The Price of Toys

Why is it every time I hear about a new "all natural" toy store, the prices seem just ridiculous?

Quiet Hours Toys looks really cute, but a teensy little handmade doll will run you $50. Ouch! That said, I can argue modestly higher prices for each toy we buy because we don't buy a lot of toys. Our current reasons:

• Recent recalls have made me reconsider the necessity of plastic toys


• He'll play happily with an empty box...why spend the money?


• The more toys we have, the more toys we have to store


• Less plastic toys on our floor, less plastic toys in the landfill one day. Green living isn't as much about buying "green" as it is about consuming less, so we're working on that part


• I don't like overwhelming him with a giant pile of toys...just a few select ones at a time so he can actually appreciate what he has


• After much thought we've come to the conclusion that a toy that doesn't have flashing lights and noise requires much more imagination creativity. That is, there is no definite answer as to how the toy is to be played with, so the sky's the limit

So even if I do spend a little more money on a well-made toy that encourages learning instead of distraction, I can argue the point because I still don't spend much money on toys.

Locally, we're lucky enough to have The Acorn Store. It's stacked to the ceiling with plastic-free, battery-free toys that make me want to sit on the floor and start playing. It's not as cheap as Target or the like, but I'm much happier with the purchases I've made there. Our last purchase was a set of unpainted wooden blocks for stacking. MetaDaddy and MetaBaby have thoroughly enjoyed stacking and knocking over their creations. I found a little video clip of Acorn and it's owner posted at "Challenge and Fun."

Since I've found some great stuff there, I don't feel compelled to go shopping online, which I usually have no problem doing ;-) However, I have found a few online stores that seem to have a fun selection of clever, natural toys for babies and kids, so I've bookmarked them in the event that...I don't know...just in case. Besides, keep in mind that if you find something you like at one of these sites, it might also be available at a discount elsewhere (e.g., amazon).

Oompa
Plan Toys
Sparkability
Modern Mini
Magic Cabin
Barefoot Books
eBeanstalk
Vermont Country Store
Maukilo
Peapods
Babystyle