The Philosopher in the Toy Shop

OK I’ve not mentioned this for a while but I just happen to be a philosopher who sells toys for a living (BAHons, MLitt, MPhil and Toymeister, OK I made that last one up). On a day to day basis you would think these two things have little in common but I like to think, as I approach my 100th post (this is number 99!), that I’ve managed to show that this isn’t the case. One of the key things that makes me feel comfortable about my cross-disciplinary position is that philosophers (good philosophers anyway) never stop asking questions, it’s built into us, it’s why we picked a subject made of questions and it’s the attitude to the world that our training has enforced in us. In short we like to ask ‘why?’ a whole freaking bunch, does that remind you of any other demographic group perhaps?

Children enquire as a reflex, it’s like it’s coded into their brains that their primary function at that point is to find out and experience all that they can. Children are like a heap of mini Aristotles, Platos, and Socrati (that’s probably not the right plural of Socrates but I like it and I’m sticking with it). They question things, they’re even brave enough to ask us why they’re not supposed to ask questions (at those really awkward moments like ‘why is that man doing that?’ shouted within earshot in the middle of a crowded street). We hit our teens and everything gets very internally analytical, we all resemble Descarte’s meditator, knowing only what we think, feeling less inclined to understand the thoughts, feelings and attitudes of others.

To an extent that’s probably a good thing, at that stage in life it is important to know and understand yourself but what happens when we leave your teens behind? Can we go back to the fun enquiring-minds attitude again? I obviously did but perhaps its harder for others. Depending on what you choose to do with your life, your training may require a degree of accepting what your instructor tells you ‘just because’. I’ve always been lousy at retaining that kind of information. Even at school I only really learned when I was the one asking the question; I don’t do well with force-fed information.

There’s a growing population of adults who enjoy mind-altering objects and literature: from Rubik’s cubes to science fiction, from strategy games to game of thrones. A growing portion of the population are taking a chance to think about the world in a different way and toys can be, and are, a big part of that. Obviously some adults take this interest in toys a little far and turn a little (sometimes a lot) creepier but overall I think we’re doing well from it.

Gansta Pooh (Pulp Pooh just sounds…wrong)

So what happens to kids toys as a result? Sadly the potential income generated from the disposable income that is ‘pocket money’ has lead companies that traditionally appealed to teens to start venturing into a younger demographic. In this climate it’s going to be hard to tell a kid who’s a few years shy of thirteen that they’re better off playing with toys instead of play-acting being a teenager. Remember the go-to of any child will be ‘why?’ and if they don’t get a good answer they’re going to investigate this new world and absorb all they can about this new culture, that’s so different from that of childhood, and so alien to the world their parents belong to. At that age it’s not rebellion it’s a thirst for knowledge and a yearning for new experience.

That’s why I like to look at toys philosophically, I like to think about whether any manufacturers are managing to step up to the plate and offer kids a chance to enjoy that feeling of wonder and interest without having to leave their childhood behind. It’s an ongoing quest, a fierce battle ground, where toy companies battle against ‘teen-centred’ product for a person’s very childhood. It’s a fascinating thing to watch and it’s hard not to feel the need to step in with your own voice raised to the heavens crying for the continuation of childhood and the holding back of the floodgates of adolescence (at least for a few years). Why wouldn’t a philosopher enjoy working in the midst of this?

As my 100th post looms on the horizon I’d love to know what people have been thinking about this blog and I’m open to suggestions on how to make it better. If you have any questions about toys or ideas about topics I haven’t touched on yet please pop them in the comments section below or pop over to twitter and tweet me here.

Now a public service announcement: If you know any philosophers or have been effected by philosophy in any way there are departments around the world who are there to help. Philosophy can effect you at any stage in life, symptoms include a tendency to ask questions about questions, a need to see every side of a problem and an emotionally detached approach to arguments. If you think you may have been effected by philosophy please contact your nearest philosophy department immediately.

Entering this millenium: web-sites, ePOS, social media and beyond

this lovely old fashioned sweet shop is called Edward and Vintage and despite appearances they do have a web-site over here

I’ve been off the radar on here for a while and I feel like I should take a minute to explain myself and tell you a bit about the ‘glamorous’ things I’ve been doing since I last posted. You see we’ve recently decided to implement a new stock management/till system at work, we shopped around a bit and saw loads of solutions that would have cost thousands and finally came across a company called AirPOS who provide a database system etc. to use with your pre-existing hardware.

All you pay is a very small monthly fee for them to host your database and keep your software up to date, you can even pay a bit more (as we have) to get them to provide a web site linked to your stock database, so no more time-consuming stock checks to keep the web-site up-to-date. If we sell a toy in our Crieff shop, nt only does our Perth shop know about it but our web site will also be updated to match the new level, right then and there.

This probably isn’t the most interesting blog post I’ve ever written but the key issue is that once this new system is in place a lot of the Fun Junction crew will have a lot more time to spend on blogs, planning special days in-store, joining in with local events and most importantly we’ll be able to spend more time responding to people both in-store and on social media, meaning we get a better idea about who our customers are and what they want from the shop. We’re even looking into setting up a pinterest account (showing off our creative sides).

I have to keep reminding myself of all of this because our days at work currently consist of feverishly trying to input all of the 9000 odd toys, games, puzzles and craft kits that we stock at Fun Junction. I’ve decided I can’t let my blog disappear in amongst this though so I’ll write up as many posts as I can on nights like this when I’ve got time to myself (kids in bed, wife not home from work yet). I hope you don’t lose interest and that you’ll take time to comment so that I’ve got someone to chat to when I’m sitting here writing on my lonesome. Wish us luck with our new system and thanks again for reading, all the best, John

Mole’s house revisited

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about a local favourite ‘Mole’s house‘ I went on to pop a condensed version of the same post up in my column in the Strathallan Times. The response to both was brilliant, my original post is the most viewed post I’ve written on here (it even surpassed my post about Barbie with no make up) but it was the reaction the article in the Strathallan Times that really surprised me. Just a few weeks later the imagineer behind one of Crieff’s favourite little secrets actually came forward after reading my article. It was a lady by the name of Pat Barron who put the little display together outside of mole’s door as a way of keeping her grandchildren occupied when they went out for a walk. She seemed genuinely surprised that mole’s house was so well known and so well loved in the community, and I have to admit it’s lovely to think that something that started out as such a simple idea has managed to lodge so well in the hearts of so so many local parents and children.

Thank you Pat for contributing something truly magical to our little town, I hope many more locals take a leaf out of your book. Recently comedian Mark Thomas came to the MacRobert in Stirling with a show describing his project called ‘100 acts of minor dissent‘ and it appears that the idea is gaining momentum. Imagine how great it would be if these acts provided something positive and lasting. An unofficial fruit garden in a local country spot or more little surprise things for children, like mole’s house (where parents themselves will have to judge safety rather than run under the advice of health and safety regulations). Of course I don’t officially sanction or recommend such activity, officially, but in some hypothetical world wouldn’t it be a fun thing to see?

Back to the Strathallan Times: on top of the article on Pat Barron there was also a follow up letter to the editor which appeared the following week which was written by mole himself, explaining the history of his house sign and how grateful he was for the gifts left for him by local children. From these two responses in the Times one of the biggest surprises, for me, was probably the fact that enough people read my column for it to have had this kind of effect. When it comes to my writing I have the habits that many bloggers probably do. At least two or three times a day I check my readership numbers to see how popular what I wrote was and if I’m ever lucky enough to receive a comment I jump to it and try to get a reply out as quickly as possible. However, when using an ‘old fashioned’ medium like a newspaper there are no stats to look at, no comments section to engage with.

Once the article is published you just have to hope that those that read it liked what they read and that perhaps one or two of them might mention it to a friend or they may even go so far as to find my blog and pop along with a follow and a comment. Seeing Pat’s resonse in the Strathallan Times a few weeks ago was brilliant and made me feel as though I must be, if nothing else, readable which is always a good thing for any writer to hear.

Just a short wee post this time to celebrate the power of the written word and the creativity of people. Thanks as always for reading and feel free to follow (e-mail box on the right) or comment (in the box below), if you do either you can guarantee you’ll get at the very least a ‘woohoo’ from me (and maybe even a wee jump). Cheers, John