Evening star., 1944-12-03
Stores Still Have TOYS,
But Wrapping Paper
Disappears in District

Don't worry, kids. there are plenty
OF Christmas toys awaiting your
pleasure - local stores, but Who
ever buys them for you may have
to cart them home practically as
Is, because wrapping paper seems
to have disappeared from town.
And the traditional ornaments, ar
tiflcial snow and electrical doodads
that light Christmas trees are prac-
tically nonexistant this year.
Yet things could be much worse
for Washington's fourth wartime
Christmas. With the large variety
of toys which usually are made of
wood or heavy cardboard, gay holi-
day Wrappings, seals, tags, ribbons
and bright cord still can be pur-
chased, and Christmas cards also
can be obtained, although they are
going like hot cakes And that
just about completes the picture of
what is available locally for the
Yule season.
Shortages Erroneous.
Distributors, wholesalers, retail
ers, department store buyers and
statesmen agree reports that few
toys will be available on local store
counters this year are erroneous,
and they emphasize that there is
absolutely no reason to become pam
icky for fear of being unable to full
NIL juniors Christmas requirements
While all other toys are expected
by dealers to last almost up to
Christmas, the consensus is that
games may run short. They are
present in unusual variety, all in
brightly colored boxes, and Junior
will have the opportunity to play
at everything from bombing Ger
many to ferrying Liberators over
the Atlantic and if he tires of such
amusement. he can convoy ships,
operate railroad trains, play COM
mando or marine, take pref1ight
training, pilot B29 or just take
a fling at baseball, football or
checkers.
Dealers explain that this season
the manufacturers, still unable to
obtain metal, have profited from
previous mistakes in making toys
from wood and heavy cardboard and
accordingly have turned out sturdier
and more durable products.
Few Talking Dolls.
The survey discloses that avail
able toys include a good supply of
dolls made of both washable and
various non-essential materials,
wide array of doll clothes including
evening dresses and doll walkers,
houses and even carriages with
wooden wheels.
Besides dolls and accessories, there
are also brightly colored boudoir
chairs for the little girl, and a gen.
eral line of Lilliputian furniture,
dishes and other miniature house
keeping goods, and WAVE and WAC
uniforms. For the boys, there are
big bow and arrow sets, dart boards,
wooden tanks, ships, flying and solid
airplane models, wooden scooters
and wagons, composition soldiers,
wooden rifles and antiaircraft guns,
small-size Army camps replete
with GIs, pup tents and fiagpole
and wooden trains. Metal trains
velocipedes and similar items are
still out for the duration.
Few tree ornaments are to be
seen on counters, but in their place,
little artificial fireplace logs sur
mounted by tall, red candles are
being sold. Whatever electrical
tree-ighting appliances remain are
from previous years stocks.
All dealers agree that sales Of
every kind of Christmas merchan-
disc, including toys, were above last
year at this time, with many re-
porting current sales up as high
as 40 per cent over 1943.