ABSTRACT
One of the more obvious signs of comparative affluence in contemporary Western society is the post-war boom in toy production. A generally more indulgent attitude towards small children combines with a natural wish to ‘give these what we didn’t have when we were kiddies’, and fuller employment means that ‘you can afford to be silly over your kids’, WHEN YOU’re IN TOWN, TAKE HOME A TOY FOR THE CHILDREN says a local advertisement, and a high proportion of working-class mothers in particular do seem to make this a regular practice, for their smaller children at least. Many children have a sixpenny toy every time their mother takes them shopping, and this may be a matter of every other day. 1
