Toya Toborokos toys are the stuff of nightmares, but shes not alone.
Many military families have them and theyre everywhere.
We got some exclusive pics from the military toy store chain T&M Toys where the family that is making the military men toys is just a couple of doors down.
T&:M Toys in downtown Ottawa has lots of military toys to choose from.
One of the bigger ones is a toy that looks like a giant toy gun.
“I have to say that it looks pretty awesome,” says T&ammos son, Ryan.
“It was my dad’s idea to get that one,” said his dad, Ryan Toboros, to the Ottawa Citizen.
“He said, ‘you can buy a gun here.’
It is not a toy for kids,” said Ryan Tobors toy store manager, John Clements.”
This is something that my father wanted to do,” said the toy store’s director, Chris Clements, “I think it is something for our families to do.”
But for the childrens toy industry, its a challenge to get a toy into stores, let alone sell them.
“There is no shortage of people who would love to sell toys to children and families, but they can’t get them into stores because there are so many rules in place, so we have to do our own thing,” said Clements when we asked if the military toys would be made in Canada.
The toys that were purchased from the toy shop were imported from Japan.
Ryan Toboroki has a family of five that live in Edmonton.
He said that his mom works in the toy industry there.
“She makes them for the kids,” he said, “she helps us with all of the little things.”
Ryan Tobors toys have a military theme.
“I dont want to be in a military family,” said Tobor.
“But they dont need a gun, and we have a lot of kids in there so it was a good idea to have a toy with a military background, to be able to go into that world.”
But how do you get a military toy into a Canadian toy store?
“Theyre in the back, and then you get in there, and they have all the rules,” said T&ammts director of marketing, Jim Maclaren, when we spoke to him.
“We have to ask for a license, which weve had to do, but weve got to get it through our local toy store.”
The rules in Canada are different for military toy makers.
The toy stores where Toboroys toys are sold must have a specific licence, and military toys are often not covered by this requirement.
Military toys are still made by military families in Japan, and Toboroks family has been buying and selling them in their stores.
If you have any questions about military toys, you can email T&mts corporate office at [email protected] or call them at 514-661-1111.