Fewer toys made by American manufacturers, more coming from China

World Today

Fewer toys made by American manufacturers, more coming from China

Only a few of the dolls, toys and games given as Christmas gifts in the United States are actually made in America.

CCTV America’s Roza Kazan explains.

Eric Siegel is a rare breed these days-a Chicago-based manufacturer who makes toys in the United States.

A quality that’s been slowly disappearing. Like the rest of the country, Chicago has been losing its toy manufacturers. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, nine out of ten toys bought in the U.S. is now made abroad. The majority comes from China.

Toy expert Christopher Byrne said it’s all about being able to deliver toys at a cost consumers are willing to pay.

“Hypothetically, a Barbie today that costs $9.99 at retail might cost twice that if it was manufactured in the U.S,” Christopher Byrne, content director of Toys, Tots, Pets & More said.

That’s something Jodi Norgaard found out for herself when she wanted to make her line of athletic dolls that promote a positive body image in the United States.

But to make them here would have cost $20 a doll. A price Norgaard considered too high.

So she researched factories in China and found one in Hong Kong that could make her dolls at $6 apiece.

In fact, made here, her doll and book play sets would’ve have to sell for $50 or $60 to make a profit.

The owner of Kidding Around, a boutique toy store in New York, also struggles to sell U.S.-made toys.

“For the last 10 years, I have easily been able to walk around the store and say this, this, this and this is made in United States. Many of those companies are not in business anymore and it becomes more and more difficult,” Christina Clark, the store’s owner said.