When my six year old was one or two I got her a cheap set of blocks. I wanted to get my 1 year old a set for her birthday and the only sets of wooden blocks I could find seemed to have doubled in price. I don't really want to play forty dollars for chunks of wood. Is it just me or have things gotten more expensive.
Toys are definitely more expensive, especially if you want high quality items, and not just items that will fall apart the minute you get home. I've learned that the BEST time to shop is the third week in July. Hit up Target and Toys R Us- that's when they have their best clearance, and you can honestly save up to 90% off big items. It's how we funded Christmas this past year.
Toys are more expensive nowadays owing mainly to the added imposed regulations on them. The kinds of toys that are mass-produced coming from industrially aggressive countries like China are the ones that are being scrutinized the most. There are increased health concerns over these things because some of them are painted with lead-based paints and other toxic materials.
