Traditional toys struggling in home market

Traditional toys are struggling to control the home market. Nguyen Thi Dan, a toy retailer on Nguyen Trai Street, Nha Trang City said, “This year, traditional toys seem to be making a huge come-back. Concerns over the safety of Chinese-made children’s toys have been raised as some Chinese-made products are reported to have been coated with a toxic chemical and contain dangerous levels of lead."

Traditional 5-pointed star-shaped lanterns and masks cost between VND5,000 and VND10,000 each. Unique shaped paper lanterns in a variety of shapes include square paper lanterns, cylinder paper lanterns, cute animal paper lanterns, lotus paper lanterns etc. The price varies from VND8,000 to VND15,000 depending on sizes and designs.

Other toys such as lion head, lion costume and drums for lion dance can be found. A lion head toy costs between VND100,000 and VND350,000. A drum costs VND20,000-VND45,000.

However, toys made in China still hold a predominant position in the local market. They are quite cheap, between VND15,000 and VND65,000 in various designs and shapes of cute cartoon animals.

Vietnamese traditional lanterns made of bamboo frames, cellophane and paper are hit by intense competition from Chinese plastic lanterns, which could make movements and produce lights and sounds.

Besides lanterns and lion dance, shops are also flooded with other toys, including dolls, teddy bears, cars, planes, trains, etc.

Local manufactures need to improve toy designs to meet the local demand and increase their competitiveness. The Provincial Market Management Department in association with authorities has enhanced supervision over children toys at the coming Mid-autumn Festival to prevent the sale of dangerous toys. The government warned parents to make sure that the toys their children are playing with are safe and age-appropriate.

N.T