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Show There's Always Enough Cash to Buy Christmas Toys for the Little Ones Even If the Grownups Must Economize By M H. iltET NORItIS, Special Correspondent of The Stand-i Stand-i ard-Ejcamlner. Copyright. 1922. by The Standard-Examiner.) Standard-Examiner.) CHICAGO, Dec. .Mr. Jones of J. II. Jones and company, whose re-ccnt re-ccnt financial i ri-is was the moment's Sen.sation of "the street," did his I Christmas shopping today. It consist-led consist-led of :i single purchase and was made In tho toy department of Marshall Field and company a $200 doll house for little daughter Betty. 'Tho world knows we are broke." Jones explained to his protesting wife, and that means a ban Christmas for you and mc. But how arc wc going to explain that to Betty?" This incident, declared R. C. Olb-ison. Olb-ison. toy buyer for tho Marshall Field store, is merely one of hundreds of its kind which prove that In the toy department de-partment there Is "no such animal" as 8 lean Christmas. If there la any economizing econ-omizing to Ik? done It Is the grownups jwho must do lt, for no matter how much money might be tight, there is always millions of dollars to buy tovs for the little folk. olume of business which we do here- at Christmas time is no barorac-' iter of the economic situation in general," gen-eral," Mr. Gibson said. "The Christmas Christ-mas of 1907. the year of tho panic, exceeded the previous year In the sale or toys. For tho lean Christmas of 1 9 20 we sold more toys than In the fat Tuletldo of 1919, while the still leaner season of 1921 set a new record all of its own. And this year, with prosperltv back ahead of Santa Claus, the kiddies will find their stockings fuller on Christmas morning than they ever did before. The steady Increase in the volume of toy business does not mean necessarily that the world ii growing richer and more generous' Mr. Gibson explained, 1 but rather than to toys are being Improved and the public made to realize more and more their lntrlrslc value to the child. "Peare and contentment of mind are two-thlrda of the battle. Pretty clothes, palatable food, moral comforts of life, the average child takes for granted. But isn't a velocipede worth $10 If. through such a gift, you can make a sickly child play out of doors? Right then and there a doctor's bill Is saved And did you ever see the face of a little girl light up when she was presented pre-sented with a coveted doll?" The glittc ring child's paradise know n as "the toy room," is Indeed a miniature minia-ture world. Here, lovely ladles of the doll trilH gowned Ilk.'; debutantes, with wardrobes custom made, eom-iplote eom-iplote from silken underwear and furs I to sparkling Jewelry live in doll houses wlh elevatirs, electric llvht ar l run-inlng run-inlng water in every room. 1 hey sleep i In beds llttea with renl sheet., and pillow pil-low cases and 'ylng in drawing rooms on gilded Louis Qulnze divans "Who buys all these glittering and luxurious toys?" f asked. Surely 'here are not J K. Irn s enough'.'" 'There are two i lasses of customers for toys." answered Mr. Gibson. "In th first class is the practical mother and father who get a gift for Its utility, util-ity, the one that will last the longest before its ruins Will graci the attic or tho wood box. "In the second 'doss is the young man who wants to get in strong with blpr Mr.ter. the aspiring business man who hopeT to close a deal with father, the Unclfl Billh and grandmas, ble their hoarts who Jurt like to spoil the children nd don t care how much they do It "It Is th! In Iter group who buv Betty, tho French doll that wills, talks, though she would be JubI as happy with raggedy Ann which sho ran love to death and hurl against the wall In lif t childish rage. It Is these who buy the. Junior, the- miniature six cylinder car, though he would havo rwm. pm aajpa m just us much fun riding a kiddle car i around thu block. "Ono devoted Uncle Bill camo to me the other dav with bars In bis J i s, U ad'ng a four-year old nophuW by the hand. The only thing h wants In the store Is one of those palatial doll houses." he moaned. 1 am pei-Ifectly pei-Ifectly willing to pay the price- but Ihink of how they will kid him about it when h xrnws up." "Many and odd are tin experiences of tills kind In toy land. "What is the highest priced toy you ever saw or hi ird of?" I asked, my curiosity still unsatisfied. It was u fullv equipped merry-go-round svith electric driven horses and automutlc music. It was made In Germany and was bought by an American department store fur display dis-play purposes It cost $1 500. Since the Germans havo been too busy making mak-ing bread ;ind butter to duplicate BU( h a toy there are a number of toys to be had today on which the price tag as high as $700 |
