Kids toy store: "do not play with the toys!"

by Kristin Darguzas (Subscribe to Kristin Darguzas's posts) Sep 29th 2007 6:29PM

Categories: Just For Moms, Toddlers, Places To Go

My Mom and I just got back from a chilly fall day at Lonsdale Quay. Nolan and I had to buy a birthday present for his little friend (thanks for all the suggestions) and we thought we'd have some fun too. The farmer's market is open Saturdays, selling crisp yellow fall apples and fuzzy striped scarves. We ate some crepes and saw a mouse (which both shocked and delighted Nolan and caused my Mom and I to push our food over to the side of the plate, because if you see one, then how many trillion are lurking in the walls waiting to pounce?) and then headed upstairs to the toy store.

I'd seen the store before, but had never gone in. My Mom had been in there the other day, checking out a 100-dollar-plus suede toddler jacket (to which I was aghast -- he'd outgrow it in four days and 50 bucka is the absolute limit on anything that goes on his body, jackets included) and the proprietor bolted for her, exclaiming over its beauty. I immediately got a little turned off, I hate aggressive salespeople.

Anwyway, Nolan and I looked for some cars or coloring material for his friend and we came across a yellow bucket full of shiny, primary-color trucks.

"Oooh, cars!" Nolan exclaimed, but I had to brush his hand back because on top of the cars was a handmade sign with a bold "Please do not play with toys!" declaration. I looked at it and took Nolan's hand and directed him toward some packaged toys, stuff he couldn't play with. Because isn't having a small child in front of an open box of tempting trucks kind of like placing an alcoholic in front of a couple vats of scotch and telling him not to drink?

I understand that the toy store doesn't want to sell a bunch of broken, grimy cars. But isn't that why there are packages? I didn't end up buying anything there -- I think it's a little insane to have a glowering owner and a sign that says "Do not play!" in a toy store. What do you think?

Comments (15)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

candi 9-29-2007 @ 8:17PM

I wouldn't shop there at all. We are lucky in that we have a locally owned toystore that encourages play.
By the way, I am with you- aggressive sale people suck :)

Mamacita 9-29-2007 @ 8:15PM

Aggressive salespeople do indeed suck. So do grimy, obviously-used toys for sale in a retail store. Ditto for kids in a store playing with toys that do not belong to them, and on which someone's livelihood depends.

"Playing" is for home or the park or Grandma's house. A store is not the place for playing, unless there is a designated play area. The aisles, shelves, and bins containing objects for sale are not designated play areas and the merchandise contained in them is not up for grabs, except by someone who intends to pay for it.

"Playing is one thing. "Shopping" is another altogether. They are not the same thing at all.

It is very unpleasant to see a child's grimy, damp hands all over merchandise that is for sale in a store.

I never allowed my children to handle merchandise in a store unless we were going to buy it. I'm not a mean mother, either; I've just been on both sides of the cash register.

MamaChristy 9-29-2007 @ 10:38PM

I think that if the toys are out and at child-level, then that is asking them to play with it. If they didn't want it played with - a gentle play that is appropriate for toys that don't belong to your child - put it on the counter or shelf. I think a you-break-it-you-bought-it policy is better. That gives parents the warning that kids have to be careful.

Alena 9-29-2007 @ 11:31PM

A few months ago I stopped at KB Toys with my son, and as he was playing with a toy, a sales lady came up to us and practically yelled at us and told us to put the toy back on the shelf. He was so shocked that he started crying. She didn't care. I wanted to punch her in the face. Needless to say, we never went back.

Rachel 9-30-2007 @ 1:36AM

We recently tried out a toystore that we had not tried before, and I figured that I could get ideas for Christmas. The kids were very good and were just picking things up to look at them, etc. The saleswoman followed us around the store the ENTIRE time, telling the kids, " Put that back, ok, now don't touch it anymore, look with your eyes, etc." We got out of there pretty fast, and haven't been back since. Some of the other local toy stores are very willing to let kids play, and they are the ones who are always full and are constanly making sales. (We were the only customers in the store with the hovering salesperson)

DaMoKi Bob 9-30-2007 @ 2:02AM

I've got to say if you change the name from toy to lots of products, similar situations occur. I would never buy from a store where the sales staff were Nazis, and I agree with those who believe 'try it you'll like it' is the best sales policy.

Without trying on, trying out, testing, tasting, listening, lying on, looking at a lot, and comparing prices I never buy a car, shoes, clothing, tools, Baskin Robbins, flashlights, paint, books, CDs, plants, Sleep Number mattress, pillow, sun glasses, or a pet duck... get the point you Nazis?

I know the "grimy" kid thing sends lots of sales people and owners helter skelter for the hand sanitizer and a repair kit, but this is an acceptable inconvenience if your sales soar, and to you too I say: try it, you'll like it!

SKL 9-30-2007 @ 2:27AM

I was at a toy store this evening too. A woman was there with her seven kids, who were all playing with every toy they could get their hands on. The young sales ladies were very pleasant and patient. However, when the children left, the store was trashed. (And if I were more sensitive to noise, they would have had an unhappy customer on their hands too. Actually I came close to telling one of the kids "don't throw things" after a metal car whizzed past my leg.).

In these times when you can't count on parents to control their children, it's understandable that shopkeepers have to take a more controlling stance.

On the other hand, I think it is much smarter to put out a few toys for all the kids to play with. However, it is not fair for parents to assume that everything in a toy store is fair game. These same people would probaby bypass a toy whose package a child had damaged, reaching to the back of the shelf for an undamaged one. It's just not fair to the entrepreneurs who take the risk that they will pay for merchandise they cannot sell.

Karen 9-30-2007 @ 11:12AM

It is totally INappropriate for children to be playing with toys, or anything in any store unless it is a designated play area. (Which makes total sense by the way.)

I've worked in a toy store, and you would be surprised at the number of parents that literally drop their child off in the store to play while they shop the mall. But even if the parent is right there watching, it is still wrong!

Children need to learn appropriate behavior even in a store that is enticing to them. Parents may pick up toys, examine them, see how they work, and even show them to their own children to see what their response is, but it is NOT ok for the child to do the same thing.

Look with your eyes, not with your hands is the rule in our house.

I've also noticed that children who go handle things in stores, also tend to handle things in grocery stores, and handle things in other people's houses and tend to get things out of the frig without permission. They need to learn that is not ok to handle other people's belongings. These items belong to the store until you purchase them.

Joy 9-30-2007 @ 11:51AM

If I didn't have three grandchildren under 7, I most likely wouldn't respond to this story but...I hope not to get as blasted as I did yesterday. I couldn't get my words out right to save my soul. Anyway.....I think if those trucks were at eye level of a child aged 3...how can they not want to touch them?? There is a big difference between "touching" and "playing". They are just kids and I'm sure those trucks were just begging to be picked up. Why were they down so low? So kids would see them and parents would "have" to buy them. Clever stradedgy (spelling???) As adults, do we not pick things up before we buy? I know I look and inspect every item of fruit I buy. I wouldn't buy an apple with a soft brown spot. If I walked into a florist and there was a vase of roses, I would poke my nose in them to enjoy the wonderful aroma. There is also a big difference between Nolan with his mother looking for a gift than a mother with 7 having a "party" in the store. I would much rather have my grandchildren alert and happy and not standing at my side like a soldier. There are always diffent circumstances and had I been Kristin, I would have left empty handed also.

Ann Adams 9-30-2007 @ 12:04PM

No blasting from me today, Joy. I can see both sides of this one and I wouldn't allow any of mine to race up and down the aisles or trash anything. No opening boxes, etc. I spent a lot of time saying "look with your eyes, not your hands".

But a pail full of little trucks at toddler level? It's a toy store for heaven's sake. The store has a right to do whatever it wants but I probably would have looked for one a little more child friendly.

Uly 9-30-2007 @ 2:10PM

No, I don't think it's insane. I think that those toys cost a lot of money, and every destroyed or drooled on or filthy toy is money down the drain for those shopkeepers.

However, I also think that if they want to enforce this rule, they need to, as you said, either keep the toys packaged or move them out of grabbing range. And that yes, a separate area with some "demo toys" (like bookstores have "demo books" of the ones with lots of pop-ups that can be readily destroyed) is beyond a clever idea, moving right into brilliant.

pbhj 9-30-2007 @ 6:38PM

If they're nice toys and it's an independent toy store then they probably can't afford to have "examples" out. The examples will need replacing frequently anyway ... otherwise people will say "these toys break easily" or "this store looks messy" and not buy anyway.

Joy said: "I wouldn't buy an apple with a soft brown spot."

Nor I guess would you buy an apple a child (you don't know) has bitten. Similarly people don't buy scratched, chipped or grubby toys. Sure, when the child is old enough to delicately handle an item then that seems fine - but you'd still need to purchase something you damaged. Try new toys at your friends birthday party!

My 2c.

Maria 10-06-2007 @ 1:48AM

Why is everyone so shocked that kids want to play with toys? We get a test drive before buying a new car, my kids deserve one too. If the toystore is only for grownup shoppers, then the toys should not be set out to entice little kids. Of course most adults who shop in toy stores have little kids, so you figure it out, where are the kids suposed to go while Mom is shopping for Timmy's birthday. I wouldn't shop there. With that attitude, they should sell medicine or furniture, not toys.

Laura 11-01-2007 @ 6:02AM

I think quite a few of your responders here have lost their minds. And your first responder is a real jerk. My child's hands aren't grimy, I have her wash them at decent intervals. And when we go into toy stores I ALWAYS let her play with the toys. It's the only way I know what she likes. And sometimes our visits there are for the sole purpose of playing with a few toys. So what? It's a TOY store. I don't let her destroy the packaging, and even at age 2 she knows better than that. And if she can break an age appropriate toy in 5 minutes of playing, then it was junk to begin with. I sincerely wish someone in a toy store would yell at me for letting my child play, so I could give them the sharp side of my tongue. Then I'd have them call a manager. Come on, make my day.

ehme 11-03-2007 @ 10:47AM

I ran a toy store for seven years, and we had a VERY strict policy on children playing with toys.

It was required. We actively engaged the children in playing with all the toys in the store. We tried to have demos of every product out. We had a table with a castle on it with figures on it.

Our theory was that if a parent sees a child playing with the toy and they are enjoying it, they are more likely to buy it.

Our playful attitude and philosophy on play and fun sold many more toys than the don't touch it you'll rob us of our money. And hovering sales people? I will walk out of a store if someone starts following me around and doing the smarmy salesperson bit on me. yick.

Many of our vendors would replace or credit us for broken toys. I hate toy stores that don't let you play with the product.

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