150 Years And Counting: The Remarkable Persistence Of The Toy Gun
At the recent International Toy Fair, you could find just about any toy your heart desired — unless your heart desired a realistic-looking toy gun. That former staple of American youth has been in decline for years, thanks to an ever-growing list of kids who are killed by cops mistaking their toys as genuine threats. But, in historical terms, that decline is pretty recent, since kids have been pestering their parents for cap guns going back more than 150 years and parents have been warning their kids what it's all fun and games until for nearly as long.
At the recent International Toy Fair, you could find just about any toy your heart desired — unless your heart desired a realistic-looking toy gun. That former staple of American youth has been in decline for years, thanks to an ever-growing list of kids who are killed by cops mistaking their toys as genuine threats. But, in historical terms, the decline in toy guns is pretty recent, since kids have been pestering their parents for cap guns going back more than 150 years and parents have been warning their kids what it’s all fun and games until for nearly as long. Here’s a quick look at some key moments in the history of toy guns.
[Navigate the timeline by clicking on the right side of each entry or by dragging the timeline itself to the left]
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