Gifted Originals

Watching Wonders of the Solar System last Sunday, I was left completely and utterly spellbound. Presented by Professor Brian Cox, the BBC 2 programme was informative but not boring, complex but not difficult, and so very captivating.

Friendly-voiced Prof Cox takes the viewer to the most extreme places on Earth to explain the how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the solar system. Any talk of the Solar System usually leaves me petrified, over-whelmed, and left feeling a tad insignificant in the grand scheme of things. By personalising the planets -”scorched Mercury who was stripped naked of its early atmosphere and is fully exposed to the ferocity of space” – Cox makes the programme accessible for physic-phobes who like a little bit of emotion mixed into their science.

Wonders of the Solar System is a real must-see for adults and children alike, and although its on Sunday’s at 9pm, when the kids are in bed, the kind people at the Beeb have the 5-episode series on iPlayer.

To captivate their – or your – imagination further, why not buy a telescope and encourage them to search the night sky for a shooting star?

The world’s largest toy car collection went under the hammer last week, fetching its owner £115,000. Horace Dunkley put 2,281 of his prized Matchbox Models of Yesteryear up for sale – thought to be amongst the largest collections in the world.

Thousands of toy car enthusiasts from the UK, Europe, USA and Australia clamoured to get their mitts on the models, which ranged from £5 to £2,200 each, with an extremely rare 1965 purple Y3 Benz limosine valued the most. Mr Dunkley began collection in 1975, but after an industrial accident left him out of work, he dedicated all of his spare time to collecting the models.

Having travelled the world in search of the toys, Horace’s collection is now the largest in the country. The collector from Stamford, Lincs, said, “I first started collecting the cars simply because I liked them and thought they were good value for money.

“Over the years I’ve built up my collection and now it’s one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. I’ve got them from allover the place, from toy fairs and swap meets and from contacts I made through the articles I was writing.

Speaking about how much he has spent on the collection, Horace said, “I have no idea how much I’ve spent on them over the years – the most I ever paid for one was about £200 but most of them were just a couple of quid.”

Whereas many die-hard collectors have sacrificed a great deal for their cause, the world’s largest toy collector said “if it was a choice between a miniature and a Sunday dinner, the joint of meat would win every time.”

Horace attended the auction, over the two days, and was said to “surprisingly upbeat” as he gave television interviews and signed copies of the hard backed issue of the reference catalogue.

Parents in Canada are being warned about allowing their children to play with Fisher Price’s Little People, after a 10-month-old baby who died after swallowing them.

The warning covers Little People figures made before 1991 that because of their circular base measuring three-quarters of an inch (2 centimeters) in diameter could easily be swallowed by children. The items could get stuck in the child’s throat and block airflow, which could lead to serious consequences for the child.

Health Canada, the country’s Federal health department, said the warning does not cover similar toys manufactured after 1991 because the later versions of the same figures had 1.25 inches (3 cm) circular bases that would not fit into a child’s mouth.

Whether this will apply to the UK is yet to be seen, but this is yet another health scare regarding Fisher Price toys. The company launched a public information campaign in 1992, entitled the ‘Family Alert Program’, in response to reports of seven fatalities and one serious injury related to the use of these figures by children under the age of three. The program provided education to parents and caregivers concerning the risks of continued use of the older Little People figures.

All toys carry a more or less safety risk, and as a toy retailer, Gifted Originals recommends all children should be supervised when playing with small toys because of a child’s tendency to want to chew small things!

Last week we reported about exercise equipment, this week it’s on a make-up range for kids. Coming from none other than Katie Price aka Jordan, the beauty products will include an edible lipstick, blusher, mascara and various nail varnishes.

A few months back, the former model and businesswoman caused a storm when her two-year-old daughter, Princess Tiaamii, featured on her TV show, ‘What Katie Did Next’, donning false eyelashes and full make-up. The stunt led to Price’s former husband and Princess’s father, Peter Andre, saying, “If I’m honest, I’m absolutely disgusted and to me that’s the worst thing to be worried about. It’s a two-year-old girl and to me that’s disgusting.”

Apparently inspired by her daughter, the mother-of-three said, “We went to Disney World and they do make-up for children and mine will be like that. But it won’t have glitter in it like the Disney stuff, it will be safe.

“I go to my drawer and my pencils are blunt where Princess has used them. Make-up for kids is perfectly fine, it’s pretty harmless really. Little girls have always enjoyed playing about with a bit of lippy and mascara. It’s only a big deal because it’s me.”

Are we only making a big deal about the range because it’s Jordan, or is there something fundamentally wrong in tots wearing make-up? Sure children love to play dress up, but one suspects Katie is going to face the fiercest criticism yet by using her daughter to promote the beauty range.

A globe is, in my opinion, the most ‘globally’ treasured piece of learning apparatus. Where others lose their relevance once you’ve mastered the times-table and alphabet, a globe will spark the imagination of a child the same way it does to an adult.

For hours on end, I’d sit in my room with the lights out to fully maximise the globe’s glow. Then starting in the UK I’d trace my finger across Europe and on to distant lands, imagining the scenery, smells and warmth that I would encounter if I were to visit there. Reading books and watching films, I’d write down the places the stories were set in, making a note to check them on my globe later that evening.

Much like a Bible sits in every European hotel room, a globe has sat in every house I’ve occupied. The depths of the sea and the vastness of Russia are still tangible no matter how big or small the globe may be, and wrapped around are the histories of millions of people, events and wars that shape the way you and I live today .

To start the spark of wonderment and imagination in the little ones, what better way than to bring a globe into the picture? Visit Gifted Originals for more information.

Here at Gifted, we’re very excited about the forthcoming release of Toy Story 3. As already written about in a previous post, it will tell the story of Andy leaving for college, and leaving the toys behind, but with a few twists and turns, desperately trying to get Woody back. Nothing groundbreaking about the storyline, but it has thrown up the question: what do you do with the toys once your child grows up?

“The youngest kids who saw Toy Story and Toy Story 2 when they first came out are now kind of heading off to college. That’s the position Andy’s in, so it’s very strange and nostalgic for people to see this character that is part of their childhood kind of growing up with them and facing the same life changes,” said director Lee Unkrich, who was a film editor on Toy Story and co-director on Toy Story 2.

One toy alone holds hundreds of memories, so how an earth do you decide what to do with these – throw them in the trash? Give them to a charity shop? Maybe you’re local day centre or GP waiting room? Whatever you decide, chances are there’s going to be a particular doll or toy car that you could not possibly part with, that will forever conjure up memories of when teenager Harry was toddler Harry.

“For anyone who’s had a transition in their life – heading off to college, parents sending their kids off to college, people getting out of college and heading off into the workforce. Those are major transitions. Our characters in their own way are dealing with similar transitions”, continues Unkrich.

One thing we are sure of though, a toy from Gifted Originals will always be of the highest quality, so you can be sure that toy car or baby’s doll will last for as long as your memories do.

With its brightly menu options and a plethora of apps, the grown-ups let alone children, have been going iPhone-crazy. With gazzilions of apps to choose from, the handheld Apple-made gadgetry tends to put its lesser rivals to shame.

When mum’s not checking nursery schedules or looking at the recipe app for inspiration, it seems children cannot keep the little mitts of the touchscreen phone. Now Fisher Price has brought out three iPhone apps featuring some of the company’s most iconic characters – Chatter Telephone, See ‘n Say, and Little People – it’s going to prove impossible to keep the phone to yourself.

While there’s no suggestion you’re going to rush out to buy the £300+ phone especially for Junior, Dave Ciganko, Fisher-Price’s vice president of design said, “iPhone and iPod Touch devices are regularly being passed to kids for entertainment.”

Aimed at two-year-olds, the apps are said to be “fun and educational”, but the question is: would you really let them go Fisher Price crazy on your expensive piece of gadgetry?

If the very thought of that that gives you the jitters – what with all the diary, contact, and email information stored on the wonderous gadget – then maybe you could placate them with some traditional toys that will keep your other baby safe.

“Are we nearly there yet, are we nearly there yet, are we nearly there yet?” Five minutes later: “Are we nearly there yet, are we nearly there yet, are we nearly there yet?” Sound familiar?

If you’re already dreading this unrelenting questioning that comes with excitement, restlessness and boredom, then something is needed to preoccupy the offspring. Five hours in the car while on your way to the quaint little cottage in the middle of nowhere is nobody’s idea of fun, but for a child it’s torturous. Looking at the cows while speeding down the motorway quickly loses its novelty factor, and the repetitive scenery feels like they’re not going very far – much like the way car scenes were shot in old films.

To counter this for their sanity as well as your own, you need something that will provide hours of fun, options and stimulation. The Multi Travel Games kit is just the thing. Containing six games all stored in one attractive vinyl travelling case, the set includes Magnetic Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, Cribbage, Dominoes and Playing Cards for convenient play at home or travelling.

With the children occupied and the partner driving, this gives you the perfect opportunity to kick back, relax and prepare yourself for the family holiday – not bad for £12.99.

Aged 78, Donald Kaufman has spent the best part of half a century building his incredible toy collection. But with no one interested in maintaining the collection after he’s gone, he’s decided to break it up himself, and during two years will put up 7,000 lots which will include a $50K steam powered fire engine, toy cars, puzzles and games.

The first 1,450 items were sold in March, in a sale which grossed $4.2m, and this week’s two day auction in Cumberland County, New Jersey, US, is expected to raise $2m. Bidders from Singapore, Italy, France and Japan were bidding on the phone to try to secure some of Mr Kaufman’s treasured toys, with over 400 parties interested.

The vastness and popularity of the sale may be down to the fact that everything must go, so the seller hasn’t put reserves on anything, including a Mickey Mouse from the 1930s.

Set to last for two years, Mr Kaufman will attend each auction and sit in audience to keep a beady eye on who his beloved toys go to. Through personal contacts and once owning a chain of toy stores, the toy-lover aquired the huge array of collectibles by sometimes turning up to auctions with a trailer!

“Donald never bought a toy with the idea that it was going to make money,” said his wife Sally Kaufman, who has helped him collect over the decades. “You never saw anybody who loved it more.”

I’m sure nobody will disagree with that.

Last Christmas, Zhu Zhu hamsters were a huge hit among parents. So much so, many retailers had to ration stocks, and the little fluff balls were showing up on eBay double, sometimes triple their RRP. Now, brace yourself for the little ones to go hopping mad for Zhu Zhu Fluffy Bunny.

Sharing all the attributes of the battery-powered hamster, including a sensor in its nose that prevents it from bumping in to obstacles, the latest ”hassle-free pet” makes up to 40 sounds from squeals and squeaks in ”adventure” mode or coos and purrs in ”nurturing” mode.

All this is a thousand miles away from when my generation went Tamagotchi crazy – these little handheld gadgets seem prehistoric now, what when faced with toys with sensors on them. What next, toys with a working digestive system?

Tesco, which started selling the bunny from last Saturday, said toy sales were increasing each Easter as more people opted to give children non-food gifts.

Gemma Harding, Tesco toy buyer, said: ”Zhu Zhu Fluffy Bunnies are every bit as cute as Zhu Zhu hamsters and make the perfect gift for Easter.

“The bunnies are just as fun as real pets but without any of the mess. Sales of Zhu Zhu hamsters have been phenomenal and we expect Zhu Zhu Fluffy Bunnies to be just as popular.”

If you’re thinking of buying a toy instead of chocolate this Easter, then have a look at our cheap but very cheerful gifts that may not have sensors on, but they’ll provide hours of entertainment.