Toy Guns in America: Marketing, Children’s Play, and Social Unease

Toy guns have been mass produced, vigorously marketed, and widely consumed in the United States since the latter nineteenth century. They have come in a variety of configurations ranging from close replicas of real firearms to colorful fantasy objects. Some have imitated the sounds and smoke of shooting with powder, while others have fired a variety of non-metallic projectiles. Toy guns have entertained generations of boys and a few girls, but their potential for misuse and being mistaken for dangerous weapons has generated criticism and government regulation. This study presents an historical account of toy gun marketing in America and how long-standing social unease over children's play has periodically transformed these products and their consumption patterns.