Hosing kids is just wrong. That is what I feel is occurring with the Bakugan toys. Kids watch the TV show and they want them. In an economic climate of despair, a toy of limited “real” value with an exorbitant price just seems wrong. If you got some kind of value for your money perhaps I wouldn’t be so outraged but these things look to be worth a buck and they sell for way more. I researched one by request of my grandson and the best price I could find was $35.00. This is for a toy that looks like it should be found in Crackerjack boxes, remember the free toys in Crackerjack?
I am aware that you can just say NO to the purchase of the product and in a free economy the manufacturer is justified in selling their product for what ever exorbitant price they can get. It just frosts me that they can use these preteen infomercials to create a market, promote an erroneous perception of value by alluding to the collector value of the toy (yeah right) and instigate conflict over the purchase of these questionable toys. If you refuse to succumb to the pleas to purchase, you are a horrible parent and obviously don’t love your kid. In spite of some of these insidious toys being on my grandson’s Christmas list, he won’t be getting them from me. Lego’s are also expensive but at least you can justify the creative aspects and that fact that whatever your age, you can’t have too many Legos.
Short of banning TV, I don’t know what a parent can do to protect their kids against insidious marketing. All too many of the “cartoons” are simply infomercials. Somehow we have to teach the kids to recognize they’re being scammed. I don’t think the concept or the toy here is inherently bad, it is the method of selling and the outrageous pricing policies that disappoints me. Even toy manufacturers should take a look at the overall economy and price their products accordingly.
I am aware that you can just say NO to the purchase of the product and in a free economy the manufacturer is justified in selling their product for what ever exorbitant price they can get. It just frosts me that they can use these preteen infomercials to create a market, promote an erroneous perception of value by alluding to the collector value of the toy (yeah right) and instigate conflict over the purchase of these questionable toys. If you refuse to succumb to the pleas to purchase, you are a horrible parent and obviously don’t love your kid. In spite of some of these insidious toys being on my grandson’s Christmas list, he won’t be getting them from me. Lego’s are also expensive but at least you can justify the creative aspects and that fact that whatever your age, you can’t have too many Legos.
Short of banning TV, I don’t know what a parent can do to protect their kids against insidious marketing. All too many of the “cartoons” are simply infomercials. Somehow we have to teach the kids to recognize they’re being scammed. I don’t think the concept or the toy here is inherently bad, it is the method of selling and the outrageous pricing policies that disappoints me. Even toy manufacturers should take a look at the overall economy and price their products accordingly.
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