Intex Summer Swimming Inflatables

It is very nearly midsummer, although you might not know it from some of the very cool weather we have been experiencing in the UK. Anyway, holiday season is almost upon us and Comaco Toys has acquired a great selection of inflatables from Intex. These are perfect for the beach, pool, or even paddling pool in the garden. They are also cunningly priced so as to not make much of a dent in the holiday budget, and have the added advantage of all being small and light weight when not inflated.

The range includes full size air mats or lilos in a choice of three colours. There are also pool noodles or tubes which come with two per pack, again in a choice of colours. We also have Neon frost tubes; jumbo sized swim rings in orange, green or magenta.

The large 61 cm aquarium beach ball boasts a fantastic design. When the ball is inflated it contains a 3D tropical fish – your very own aquarium. The colour choice this time is pink or blue.

Finally we have 3 products with Disney Planes designs. The arm bands are suitable for children aged 3 to 6, between 18 and 30 kg. Plus we also have generously sizd beach balls and swim rings.

To check out our full selection of outdoor leisure items, go to our Summer Fun section on the Comaco Toys website.

Are “Toys of War” Acceptable?

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AR15 Toy Gun Set. One of a range of toy guns we stock which fire soft suction cup darts

This is a very different post compared to anything previously published on the blog. Like most companies we get a lot of unsolicited emails and letters. Some ask for contributions, some try to sell you their wares and a few just ask you questions. The vast majority can be quickly discarded, but I read one today that actually made me spend a good half an hour or so typing out a response. This was the email:

Dear sir/madam, I am writing to talk about the topic of war toys, we as students of oakgrove school have been taking part in a arts project to do with war. We are currently collecting military toys in Milton Keynes to create a sculpture of a war based toy. I am also writing to talk about why you as one of the main companies think it is acceptable for your children to play with war toys. Children view war as a game, when in reality it is a horrible thing that no child should ever view or experience as a ‘game’.

Although I certainly would not describe us as “one of the main companies” supplying such toys, army toys and toy guns and weapons do certainly form a part of our range. I have very occasionally encountered people who object strongly to this, and whilst I do not agree with them myself, I respect their feelings on the matter.

My attitude on the subject really comes back to my own experiences as a parent and as a child. I was in fact the father of two sons before starting the Comaco Toys business and found that, although both myself and my wife actually encouraged play with “more peaceful” toys, the boys seemed to naturally graduate to want to play with toy guns, action figures and knights etc. At the time I thought this was particularly interesting since I was keen to try not to reinforce traditional boy stereotypes in terms of toy choice. I remember that in particular my eldest son would frequently play “guns”, “swords” or “soldiers” with toys that were not remotely designed for this purpose.

As a boy myself these “violent” kinds of toy were always my favourites as well, but I had assumed that this was at least partly the result of nurture rather than nature, in that they were traditional boy toys that were encouraged by my parents. When our second son came along a few years later we quickly discovered he had similar preferences in his choice of toys. I gradually came to the conclusion that this kind of “violent” play might in fact be a way of successfully channelling aggressive tendencies, rather than a means of fostering them in the real world.

A controversial theory perhaps, and a difficult one to prove. However it is certainly true that neither myself or my sons, who are now into their late and middle teens respectively, have gone on to use real firearms, get into crime, have serious fights or even want to join the armed services. I realise this is a very small sample to make conclusions from, but my gut instinct is that play with these kinds of toys does nothing to directly encourage violence in the real world, or even to trivialise the harsh realities of war.

Later, as a toy buyer, it seemed natural to me that these toys would form part of our range and I must say I have no serious qualms about this. I guess it would be possible to find toys out there that cross a line in terms of good taste, but I am personally quite happy that the majority of mainstream toy guns, soldiers and the like are not a bad thing per se. However, I do concede that in certain contexts the use of such toys might take on a more disturbing aspect, for example in a war torn country like Syria where a child playing with a toy weapon might well be called upon to use the real thing a year or two later. I can also readily see that anyone who has come from a war torn environment is almost certain to have a different attitude to these kinds of toys.

I suppose in essence the argument is similar to the old one of whether the things we see on TV and in film actually encourage or endorse the kind of behaviour they show, or whether they act as a kind of harmless pressure release valve. Given the perennial popularity of action films, crime dramas, murder mysteries and the like it is only to be hoped that most watchers of these are not encouraged to go out and commit violent acts themselves. Similarly one would assume that most viewers of, for example, violent murders on television detective shows, would not then adopt a trivialised attitude to the real thing should they ever be confronted by it. To even argue that this might be the case does to my mind seem rather absurd.

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World Peacekeepers Action Figures – another range we stock which might be regarded as “toys of war”.

Well I’ve had my say. Why not let us know what you think on the subject?

Big Easter Sale Weekend at Comaco Toys

It’s been a while since we last had a sale, so at Comaco Toys we have homed in on the long Easter weekend coming up. From Good Friday 3 April until Easter Monday 6 April we will be offering 10% automatic discount on all listed prices.

It couldn’t be a better time with so many great new products in stock – Papo, Schleich, Nerf, Megabloks, Hello Kitty, Peppa Pig, Transformers, Super Heroes etc. Also it’s spring, it’s the school holidays and UK shipping is included: lots of reasons to celebrate! Happy Shopping, but don’t forget the offer expires after Easter Monday…

Easter Sale 2015 Comaco Toys

Schleich Dinosaur Figures at Comaco Toys

Comaco Toys have stocked Papo Dinosaur Figures for a couple of years, but now we are very pleased to add German designer Schleich’s equally detailed models to our range. We have 6 prehistoric creatures to begin with, all hand painted and beautifully realised. At the larger end there is of course our old favourite Tyrannosaurus Rex, plus the even mightier Giganotosaurus. A couple other fearsome two legged predators come in at a slightly smaller scale – Carnotaurus with his Satanic horns – and another famous name, Allosaurus. All of these feature opening jaws. We also have winged dinosaurs represented by Anhanguera. This Terrapod  has a particularly vicious looking set of teeth, again with an opening jaw. Last but not least there is a very well armoured herbivore – Kentrosaurus. I think most meat eaters would think twice before trying to tackle those spikes. Schleich has many more models available and we are sure we will add to the range soon. Check out all the Schleich Dinos we have to offer currently, and don’t forget also our wide range of Papo Dinosaurs.

We also have other great Schleich figures now in, including Super Heroes, Peanuts, Knights and Sea Life. See also more Schleich dinos here!

More Transformers Age of Extinction Toys

Since the release of the new Transformers film last summer the toys have been proving very popular. Comaco Toys recently received a new consignment of Hasbro Transformers figures. There are three different kinds; pocket sized Classic Legion, larger Power Battlers, and two figure Dino Sparkers.

Power Battlers are approx 13 cm high and fully transform in 8 steps. Other figures available are Scorn and Autobot Drift.

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Transformers Power Battlers Bumblebee

Classic Legion Figures are approx 7 cm high and are fully transformable. Other figures available include Grimlock and Strafe.

Dino Sparkers all feature one transformer seated on another. To release sparks simply pull back and release. The measurements are approx 18 x 12 cm.

Check out the full range of Transformers Toys at Comaco!

London Toy Fair 2015

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Late January brings the start of the Toy Fair season with in short succession, the London Olympia, the Spielwarenmesse in Germany, and the Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC. Last week it was the Kensington Olympia Toy Fair and I made a literally flying visit from snowy Inverness down to grey and rainy Gatwick to visit the capital for the day.

It was a great chance to catch up with some of our principal suppliers such as HTI, Papo, Padgett Bros and Peterkin. In addition, I was also of course on the lookout for what’s hot in the toy world in 2015, and for what might fit snugly into our rapidly expanding range of products.

Model designer Schleich was one of my first stops. They have a great range of dinosaur figures that will hopefully complement our lines from Papo. In addition there are also new exciting Justice League figures featuring Batman and Superman.

Movie tie-ins are obviously going to be a major factor in 2015. Minions were everywhere, Frozen was ever present, and there were no shortage of Transformers, Super Heroes and Dinos from the new Jurassic Park. Spongebob is also due to make a reappearance and even a certain franchise set in a galaxy far far away is about to prove it isn’t done yet.

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A good hour was spent having a guided tour round the Hasbro, where Transformers, Marvel Jurassic Park were in clearly in evidence. However of particular interest to me were new Nerf ranges. Below can be seen the Nerf N-Strike Modulus ECS-10 Blaster:

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Sadly, since we are not an existing Lego customer, I couldn’t get in to see their stand, but Playmobil had a great display, as did Bandai with their Power Rangers, and Character Options with Doctor Who, Simpsons and Minecraft Toys amongst others.

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There were many others too numerous to mention, including some lovely toy vehicles from Britains and Bruder, and smart toy versions of household appliances and power tools from Casdon and Klein. Finally, after helping myself to Character’s generous array sandwiches and snacks, it was time  to make my way back to Gatwick for the evening flight. One of my final stops was at HGL’s stand, where Megasaurs look likely to roar their way into stock range very soon!

30% Off Toy Special Offers January 2015

Well Christmas has been and gone and what a busy season we had – our best ever. But onwards and upwards, and we have a great January special offer for you. From now until 31st January we have an automatic 30% off selected toys.

These include all of our Rainbow Loom Band Sets.

Disney Frozen Designer Loom Case

Large Disney Frozen Loom Case. Contains 2400 bands, 100 clips and 1 hook. Multiple Colours.
Box size 35 x 19 cm approx. Suitable for ages 6 plus.

Frozen Loom Band Case

Medium Disney Frozen Loom Band Case. Contains 1000 bands, 50 clips and 1 hook. Multiple Colours.

Designer Loom Jewellery Maker

Designer Loom Jewellery Maker. Loop, weave and wear with this Loom Kit which includes 500 bands, 30 clips and knitting tool. Great for making bracelets, rings and much more besides.

Plus we also some other great items:

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Doc McStuffins Cushion to Go – converts from a smart bag to a comfy cushion!

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Teamsterz Die Cast Track Racer Car Sets

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Teamsterz Die Cast Emergency Heli Response Sets

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Western Rider Cowboy Gun and Holster with Sheriff’s Badge

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Toy Tool Sets – Choice of two

Plus we also have dress up fireman and police sets and much much more! Check out the full list of 30% Off Bargains at Comaco Toys.

Christmas Toy Gift Ideas at Comaco

The last time I posted about Christmas it was late September and the festive season still seemed a good way off. But how time flies! Two months have whizzed past and we’re now firmly in midst of xmas shopping madness.

Somehow my thoughts of putting up a post in early November seem to have gone out of the window, but I still thought it was worth putting together a few biggish present gift ideas for the big day.

All of the products below, plus many more besides can be found in our new Christmas Toys category on the website. However, be warned things are moving very fast stock-wise. What we have now may well be all gone by next week!

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Black Hawk Die Cast Helicopter: One of four scale model helicopters we have in this range. See also Cars, Trucks and Vehicles and Die Cast Toys.

 

Nerf Elite Thunderbow

Nerf Elite Thunderbow: we also have Nerf Elite Rough Cut, Nerf Blaster Sleeves and Nerf Mobile Mission P.A.K. Plus, our other ranges of Toy Guns are always in demand.

World Peacekeepers Patrol Boat

World Peacekeepers Patrol Boat: our World Peacekeepers range of articulated action figures, vehicles and accessories continues to be popular. See also Army Toys.

 

Barbie Stable Set

Barbie Stable Set: see our Barbie Toys and our full Dolls and Fashion range. 

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Wooden Noah’s Ark: another brand new item. See our range of Toys for Younger Children

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Auto Garage Centre with moving car lift and rotating repair bay

Remember FREE standard UK Shipping with worldwide and expedited options available. Happy shopping!

 

 

More Fun Time Toys!

We recently got in a range of new toys in the popular Fun Time range from A to Z (see also our earlier post). These are especially designed as moderately priced colourful learning toys for toddlers and younger children.

We have shape sorters, push along toys, bath toys, pop up toys, clockwork musical toys, stacking cups and learning bricks: check them out!

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Bath Time Activity Centre. Two to choose from; Frog or Sea Horse.

Push along Brick Truck with alphabet bricks 55061

Push along Brick Truck with alphabet bricks

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Wind up Musical TV; available in yellow or orange

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Chrissie the Caterpillar push along shape sorting toy.

 

International Delivery at Comaco Toys

Here’s some good news for our blog readers in the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, India and other locations outside Europe. With the busy Christmas season coming up we are very happy to announce that we are reintroducing worldwide shipping from Comaco Toys.

As from 27th October customers throughout the world will be able to order from us again. For buyers in the UK and Europe nothing will change. However, outside Europe we will offer new shipping services which are fully tracked where possible, and which  in every case will require a signature on delivery. Therefore customers will have the reassurance of knowing that their package can be traced, no matter how far it is going.

If delivery before Christmas is required, please make a note of our last recommended shipping dates to various locations around the world. We recommend you place your order with us at least two days before these dates if at all possible to avoid any chance of disappointment.

Wednesday 3 December: Asia, Far East (including Japan), New Zealand
Thursday 4 December: Australia
Friday 5 December: Africa, Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle East
Monday 8 December: Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Greece
Tuesday 9 December: Canada, Poland
Friday 12 December: USA
Saturday 13 December: Western Europe (excluding Greece, Poland)