ABSTRACT
The United States (US) toy industry rode the crest of a full-fledged boom in stuffed pandas in 1972 as a result of President Richard Nixon's diplomatic visit to the People's Republic of China. Raymond S. Reed, president of the nation's most prestigious toy chain, F. A. O. Schwarz, noted, Stuffed pandas had always been a staple, but the market was very quiet. When Chinese leader Chou En-lai gave Nixon a present of two live giant pandas, however, the rage for the stuffed version started. Those companies anticipating the demand for pandas realized the greatest profits. Good Manufacturing of New York brought out a line of pandas to show at the New York Toy Fair, which happened to coincide with the visit. Its president reported that the production of stuffed pandas was 70 percent higher than the previous year. Pascal Kamar, a West Coast toy distributor, put in large orders for pandas with Japanese and US manufacturers.
