Lovable Pets

Giant Stuffed Animals and the Manufacturing of Toys   by Angeline Hope

The problem with giant stuffed animals is that once you have succumbed to purchasing one, another (and another) will soon follow. With the allure that these soft, over-sized soft toys undoubtedly have, proceeding with caution is always wise.

Phoenician merchants living in the Nile delta, were trading toys made of glass in 1000 BCE, in exchange for imported goods. The thought is that the Phoenicians were exporting toys from what was their homeland, which was north of what we know today as Israel, all the way across the Mediterranean to North Africa, Spain, and into Southern Italy. They worked in groups which were generally comprised of family members and both the toys they exported and made, likely included miniature ceramic cooking items and dolls. Later on, when Greek merchants were travelling, they bought toys from makers of toys; these were small in size making them easy to add on to the larger goods they were carrying. Travelling salesman also sold dolls in Greek markets since the doll-making area sat between their routes