Toy shops

syklops

I posted this in the lego section but got no replies. I dont think anyone goes there anymore. The question is this:

Is it me, or is the number of toy shops, or shops where you can buy toys on the down turn?

I still play with lego(mainly technic and mindstorms), and I got some of the transformers toys when the movie came out and I find it difficult to find them. Argos is quite good, but only has 2 pieces of lego technic. Where else do they sell toys? The art and crafts shop in Stephens Green, and of course the Toymaster and Smyths on/near Jervis Street, and.... erm. Where else is there? Where else can you get Lego or Transformers?

When I was a lad, Dunnes had a massive toy department. Roches stores had a large section, Tesco was not around, it was Quinnsworth, and they usually had a decent selection. And loads of other places had them too. Why not anymore?

If you agree with me, that there has been a decline in the number of toy shops, I have 2 theories as to why this is the case. The first is mobile phones. Every kid now a days has one, they cost the same as a decent toy would cost. I mean a standard mobile costs about the same as Tracy Island or the large Batcave playset used to. Now for christmas, the average 10 year old wants a samsung GT911 WITH the bluetooth adapter. The other theory links into this. Toymakers have taken advantage of this and created "toys" out of regular technology, so they don't need to spend money researching new toys. What was last christmas's most sought after toy? The bratz television was on the top of the list of many kids(mainly girls). I was horrified when I saw it recently. Its a regular portable telly, sprayed pink, and has the bratz logo. WTF? Thats not a toy, its a television. It does not do anything, other than show TV. What has gone wrong with kids today? Is it that they are growing up too fast? I think so. I have not grown up yet, neither have a lot of people of my generation. Why is it the only people you see in the Lego/Hornby railway/ Scalextric/Airfix/ areas of Toymaster, are all bearded young men in their 20's and 30's, and are shopping for themselves, not for their kids. What is wrong with our society? Comments anyone?

biko

I haven't thought about before it but yeah, I think you're right. Haven't seen a toy shop in ages.

cson

I miss getting Lego for Christmas

Feck all toys these days encourage any spatial thinking on behalf of kids, thats what I think anyway.

Random

Can't find a pirate memory game for love nor moneY!

syklops

just had a check. the top 2 presents this year are the wii, and the xbox 360. Bearing in mind, thats for all kids, from 2 - 18. When I was a kid, the only people who had consoles, were 14+. Usually even older. Now there are 8 year olds with playstations and mobiles. By the time they are 14 they have no imagination left for xmas, so they just upgrade their mobile or console.

The chemistry set is on the verge of extinction, as are science pstudents in university. Something is very wrong.

JC 2K3

ciaranfo wrote: »

Can't find a pirate memory game for love nor moneY!

Sleepy

I suppose what you also have to consider is the modern existance of toy 'superstores' like Smyths, World of Wonder Toys'R'Us etc. Giant retailers always push smaller players out of the market. Though I think that's only a factor, the OP certainly has a point about children's changing tastes in Christmas/Birthday presents.

fitzet

You could try 'The Toy Store' in the middle of Dawson Street. It has a great range of more traditional type toys than the usual big chain. You'd definitely find a pirate memory game there!!! They have a lot of lego - not sure about technics or mindstorms. They are small though so might be more willing to order in something for you than one of the big chains would be.

electrogrimey

tl;dr, but I got the gist. Isn't Smyths off Henry Street still there? That was always a big one.

Edit: 500th post, I'll put my new star on the top of my Christmas Tree.

Another Edit: You already mentioned Smyths. What a shitty 500th post.

MayoForSam

My two young ones are only interested in:

a) bugging me to 'obtain' the latest DS games from my usual sources

b) going into McDonalds and ordering a Happy Meal just for the toy that comes with it.

Gone are the days when a boy or girl would spend hours looking into his local toy shop window adoringly at that Hornby train set, Cindy dollhouse or latest Meccano kit, writing and re-drafting his/her letter to Santa many months leading up to Christmas.

The fact that 90% of toys need batteries is not a good sign at all.

The Volt

syklops wrote: »

I still play with lego...........

Comments anyone?

Act your age.

dreamers75

Lego website selling box of 1600 for €50 free delivery if you buy 2, got 4 boxes for my kids for xmas.


Well maybe 1 for them


Couldnt find any decent lego in shops other than the build one thing crap smyths have

TomCo

What kids need for Christmas is good kick in the head.
Sort them out.

Dudess

I love love LOVE buying my god-child pressies in the big Smyths in Cork. One of the best shops for browsing EVER!

OT: Cork was never good for toy shops - at Christmas there would be temporary toy sections in Dunnes and Roches, but for the rest of the year, extremely limited.

dreamers75

Dudess wrote: »

OT: Cork was never good for toy shops - at Christmas there would be temporary toy sections in Dunnes and Roches, but for the rest of the year, extremely limited.

Make a fortune selling toy boats this year.

Manic Moran

The chemistry set is on the verge of extinction, as are science pstudents in university. Something is very wrong.

It's because the Health and Safety Nazis have declared all the fun and interesting chemicals in the chemical sets to be far too dangerous. Nobody buys 'em any more. "Mix this chemical with this chemical, and watch it turn green". Dude, I can do that with food colouring. Where's the potassium lump that you used to be able to throw on the saucepan of water?

It's a valid observation, OP. Even the 'traditional' stuff isn't what it used to be. I swung by a Toys R Us a while back, just reliving my childhood as it were. Swung by the Tonka section. I used to have a lot of fun as a kid with my Tonka trucks, solid things made of sheet steel that survived the worst that a growing boy could throw at them. I was the terror of my mother's flower bed with the digger. Now they're pansy plastic things that have no heft to them at all and probably wouldn't last a season.

A lot of the other things I played with as a kid are gone now. Anyone remember lawn darts? Ye gods, you might kill someone. Heaven forbid you should get your kid a cap gun now. All those times playing cops and robbers/cowboys and indians, now gets frowned upon because we're encouraging violence in kids. I'll tell you this, it got me out of the house and in the open air. (and, of course, the guns can't look anywhere as near realistic as they used to). Meccano is tough to find as well, those nuts and bolts could be swallowed by a kid, you know. Not to mention the sheet metal things.

You can still get train sets, though. I think. Lionel should still be in business, good solid metal things which could survive a six-year-old. (Unlike Hornby/Bachmann which are a little more 'serious'). Would have to hit a speciality store probably, though. Scalextrix remains an option as well, I guess. The joys of digital control make both even more interesting.

It is a little depressing.

NTM

stovelid

Manic Moran wrote: »

Swung by the Tonka section. I used to have a lot of fun as a kid with my Tonka trucks, solid things made of sheet steel that survived the worst that a growing boy could throw at them. Now they're pansy plastic things that have no heft to them at all and probably wouldn't last a season.

There was an ad from years ago where they had an elephant standing on a Tonka truck...

Manic Moran

I guess I should add, the Late Late Toy Show isn't what it used to be either. I seem to recall enjoying it a lot more when I was about ten. That one night of the year when I got to stay up really late. Both the toys and the show both seemed to have turned downhill.

Or maybe I just got older. Not sure.

Anyone ever go to model shows/model train shows any more? I used to partake in those, either as part of the South Dublin Model Railroad Club or the Irish Model Soldier Society.

NTM

dr.bollocko

Zombie thread alert.