Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-12-16
SOME CHRISTMAS TOYS.
INDICATIONS IN THE TRADE THAT THE PoP.
ULATIoN on THE COUNTRY Is ~
SAFE HANDS

INDICATIONS N THE TRADE THAT THE Pop
uLATIoN on THE COUNTRY Is ~
SAFE HANDS.
From the New York World
OF making many toys there is no
end, and as every new Christmas sea-
son approaches the shop windows are
glorifed by displays Of novelties. The
child, pleased with rattle, tickled
with a straw need not nowadays con
tent himself with such simple play
things when for a dollar he can get ii
banged-hair Partisan wax.doll with
movable blue eyes. Business, the toy
dealers report, is twice as brisk as
usual this year. Dolls, Of course, are
most in demand of all the standard
toys. They are nearly all imported
from Germany and France. One Of
the novelties among them is a large
doll with wooden limbs so arranged
with ball and socket-joints a. to be
movable in all natural directions.
Among the dressed dolls the advan-
tage is very much with the New York
product over the imported. Many Of
these dolls are dressed in goods and
styles Of the latest invention and'latcst
mode, for doll-drcss making is an i'm
portant industry in New York, es-
pecially at this season of the year.
Among what are known as position
dolls" or "lIclcn's Babies" are earth.
enware dolls in many new and anus
ing attitudes, by which the pranks Of
Il whole nurScryful of children are
represented. Among the mechanical
toys the newest are working models OF
the elevated railroads. Upon the ele-
waited tracks, constructed and painted
after the style of the Sixth Avenue
line, cars are made to run by the turn
ing of little crank at one end of the
road. The track is not so long a to
make fogs Il matter of any concern,
and the dangers of collision are still
further reduced by the running of but
a single train. For Christmas trees
are many ornamcnted lamps and tin.
sci trinkets, and what is called Snow
powder" has been lately introduced,
to sprinkle over the branches Of ever
green trees. The savings banks and
embossed blocks and picture-books
abound in infinite variety. The latter,
especially, come in most attractive
forms, many of the New York publi-
cations being closely initiated after
Miss Kate Greenway's pictures and
others of English origin. Toy musi-
cal instruments are now a feature of
the trade, from the tin penny Christ
mas horns to Australian harmonicas
with bell accompaniment aud two or
three octave pianos.
There is an unusual demand for
cheap dolls. Dolls which cost not
more than dollar apiece are selling
now instead of the 81 or S. wax dolls
which have held the field heretofore.
This increased demand for dolls indi-
Gated, rs the World reporter was in.
formed, "an increasing population"
But nothing becomes old in the
line of toys said one large dealer.
"Our Noah's arks, which we must ad.
init to a grown person are not what
you might call new, are fully as at
tractive to the infant of to-day as they
undoubtedly were to Noah's own great
grandchildren. The imported goods
are about the same from year to year.
The American toy manufacturers turn
out some new devices every year in
metal goods and mechanical toys, but
nothing of that sort holds favor so
well as the standard dolls and arks
and building blocks which entertained
our grandathers and will delight our
grandchildren"