Browse > Home / Pictorial / Toy splurge makes kids asset rich

Toy splurge makes kids asset rich

Posted on December 24, 2009, 8:08am

Toys
South Australian children are becoming increasingly asset rich thanks to the splurging of parents who fork out an average of $581 on toys and games at Christmas.

A “Toy Treasure Trove” report conducted by Bankwest puts South Australia narrowly below the national average of $584, with Western Australians topping the list at $684.

The report also discovered the average South Australian child’s toy collection is worth $2450, well above the national figure of $2079.

Information gained from the report, which was constructed from a survey of 500 parents nationally, indicates that South Australian parents are prepared to spend up to $300 on a single toy, $11 higher than the national average.

Mount Gambier mother Tanya Bierwirth-Leigh said the figures “sounded about right” compared to her Christmas spending habits.

Mrs Bierwirth-Leigh said she had spoken to several parents who were looking to buy gaming consoles and other expensive electronic items for their children this Christmas.

“I think I will get off lightly this year compared to others,” Mrs Bierwirth-Leigh said, adding that her eight-year-old daughter is still interested in traditional toys rather than the electronic alternatives.

Mrs Bierwirth-Leigh believes that as her daughter gets older, she will spend more as her child’s tastes change into more expensive products.

While the report singled out spending habits around Christmas, it also revealed how the purchase of toys is no longer limited to the festive season or birthdays.

More than half of Australian parents questioned admitted to buying toys for their children throughout the year, regardless of the occasion.

Parents admit to buying toys to improve their child’s behaviour, with some admitting they buy toys to stop their child from crying or creating a scene.

Research found that:

  • 33pc of parents buy toys because they feel like it;
  • 10pc buy toys because their children ask for it;
  • 3pc buy toys when their children are unhappy;
  • 9pc of parents have used toys as an inducement to lift their children’s performance at sport;
  • 49pc of parents have used toys as an inducement to improve their children’s behaviour;
  • 10pc of parents have used toys as an inducement to improve their children’s immediate behaviour.
Tags: , ,  

Comments

Posting of new comments is currently disabled.