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updated 12 Apr 2011, 22:09
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Tue, Jun 15, 2010
The Straits Times
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Toys for hire
by Lin Wenjian

Siblings Kaden Lau, four, and four- month-old Kayla get to play with new toys every month.

But the Bishan Housing Board flat that they live in with their parents Melvin, 37, and Lena, 35, is not littered with old toys they have grown tired of. That is because instead of buying the toys, their mother rents them.

Mrs Lau started renting toys when her son was about a year old, after her sales manager husband complained they were running out of space to store toys. Those she has rented include a mini basketball set and educational game catridges.

'Before I started to rent toys, I kept those that I bought in boxes in my store room, living room and even in the maid's room,' recalls Mrs Lau, who heard about toy rental services from her ex-colleagues.

The senior account director at a publishing firm, who began spending about '$100 to $200 a month' on buying toys for her son when he was three months old, has another, more practical, reason for renting toys: 'My son's attention span is very short. He will play with something for a couple of weeks and then stop totally. So it does not make sense for me to keep buying.'

Now, when little Kaden grows tired of his toys, she 'can just return them to the company when the month is up'.

But there are times when the Laus still choose to buy. 'If it costs $30 to rent a toy electronic keyboard and $60 to buy it, we will buy it because it makes better economical sense,' says Mrs Lau.

Their sentiment is shared by sales coordinator Jean Goh, 32.

In addition to renting toys because her son 'stops playing with the same toy after two weeks', the mother of a one-year-old boy has also been buying them for him since he turned four months old.

She says: 'I will buy him small nursery toys that don't cost a lot or take up too much space in the house. For bulky ones such as a jumperoo, I'll rent.'

The jumperoo is an interactive play station with attached plush toys that allows babies to sit in and jump around - hence the name.

She spends about $40 renting and another $20 to $60 buying toys every month.

Toy rental companies in Singapore conduct their businesses on the Internet (see box) and are well-stocked with toys from reputable brands such as Fisher-Price and Vtech.

One of them, Rent That Toy!, was started in 2006 and makes an average of 100 transactions in a month.

Owner Elaine Gay, 35, says: 'Most parents agree that children outgrow their toys very quickly and they clutter the home.'

Rent That Toy! carries toys suitable for children from birth till they turn four, and charges parents anything from $4 for a small toy to $48 for a baby buggy ride.

Another company, Toys4rent, has been around for about three years. Besides renting its toys to individuals, it also supplies them to private parties such as for a birthday party held last year at Sentosa.

Owner Irene Ng, 38, tells LifeStyle that she charges $5 to $228 for the toys (from a cellphone to a bouncing house) and the rental period can be anything from one day, 'depending on customers' requirement'.

The toys at two-year-old My Growing Toys can be rented for a month from $5 for a basic block game to $45 for a elaborate music jumper.

The newest kid on the block in the toy-rental business is Toy Rental World. Started in April this year, it differs from its competitors in a few ways. For one, it offers free delivery and collection, as well as discounts of up to 15 per cent for customers who purchase credits for renting the toys in bulk.

Despite the many toys available for rental, some parents prefer to buy them.

Bank executive Serene Ng, 29, prefers to purchase the toys for her two daughers aged two years and 10 months 'for the sense of ownership'.

She adds with a laugh: 'My babies are rough with their toys, so I might still end up paying for the rented toys if they damage them.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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