I have got to get out more.
That’s going to be my approach to being gob-smacked by the prices of all sorts of things. Shop more, get more accustomed to seeing items of dubious value ( and I do mean dubious–possibly not long-lasting enough to survive the trip in the cart and through the check-out) placed on shelves and in bins labeled with sums that once would have filled Christmas stockings from Maine to New Mexico. Whooee.
And a lot of the toys are–in my not-so-humble opinion–kinda ugly. My personal not-so-favorite was a plastic toilet seat that made noise. Real Christmas-y. Leaving aside the dolls with questionable wardrobes (Believe it or not, there are people who do not want their little girls to look like Playboy models…or to play with dolls that look like Victoria’s Secret specials) or features that look insolent, sorta like that one brand called Bratz. I suppose Raggedy Ann (& Andy) has been retired by now, probably on Social Security for playthings…too soft, too prone to being cuddled instead of being dressed up like Madonna…not plastic enough. There is not a lot that can be done to make toy cars/trucks into non-toys, but somebody seems to be trying to make some of them into rather bizarre vehicles that no kid has ever seen before.
And do you know how hard it is to find a just plain ball to play with at a price not approaching a major league equipment selection? Whoa !
I have begun shopping for the Operation Christmas Child from church; I got through the un-fun stuff like toothbrushes & toothpaste–socks are a little more fun but not by much. Clothes are tricky, since the age ranges are pretty wide (Boys of ten are WAY different from boys of fourteen; ditto for girls, though the differences are fading lately). Also, the suggestions made i the accompanying brochure are a tad unrealistic–getting a soccer ball into a shoebox, along with a pump, for instance, not to mention the miscellaneous small stuff to really FILL the box. I always try to get a plastic shoebox so that a kid will have a lasting container for his/her very own stuff, whether it came for Christmas or any other time, someplace for his/her personal treasures. I usually try to put at least one soft toy in every box; even big kids are not above having a favorite toy once in a while.
Waiting for the day when I can put a cat in there…and expect it to survive. The stuffed ones will have to suffice for now.
Meanwhile, I’ll be out shopping.
