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Inflatable plastic toys gaining popularity

Inflatable plastic toys gaining popularit.By Zakir Hassnain.PESHAWAR: Chinese inflated toys have flooded local marketsand are in great demand due to hot weather.Both adults and children enjoy relaxing in toy swimming poolsfilled with water to beat the sizzling heat while small childrenrest in water-filled homes, chairs, ducks, lions, fish, aeroplanes, and other such floating toys.Local shopkeepers and roadside toy sellers purchase inflated toysfrom Karkhano markets, a few kilometers from Peshawar, which arefamous for smuggled goods. Roadside sellers have a variety ofinflated plastic toys and do a roaring business in hot season..I have a variety of swimming pools at reasonable prices rangingfrom Rs 450 to Rs 1500 and they are for both adults and kids,Ijaz, a roadside seller, told Daily Times.Ijaz, a young boy and resident of Mansehra, Hazara, said he boughtplastic toys from Kharkhano markets. Most Chinese plastic toyscome from Lahore to Karkhano markets in containers and hugestocks, he said.Ijaz said inflated toys were used only in summer and were of no usein winter. We dont have any customers in winter for water-filledtoys. However, rocking toys for kids give us little business, hesaid.I save Rs 20 to 50 on a small piece. Large swimming pools give agood profit, he said..Ijaz charged customers extra money for air pumps. He said customerswere given one glue sticker free of cost for punctures. He saidplastic toys lasted for two to three years if properly handled.Tanvir Ahmed, another roadside toy seller on Sher Shah Soori Roadin front of the railway station, said he had left school. Myfather has given me money to do this business. Sometimes I purchasetoys from Karkhano market shopkeepers on credit. They trust me,said Tanvir, 14.Sometimes we dont have a single customer for two or three daysand its really disappointing, said Kashif, anther roadsideseller. Kashif said Karkhano shopkeepers increased prices ofinflated toys in summer.Home National

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