Andrew Vine: Have the toy-makers lost their marbles? THERE are only 338 days left until Christmas, so it’s time to start giving some thought to laying your hands on that must-have toy before the shelves are emptied. And if that’s a thought that sends a slight shiver down your spine, having just survived the festive season, then apologies for raising the issue. But make no mistake, even though it’s only January, the path towards the December 24 scramble for the last remaining garishly-packaged toy that is at the top of every child’s wish-list is being mapped out today. That’s because Toy Fair 2015 opens at London’s Olympia. It’s the annual jamboree at which the toys and games that will flood the shops in 11 months’ time, fuelling children’s dreams and some parents’ despair, are unveiled. Somewhere among the hundreds of trade stands and thousands of exhibitors will be that absolutely must-have toy, the one that has parents going from shop to shop in pursuit of it, or scouring the internet late into the night, driven on by the thought of a trembling lower lip when the presents are unwrapped if Father Christmas couldn’t get one either. It’s an unsettling thought that the whole cycle is already under way [...] leedsinnews/andrew-vine-have-the-toy-makers-lost-their-marbles/
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 07:03:15 +0000