The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-15
GERMANY'S TOY INDUSTRY.
Exports OF These TrifIes Aggregate
millions of Dollars Annually.

Washington Star.
The toy industry of Germany is the sub
ject of an interesting report TO the State
Department by Commercial Agent Harris,
at Eibenstock. The manufacture OF toys in
Germany is an industry which gives en-
ployment to fully $1,000 people. The total
value Of the annual exports amounts TO Sl3,-
196, ESQ. Mr.. Harris says that the prosperity
Of this industry, like a great many other i'm
portant lines of manufacture in the German
empire, is dependent upon the Importation
Of certain raw materials from abroad. The
wood grown in the forest Of Bavaria. Thur
TO the industry, and that one product has
had more to do with its development and
stability than any of the Others The manu-
facture Of toys in Germany has become GEN.
tered chiefly in the cities Of Nuremberg and
Sonneberg, which cities have become famous
for the quantity of their products. They
supply fully 50 per cent. of all the toys ex-
ported from the empire.
Commercial Agent Harris says that the
manufacture OF toys has become impor-
tant as a domestic or house industry among
the people i'm the little principality Of Mem
ingen and the small villages near SOnne-
berg contain many skilled wood carvers and
cabinet makers. In the village OF Ham
mern, toy ships. large and small, are carved
by persons who have never seen a sea or a
navigable river. The making OF doll cloth
ing. confined chiefly TO SOnneberg. Is almost
entirely the work Of women and girls. Car
n1val masks are prepared IN HelnerSoort,
while animals and fowls are fitted up with
furs and feathers in the little village OF
Neufang. The toy industry OF ~Sonneberg
consists mainly of papier-mache goods
which are gradually pushing wax dolls out
of the market. There are more than 5000
people engaged in making toys in Some
berg and in the villages Of the Thuringian
forests. Fully 70 per cent. OF that number
between the industry OF SOnneberg and
that Of Nuremberg lies in the fact that the
former consists principally OF the manu-
facture OF handmade toys, supported by a
highly developed house or domestic indus
try. while the latter manufactures toys
with machinery in factories equipped with
all modern appliances. The two cities are
not direct competitors, for each has its own
peculiar specialties. and these afford. says
Mr.. Harris, ample opportunities TO observe
how manual labor in the one. In which
part, il pitted against the technique me-
chanical skill and trained Intelligence OF the
other. Another marked difference between
the two industries IS that the products OF
Nuremberg are principally of metal-tin SOL
diers. swords, railway trains, fleets. mod
els of machinery and other toys intended
for b~oys-while Sonneberg uses almost ex-
clusively wood; porcelain, glass and paper
I'm the production OF toys best suited 10
girls. The German trade generally speak
ing, calls for toys Of the cheaper sort. and
the department stores i'm the large cities
buy large quantities Of them for advertising
purposes. Agent Harris says that the flu
ture prosperity OF this industry will depend
very largely upon the ability Of German
statesmen TO secure favorable commercial
treaties with foreign countries.