Toy manufacturing (continued)

Speaking of “slow toys” (as in ‘slow food’ – look it up!) I received a wonderful drumming monkey for my 23rd wedding anniversary. The box was delightfully rendered in retro-graphics, but had a discreet URL printed on the top, just under the “Made in Mexico” tagline. Naturally I jumped on the internet and visited the Cositas Brand web site to learn more about this particular Jacko and his friends.

Bomba means ‘pump’ in Spanish, and refers to the rubber bulb that, when squeezed, provides the low-tech action power of these rubber toys. The same family workshop has been producing the Bomba toys since 1945. Eight people produce 500 pieces a week, all by hand. This has made the company very selective about its distribution, offering their goods only to select retailers. We hope that in the spring, the LATDA Museum store will be one of the chosen ones.