In the past, the adult and child world arguably had much in common. Today's children are initiates in a culture which baffles many parents. Little adults Catherine Howell, curator at the Bethnal Green National Museum of Childhood, says television has hastened this process. A lot of toys used to be just miniature versions of adult things. That definitely changed with the coming of telly.
Adults are now more confused about what children want.
The recent Pokemon craze was a case in point. Cracking the market Mr Baulch says as a parent he is only too aware of the influence that TV and videos have over his children. Television crossovers, such as the Teletubbies, have proved so lucrative, he predicts such licensed products will continue to dominate the toy industry. The Teletubbies unlocked a new market. The show was one of the first to be aimed at very young children.