Smyths - poor range of toys.

BostonB

Seems to me that now that Smyths has come to dominate the toy market the choice of toys has become very poor. Maybe its just rose tinted glasses, but it seems to me that the toy shops of my youth, had much wider variety of toys, especially cheaper toys. The whole factory warehouse experience is a lot less fun that hunting through the muddle in smaller toy shops. When I got shopping these days with the kids, it feels like thats loads of the same toys on the shelf, and most are the bigger cost items rather then the loads of the smaller toys.

Lego is a classic example. Lots of big sets and very few smaller set.

Wondering what others think?

draven3410

I found smyths to be the same. I preferred the smaller nik-nak toy shops of old. There's two toy shops beside each other near Jervis, Smyths and Toymaster. I much prefer Toymaster, smaller range of brand toys and amount but more range of choice

Aiel

Smyths range of Cuddly toys is very poor i think.Ive been to other toy shops in the U.S and even up the north and theres been stacks of cuddly/soft toys for "young" kids but Smyths just has the token gesture Winnie the Pooh characters plus some Disney ones too.No soft animal's etc.

K.O.Kiki

I can never seem to find those cheap boxes of toy cars with lots of DIFFERENT cars anymore.

Also, please avoid those €2 Lego knock-offs. Worst moldings I've ever laid my hands upon!

ChopShop

Ah i remember the cheaper options from toy stores when i was a kid.... and how adults used to fob me off with them.

Whilst Smyths definitely do almost single-handedly control the toy market here, meaning that if they don't stock something, it's going to be HTF, there's a more general reason: Kids just aren't as interested in toys as they used to be.

Smaller Lego Sets: I don't pay much attention to their products these days, but yes i remember them. IIRC, about 10 years back Lego had to do some major restructuring to stay afloat. Maybe they just don't make that many of the smaller sets now.

In short: I'd say it's down to a combination of things.

Aiel wrote: »

Smyths range of Cuddly toys is very poor i think.Ive been to other toy shops in the U.S and even up the north and theres been stacks of cuddly/soft toys for "young" kids but Smyths just has the token gesture Winnie the Pooh characters plus some Disney ones too.No soft animal's etc.

Hamleys out in Dundrum may have a large range of stuffed toys, they're not cheap tho.

BostonB

I don't agree. Kids are still buying toys. Its till a massive market. Toy stores in other places like NI or the UK, have a wider choice.

Mion

I think your kinda forgetting the size of Ireland vs. the UK or USA of course the rang is bigger, as it is with most things. Also the toy safety standards are huge in europe the last few years so a lot of those "cheap" toys are now illegal

BostonB

Its not illegal toys. Its they chose to stock primarily the top end of a range of toys. Its not like these toys are made here, or are specific to Ireland. Its a global market.