Mumbai mein aadmi ka bharosa nahin, China item ka kya guarantee denge?’’ says Prakash Singh of Gulshan Toys at Crawford Market. The showroom stores all kinds of toys from China. The economic downturn may have affected business a bit, but the entire brouhaha over toxic elements like lead found in China-made toys, seems but a minor irritant for the city’s toy stores.
Instead, new and more exotic varieties of toys from China have made it to the market. So, for example, if your child is as fascinated by NSG commandos as the rest of the city, then there is an M-40 Commando Sniper gun with small plastic pellets for bullets? Or, if he’s a little less adventurous, then why not give him a heavy-duty truck that senses walls and avoids them and can be controlled from a battery-operated remote? The sniper gun retails for Rs 250 and the truck costs Rs 400 at Crawford Market.
And for just Rs 5,500, you can get a small version of a scooter which Nissar Ahmed, who owns Toy Factory at Mohammed Ali Road, says is quite a hit with the South Mumbai brigade. These monsters, three feet wide and up to four-and-a-half feet in height, weigh about 20 kilos.
Tech-savvy parents often get plastic mobiles, for Rs 150, for their children to play with from the time they are in the crib. A bucket-shaped gym that allows the baby to jump around is also a huge hit at Rs 750. There are even toys with Chinese names wrapped in dragon designs. A game called Gougou Sentri is a virtual car race between multi-players played via remote along a pre-defined route. Then there are bows with plastic arrows that stick to walls and swords that glow in the dark. Around five to seven pieces of each are sold daily.
Toys come from China via the sea and reach various warehouses across the country, with Kolkata and Chennai the most popular destinations. From here, wholesalers buy them before they reach retailers across the country.
Most retailers feign ignorance about the lead issue while a few say the entire incident is blown out of proportion. The toy sellers have also used the entire incident to increase profit margins. “A Rs 200 toy will now sell for Rs 280. There was no need to raise this issue anyway. China toys are the best. No complaints ever,’’ said another retailer.
Ahmed Jaffer of Famous Toys at Mohammed Ali Road claims: “Some Delhi shops use local plastic products with ‘Made in China’ stickers to sell their products. But everywhere else, only quality China toys sell. Those guys know how to make toys for the current generation at a price that is cost effective for parents. That’s why they will always remain popular.’’
M-40 Commando Sniper gun with plastic pellets Price: Rs 250
Heavy-duty truck Price: Rs 400
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