Show The Early Shopper Gets the T Toys Toys Toys- There Arent Aren't Enough for Everybody o H Ln r j j Stock 0 of Playthings Is s Larger Than an Last Year but ut Still Short sort eyed Eager-eyed kiddies will have to be content with about half as many toys this year as they used to get before the war when they come dashing in to the parlor on Christmas morning As everybody everybody everybody every every- body knows all kinds of civilian goods are scarce including toys Its It's a wonder in fact that there are any toys on the market in inthe inthe inthe the midst of a great war Both toy factories and toy makers makers makers mak mak- ers are busy making war materials percussion caps for torpedoes and shells gas masks and a thousand other things They make toys out of scraps and leftovers and substitutes substitutes like wood and pasteboard But at best they couldn't make nearly enough to satisfy everybody this year With wartime prosperity putting money into everyone's pocket fa fathers fathers fathers fa- fa and mothers uncles aunts and cousins have a good deal to spend on presents for the children in their families But they cant can't buy I all they want to because there just arent aren't enough toys in the stores toI togo to togo I go around Besides this there are two million more youngsters in the country than usual usual usual-a a result of the I rising birth rate of the war years Few Metal Pla Playthings things I Metal toys will be represented by bya a few articles but in general steel and md iron playthings will be missing I I l I w. w I I r. r tS A A I i i 4 3 N L JH Wooden playthings like blocks are not so hard to get but its it's still a I good idea to shop early A record-breaking record demand deman for toys of all sorts is anticipated and many children are going to be disappointed because because because be be- I cause of shortages fits are in fair supply manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers say Apparatus made of glass porcelain plastics wood or pasteboard is being substituted for metal articles For instance a microscope microscope microscope mi mi- mi- mi included in some of the science sets has a plastic tube and base A survey of the toy supply situation situation situation situa situa- tion conducted by the Toy Manufacturers Manufacturers Manufacturers Manu Manu- of oC the USA U.S.A. reveals such shortages as these Less than 15 per cent of the normal normal normal nor nor- mal supply of sleds with steel runners runners runners run run- ners will be on sale Sleds with wooden runners will be fairly plentiful ful but all in all the total number Ai J i N y r a 4 r tK Planes and tanks and siege guns naturally dominate the childish mind in n these war years These models o of fighting machines are made of wood and cardboard They are arc simple but sturdy The WAG WAC uniform the he little girl wears is a novelty this year ear steel sleds tricycles and bicycles coaster wagons construction construction tion ion sets and a thousand other things will be very scarce Some manufacturers have been able to find over left-over stocks of metal fabricated fabricated fabricated fabri fabri- before the war restrictions went into effect and others are using using us- us ing ng scrap material so a small quantity quantity quan- quan ity of metal toys are on the mar- mar ket Back in peace times playthings playthings playthings play play- things made of cast iron steel copper coper copper cop- cop per er aluminum and so on constituted constituted nearly half of all the Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas presents Toys made of rubber are very rare So are plastic goods Tires for or doll buggies are being made of mud which is residue from reprocessed reprocessed re- re processed rubber but these are about the only such articles on the market Wood is being used to make lots lotsof lotsof lotsof of things formerly made of metal and other scarce materials There are trucks rucks for instance of polished hardwood on sale Tanks and siege guns battleships steam shovels and many other mechanical toys are arc made largely of wood with a few metal parts Cardboard and wood combinations are also numerous particularly in the games division A cardboard D and nd wooden circus is isa isa isa a favorite this year Enough Dolls Dolls' and Teddy Bears Girls are more fortunate than boys this year for dolls are being turned out in sufficient quantities to meet the demand There are both hard and soft bodied dolls in the stores made of everything from cotton cotton cotton cot cot- ton to porcelain The fancy models have moveable eyes curly hair I pretty dresses and all the other trimmings Stuffed animals are on hand in sufficient numbers to take care of ordinary demands Teddy bears are plentiful it is said Carriages for dolls are offered to early Christmas shoppers at least since there are buggies on sale throughout the country These are made of wood with metal wheels Doll dishes of china and scrap plastic and iron cast-iron cooking utensils are being offered and tiny furniture can be had Hobby sets such as chemistry out out- of sleds available will be less than before the war While no electric trains are being manufactured there will be some offered for replacements for those boys who got a train set years ago Some metal construction construction construction tion sets are offered About of these have electric motors in in- in- in There are a good many wooden sets on the market No electric electric electric elec elec- lights for Christmas trees are being made but a few are on hand from last year No Autos or Bicycles Wagons with wooden wheels are fairly plentiful and there are some with metal wheels No metal toy autos or wheeled two-wheeled cycles or any such vehicles are offered A few scooters made from scrap steel can be had In some cities a small number of second-hand second bicycles and other wheeled toys are on sale These generally have been repaired and repainted Blown glass balls for Christmas tree ornaments can be bought readily readily readily read read- ily but tinsel excepting lead foil is off the market and certain other ornaments ornaments ornaments or or- and decorations are scarce or unobtainable Better Goods This Year The Toy Manufacturers state that thata a higher quality of wood and pasteboard pasteboard pasteboard paste paste- board toys is being offered this year explaining that experience has enabled enabled enabled en en- makers to do a better job now Many companies have sprung lately that were not in the toy business business business busi busi- ness before the war and some of these have had little production experience experience experience ex ex- so there is bound to be some poorly made articles on the market Skilled toy makers too are working in war plants in many cases so the toy factories have had to get along with partly skilled la labor labor labor la- la bor many of whom are over-age over or disabled More than of the largest toy manufacturing plants are turning out war materials in the main and andare andare andare are making toys on the side By maintaining some volume in their toy lines these companies were enabled to handle their war contracts contracts contracts con con- tracts more efficiently because they could operate their entire plant at I Inear near capacity I Another organization busily at I work on the toy situation is the Office Office Office Of Of- fice of Price Administration This government agency has to set fair ceiling prices on every toy item that is to be offered for sale More than articles have been examined examined examined ex ex- and priced and many others others others oth oth- ers are pending a decision In a abig abig abig big warehouse in Washington OP OPA A officials look over samples of all sorts of things many of them new to the market such as transparent plastic ducks and giraffes wooden telephone sets and pasteboard dolls Its It's a big job to put fair price tags on all these things but the OP OPA A hopes to complete its task before Christmas |