The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-14
UPS AND DOWNS IN TICKLE TOY TRADE Said to Be Speculative as the
 Stock Market ADS SPRING UP SUDDE NLY Storekeeper Never Knows, When He Buys His Goods, If He Will Be
 Able to Sell Them-Mar-
 bIes Popular.
ADS SPRING UP SUDDE NLY

From the Washington Herald.
 Speculation in the toy trade" remarked the proprietor of d well hnown toy store in the northwest section of the city, the other day, lis almost as uncertain busi- ness as speculation in the stock market. Of course, there are some toys, which, like certain reliable shares of stock, are always in demand, and will sell, but for the greater part, the store keeper never knows when he purchases his bill of goods whether he will lose or gain by the transaction.
 When 1 place my order With the toy jobbers in the spring and fall, it is almost impossible for me to determine just what kind of toys to order. Although l always keep a list of my previous invoices and make note of just what toys sold well, it is still uncertain business. The popularity of toys is so changeaple that the store keeper is always at a loss to know just how many of each kind to purchase. Then there is also the change of seasons in toys, which is a very trying problem to contend with, for games which were form erly played in the spring are now played in the fall, and vice versa.
 Demand for Marbles.
 ''rhe demand for marbles, which was formerly one of the best selling articles in the trade, is now less than one-fifth of what it was, and happens al different season of the year The boy of several seasons ago played marbles or allies in the fall and continued to do so until the cold weather prevented him from enjoy ing the sport. Today, if the game Is en- gagged in at all, it is only during the spring months and early summer. l can remember the time when 1 used to buy 50, GOO marbles, all of which l sold without any difficulty, whereas. now l only buy about 10000, and often have z good many left on my hands.
 Tt is the same way with many other toys, which only few years ago were staple articles of the business. Tops, which formerly were an article which al ways sold well in the spring Of the year, are now seldom in demand. Because or the restrictions made by the police regu- lations, which prohibits one from flying kites within the city limits, they have completely disappeared from the trade. Jacks, which was once one of the most popular of all the games, Is another which is gradually disappearing. Decai- comanjas' is still another seldom sold in this day.
 "On the other hand, paper dolls and sol diers are becoming more and more popu- lar It is surprising how many hundred sheets of them l manage to sell in the course of a year. Paper falsetaces stlii sell we'll but the demand for them is not constant and occurs only at intervals.
 Roller Skates Lead.
 "Of all the toys which are sold at the present time, roller skates easily hold the lead as to popularity. Now that it has become a fad among both the young and the old to engage in this sport the sale of this article has increased to over three times what 1t used to be. Roller skating has also increased the demand for shinny or hockey sticks.
 ."The average boy of today" continued the storekeeper, has greatly advanced above him of a few years ago, and now demands a toy which represents some thing more than pleasure. It must repre- sent some principal in mechanics in order to please him. Miniature steam engines, electric motors, submarine, and self propelled boats are the kind of articles which are in demand at present. With these he can exp ,riment at little ex- pense, and at the same time is always learning something of practical value. When he outgrows the simpler toys Of this nature he takes to telegraph and tell epnOne lflSITuHleUlSt Dul liltSe ait d hltAC ou. of my line at present, although I prophecy that within d few years or so, the up-to-date toy store will have to car ry a full stock of such articles
 Pads Spring Up Suddenly.
 "A question which has always pre- sented itself to me during my thirty years experience as keeper of a toy store is just how a fad or season for a certain toy or game Is started. Things will go along very smoothly for several weeks, until, all of sudden, there is a great demand for ore certain toy. The toy stores are crowded in an instant with children who all want top, ball. or whatever the fad is at the time.
 ''Irow this happens I have never been able to tell, although there are several plausible reasons for t. Occasionally some boy, who is considered a leader among his companions in a neighbor- hood, appears on the street with a last years top, or some other toy and i'm mediately all the other boys feel that in order to be popular and up-to-date. they. too, must have this toy. Then, too. have known the fad for flying kites to be started by a spell of windy weather. which is the best time for this sport
 "I remember one instance which oc- cured over twenty years ago, when I managed myself to start a fad or season which was very beneficial to my interests. It was in the spring of the year when the hot days were just beginning to be felt. that I discovered that I still had in stock about ten gross of rubber balloons of the surawking variety, which I had been un- able to dispose of during the winter. knew that unless these were sold within a short time the rubber would harden from the effect of the heat and be com plete loss to me, so therefore. I tried a novel way by which to dispose of them.
 Doomed Rubber Balloons.
 'It happened that on the following day a small boy called at my store and pre- senting a penny, asked for one of my balloons. I complied with his request, broke it. I would gladly give him an- other The only requirement. that I asked was that he should do his blowing in the urally delighted with the idea, agreed to the proposition, and, with a twinkle in his eye bravely took his position, fully inn pressed with the thought that he would make me regret what I had said. In a short time he had managed to break over thirty of the balloons. but made no com plaint and continued to- hand them out to him. School children on their way to their homes stopped and chatted with him for a little while, and several asked him to allow them to blow the balloon once or twice.
 ''Within a short time the success of my experiment was apparent. for every child in the vicinity who saw him, wanted one for themselves and came running to my store. My stock was purchased within A