Expensive doesn't mean good. Cheap doesn't mean economical. Here's how to tell the difference.
A beautiful teddy bear can cost ten times as much as another. Where does the difference come from, and above all, is it worth it? We are often asked in the shop, and the question deserves better than a polite yes: the price of a toy isn't judged on the day you buy it, but years later, depending on whether it has lasted through childhood or quietly been forgotten.
So the real question is never "how much does it cost?" but "how much is it worth?" The good news: it's fairly easy to spot.
The real price isn't on the tag
A 15-euro toy that doesn't make it through the winter has mostly bought a disappointment. A 90-euro toy that lasts through an entire childhood, gets handed down to a little brother, sleeps in the attic and comes back out for the next generation ends up costing almost nothing: spread over the years of play, it is often the cheapest thing in the house.
The right instinct is not to look at the price but to divide it: by the years of play, by the children who will take their turn with it, by the memories it will leave. Seen this way, many expensive toys turn out to be excellent choices, and many bargains are no bargain at all.
Three signs a toy is worth its price
1. It's built to last
Take this elephant. No batteries, no screen, nothing that flashes or breaks down. Just a block of solid maple, carved and hand-painted in Europe with water-based colours. It's exactly the kind of thing you find intact thirty years later, barely worn. At 21 euros, it proves a toy doesn't need to be wildly expensive to earn its place: it just needs to be well made.
Wooden Elephant Figurine, Holztiger
2. It becomes a member of the family
With a Steiff bear, what you pay for isn't the plush: it's the longevity. Since 1904, every Steiff has worn its famous button in the ear, a little signature that guarantees sturdy assembly and fine materials made to last. Our Zotty bear, all in soft, washable mohair, jointed and limited to 1,500 pieces worldwide, stands 26 cm tall: a size that slips in anywhere, gets cuddled and handed down without coming to harm. Over the years it loses none of its charm - quite the opposite, it gains some. It's no longer just a toy, it's a future family keepsake.
Steiff Zotty Bear Plush, Black, 26 cm
3. It gains in value, and in meaning
Finally, there are the toys that change status as they grow up: they begin life in the hands of an enthusiast and end up as collector's items. This Smurf with a tuba is one of them. Cast in metal, hand-painted, released in just 300 numbered copies with a certificate, it speaks as much to the child who loves the little blue creatures as to the grown-up collector. Objects like these never go out of fashion: they can even gain value over time, and above all they create a bond, the one woven by sharing a world from one generation to the next.
The Smurf with a Tuba, Pixi metal
And when the price isn't worth it
Let's be honest: not everything expensive deserves to be. The trendy electronic gadget, loaded with licences and batteries, loses half its appeal the day the child has pressed every button. The blister-packed toy bearing the cartoon of the moment will be forgotten along with season 2. Flashy packaging and a button battery are no guarantee of value, sometimes quite the opposite.
Above all, beware the novelty effect: a toy that simply has to be "the latest release" comes with an expiry date. The things that last, on the other hand, are ageless.
The test to ask yourself before paying
A single question is enough, and we call it the attic test: in twenty years, will someone be happy to come across it again when opening a box? If so, the price is probably justified, whatever it may be. If you can already picture it headed for the bin, put it back, even at half price.
Because a toy that's worth its price is neither the most expensive nor the most feature-packed. It's, quite simply, the one you keep.
About the author: This article was written by the team at L'Oiseau de Paradis, a Parisian toy shop founded in 1932. Four generations devoted to childhood and genuine play.
Our selections worth keeping
- Beautiful toys, the ones we hand down
- Our plush toys, lifelong companions
- Our collectible figurines
- Our wooden toy collection
