Children’s toy collections

Table 5.6.1. shows how many toys children own, including their favourite toys. (all figures = percentages)

Source: Steenhold (1993,d)

The description “not many toys” is used to describe a quantity of toys which can be stored on an ordinary shelf or in a box. The description “many toys” represents a bookcase full of toys or the contents of several boxes. The description “a great many toys” represents several bookcases or boxes full of toys.

Children who don’t have many toys often have certain things they play with a great deal. The parents of these children often have a definite opinion as to why their children don’t have many toys. Their attitude can be that toys represent consumerism and consumption is best restricted to a minimum. Some parents feel that toys are frivolous things while other parents believe the opposite, i.e. that toys are things children must learn to look after and treat with respect. In the survey, the parents to only 14 children expressed such opinions, corresponding to 3.5% of the total number of families.

Even though children generally have many toys of a certain kind, this is in itself no guarantee for them actually playing with them. Conversely, even though some children don’t have many toys doesn’t mean that they don’t play very much! They use everything and often supplement one another.

Many of the children have a diverse collection of toys, some of which they rarely or never play with.

Such toys were acquired either as “pacifiers” (to get the child to be quiet) or bought on impulse, i.e. unplanned purchases. The majority of these toys are made in poor materials and form the bulk of children’s toy collections. Toy retailers estimate that spontaneous impulse toy purchases account for 10-15% of turnover and busy, stressed parents are most prone to making such purchases. These purchases are almost always made in the last hour before closing time.

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