From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 20, 1971:

Local merchants were reporting that Lawrence shoppers were “voting with their dollars for practical, durable, good-quality gifts” and were rejecting “gimmicky appliances and flimsy ‘TV toys.'” Store manager Frank Heriza of Kroger Family Center offered these examples: “Instead of the toaster with the extra gadgets, they’ll get the basic model…. In toys, people are less inclined to buy the TV-advertised toys. They want the ones that are more durable and educational, and prefer wooden toys.” Darwin Malott of Malott’s Hardware, 736 Mass., agreed, saying that people were “getting away from the highly promoted toy toward things with real play value. They’re going back to basics, such as block sets for the younger child.”