Taking a Peek at Santa’s World Wide Workshop
After accepting this assignment I’m $66 poorer, but I guess I can take solace in the fact that I can worry a little less about Christmas.
In a nutshell, I still prefer browsing a good toy store to going online, but my $66 bought me a few really nice toys on the Web with little irritation. I also learned that, unlike last year, there are choices beyond eToys--other sites people might like better because they’re simpler or cheaper or nicer to look at.
For sheer volume, though, eToys (https://www.etoys.com) is still the place to go. The site is well-organized, responds quickly, has lots of photos and, judging by its notes, has virtually everything in stock. If anything bad can be said about eToys, it’s that there is so much stuff, it’s hard to decide, even with the site’s suggestions.
Among the new entrants into the online toy business, none is better known than Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com). The site is easy to navigate, well-edited and fun. Its list of top sellers is a neat feature, and I was glad to stumble on the recommendations from Child and Parent magazines. The Toys for Grownups section is also a nice touch.
ZanyBrainy (https://www.zanybrainy.com) also impressed me, despite having only launched its site Nov. 10. This is a great-looking, quick site with good pictures and an easy-to-browse format. ZanyBrainy also has an interactive tool to let you see how a few toys work. This is how toys are going to be sold online in the future--it’s captivating. But that taste of interactivity makes you want more. I never bought a single baby book online--I had no way of flipping through the pages, and I couldn’t judge them by cover alone.
Toysmart.com (https://www.toysmart.com), a good new entry in the online toy world, is loaded with products, organized every which way. But the cluttered design is distracting, and too many listings lack age-appropriate notes or pictures. That’s a no-no.
SmarterKids.com (https://www.smarterkids.com) is a good place to find toys with an emphasis on development and learning. Searching is done by grade level rather than age. I’m not sure if that’s helpful, but it does emphasize the learning approach of the site. It also rates toys with one to five check marks.
Another respectable player in the e-toy wars is Ace Toys (https://www.acetoys.com). I loved the design of this site, which featured bold, simple graphics and an inviting setup. Browsing is a breeze, with lots of pictures on each page but a very quick response time. Prices are also lower here than at other sites for a number of items I saw elsewhere. But scrolling through categories, you find the same item repeated frequently, and dozens of items were out of stock.
Totally outdone in the online toy business are two of the most well-known off-line stores. FAO Schwarz (https://www.fao.com) offers too few choices, high prices and what seems like a lack of commitment to the site; Toys R Us (https://www.toysrus.com) has improved a lot over last year’s disaster and offers a large selection, good sale prices and free shipping, but it’s still short on pictures, slow and sometimes unreachable.
