The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-01-28
THE TOY TRADE.
10 Very Largely Supplied by Home
Manufacture - The Foreign
supply.

There are $50 manufactures of toys
In the United States having a total
capital of $500 900. They turn out in
year about 5000. 900 worth of toys,
the material used in their construction
being worth about one-half that sum.
The importation of toys from other
countries amounts in year to about
100000, so that ii may be said gem
orally that the entire output of foreign
and domestic toys for the American
market reaches the value of about $6,-
ooo,oo0 year, though the selling price
at retail Of such articles is, OF course,
considerably more
By the federal census of 1890 there
were in the United States at that time
1880 900 persons between the ages OF
five and seventeen. and taking the ages
OF children between five and twelve the
number was about 100000. This
would give the average expense for the
children Of the United States at so
cents each year for toys, though 1t is
an average not impartially distributed
and not uniform in any state. The
higher grade of toys, the more intri-
cate mechanical toys, such as talking
dolls, automatic soldiers, steam cars,
boats and animal groups, are imported
from abroad, and the chief country OF
supply is Germany, from which the i'm
portations in 1897 were 50 goo 900 of the |
81. 200 COO OF all countries.
Germany has retained for many years !
this peculiar distinction of furnishing |
toys for the children of every country,
and it has suffered of late years no
of the trade. The center of /
the toy interest of Germany is the town
Of Nuremberg, and the chief market OF
is the city of Hamburg.
Following Germany as an exporter of
toys is France with total in year of
about 5000. 600 worth, an almost insig-
nificant figure when compared with the
export of Germany. but which would
be even smaller but for the fact that
what are known TO the toy trade as
Paris dolls" are not duplicated sue
,essfully elsewhere and in the con-
truction of them the French me-
,hanics seem to excel To small ex-
ent the Italian doll makers rival the
french, bnt the total importation of
oys in 1897 from all European coun-
ries, Germany and France excepted,
vas less than 100000, and from coun-
ries not in Europe less than $4,000 Z
he Germans have a peculiar knack
or toy making. and another advantage s
9hich they enjoy in the Bararian and
axon provinces. from which chiefly :
oys come, is th- cheapness of labor, !
he artists and designers receiving SIS :
0 s25 week each. while the pay of the a
iris who do the mechanical work OF c
the toys for market varies s
rom 25 to so cents a day. FL
For the cheaper grades of toys, that G
toys in which the chief article is
God, the American home supply is ade- t
uate. The toy-making business here Ii
ives employment TO about 1900 per a
,ns. Of whom nearly one-third are in 81
le state of New York. Toys are also n
ade in Massachusetts,, Pennsylvania d
I'd New Jersey. but very few in Con- /
,cticut. fewer IN the west. and p-ac- q
cally none at all in the south, though 0
iere is one toy factory in the state If s.
Whatever be the condition Ii
the toy business for manufacturing a
is one which allows of large profits, pi
i'd which entails. sometimes, large 81
sses to the retailer. c.
As articles of merchandise, TOYS are Il
ry perishable. They break easily: ii
e fashion changes in them often; is
ey are salahle only at certain times fc
the year. and then only in certain Of
AIDES, and the carrying of "a large di
ock' entails obligations upon dea.er fc
lich he finds it sometimes difficult to "
eet. But in holiday season. under W
rmal demand, the percentage of ce
oft is large. 1t is largest on foreign Oh
ade toys. fact which may accoun: ay
r the big importation. one-haIf Of the So
tai supply.-N. Y. Sun. fl
ayIuZ Three-Quarterx of m shin III