I asked one of my favourite questions on Facebook: Toys or Stories?

I got some lovely answers, which I’ve rendered anonymous to share/store here.

So far, toys are ahead, by a narrow squeak at 14 ludological fundamentalists, to story-fans’ 12. Three respondents opting for the indivisible wave-particle duality of the Toy/Story.

“Toys beget stories. It’s only the other way around when capitalism comes out to play.”

“Toys that are not attached to a story (i.e. unbranded generic toys). Not Transformer toys (or Toy Story toys, for that matter)”

“The two can never be torn apart.”

“Toys. Will Wright’s TED demonstration of Spore as a ‘montessori toy to help kids think long-term’ blew… my… mind. ‘Tis the next gen’s literacy, and potency. But I do like to submit to a good story at times. Kind of geronto-therapy, these days.”

“stories. through stories comes the invention of toys”

“Toys so long as it is old Lego not new – my own stories are better.”

“Toys! Stories come with them for free!”

“Stories! Let your imagination run wild…”

“Stories. Stories stay with you, toys end up in landfill.”

“Stories, a toy is just a story in Vinyl form :)”

“Toys…cause you can make up your own stories with them ;)”

“it all depends on which kind of toys…”

“If it were J, toys and if it were N, stories. Depending on the time of day.”

“stories!”

“Toys. Most stories are just made up anyway.”

“Why has no-one said both, surely not an either/or question – not for my two boys anyway…”

“Toys. Because you can use them to create your own stories.”

“Narrative first always. Expanding narrative through imaginative play second.”

“Stories! The merchandising deals come after the original IP!”

“Toys!”

“toys then as i like plastic things”

“You can have stories without toys but not toys without stories. Maybe that’s where Pixar started from, there are always stories that go with the toys. Epic, life-defining stories. Now I feel the need to go get more toys.”

“Stories; as they force you to use your imagination more, and that’s richer than any manufactured experience. However, a crappy DVD could be a story and a stick and ball could be a toy, and the stick would involve you using your imagination more.”

“Life is stories. Toys are the friendly characters and landmarks. (My two-year-old says Jemima Puddleduck is scary… but he then admits he’s joking. Jokes — the shortest stories around.)”

“stories are always best – and most in demand – as they require interaction and contact. that said toys enable self produced narrative in the years before writing. mind you toys are cool and provide problem solving & physical fun (blocks/puzzles/autobots)”

“Stories, because they don’t precipitate the opening of out of town warehouses branded ‘Stories R Us'”

“Oral stories because even the worst ones can be mass-produced without causing waste. :)”

“Stories. They feed the imagination and can help you turn anything into a toy.”

“Object is story. Toy is object. Toy is story.”

“story-telling toys (like the Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer, not Teddy Ruxpin)”

“toys: the reassuring teleology of narrative appeals only to the weak of spirit (in a nice way)”