-products/railway

by tinco 9y ago

wjnc 9y ago

My rant was more against the whole cheap plastic toy industry. The big chains definitively sell more cheap stuff (daresay shit) than my eco-self would like. But you're right: Legos, Playmobil and indeed Barbies (my girl is a few weeks old, so yet to start on that avenue) are all very durable plastic toys and a large staple of what Toys R Us and other big toy stores sell. I agree with the other commenters that Amazon and Alibaba online and local discounters locally only serve to enhance the get-plastics-for-nearly-free market in toys. An example: The metal miniature cars of the 80s still survive to this day. The plastic miniature cars, even those with metal tops, of the 10s get ruined by my boys in 24-48 hours. I don't even think they play like little monsters. A few good falls and it's gone. Then I get to toss it away and I really cringe. I blame toy stores for that, but that's totally naive.

wdr1 9y ago
> My rant was more against the whole cheap plastic toy industry. Honestly, I don't have a problem with cheap, plastic toys. This is something my wife & I don't see eye-to-eye on. She favors things made from wood, tend to be more expensive, etc. I personally don't care. At this age, kids are hard on toys. Their change and they might play with a toy for 5 minutes & the never again. All the more reason for something cheap & inexpensive.
- wjnc 9y ago
  But ... your child and your childs' child will inherit our planet. Not saying your reasoning isn't economically sound, but the external effects of all that plastic are clearly not in the price.

pjc50 9y ago

> I don't think wood is a very suitable material to make children's toys with Why not?

sarabande 9y ago

Wood certainly is a suitable material -- in Germany where I live, there are at least two toy stores around the block that carry a large selection of wooden toys. It may be a German thing, but people here hold them in high regard. Wooden toys are more expensive and often less complex -- perhaps that is what you are referring to?

tinco 9y ago
Yeah, like for example I really adored the Brio railways a sister comment mentioned, but I never saw anyone have more than maybe a figure eight with a bridge, presumably because they're intended for younger kids that will want the more complex Lego stuff a year or two later anyway.

avip 9y ago

Wood is the best material for toys. In the unlikely event it breaks, you just fix it in 5m and get extra good feeling for no cost.

dexterdog 9y ago
Reason number 7 that the toy companies moved away from it

virtualritz 9y ago

> I don't think wood is a very suitable material to make children's toys with, but to each his own. I grew up with Brio railway[1]. I still remember the vast networks my brother and I built. 40 years later these same toys are used by our own children. These wooden toys have stood the test of time much better than any plastic ones we had at the time. In every regard. [1] http://www.brio.us/products/all-products/railway http://www.brio.us/products/all-products/railway