CAT construction toy. Built for the builders.



Of the numerous construction toys available, the CAT construction toy is among the highest (the ones I know are made from Bruder, but there might be other manufacturers). When I introduce the customers to this line, I get either one of the two following responses.

"Oh wow. I love this. This is so neat"

or...

"Gees, it seems a little too high priced for a toy construction truck."

And before you try to decide what school of thought you belong to, let me tell you right off the bat that both points of views are, in my opinion, well founded. It all depends on... well... your point of view.







What is CAT construction toy?

These are series of toy construction trucks that bear the name "CAT". It's a well known company that makes construction trucks. Bearing its name, these toy construction trucks from Bruder (there might be other toy manufacturers) are very accurate representation of the real trucks.

They put great attention to detail in the mechanisms as well as the appearance. For example, the main body of the truck might consist of 2 to 4 pieces in Bruder's CAT construction toy truck line, whereas other manufactures might make it from 1 piece made to look like it had more pieces.

Aside from the looks, the trucks work like their real life counterparts. Well, as much as they can make them anyways for toys. Diggers dig, bulldozers bulldoze, rollers roll, etc... For kids who see these trucks on the streets, it just adds that much more excitement in their play.

As I alluded to earlier, there are two mentalities when it comes to the CAT line of toy trucks. Let's explore them just a little individually.


"I love the CAT construction toy line."

The first and most common type of people with this mentality are the folks who love or loved a toy construction truck in their childhood. They see the value in having a great toy construction truck, or remember their old trucks fondly, and wish the same for their children.

Another type of people who like this line are the people who figure that the durability of these toys will outweigh the total toy cost in the long run by eliminating the need to replace toys every few months (or even weeks in some cases).

In this respect, I have to agree whole heartedly because I have seen all too many people coming in disgruntled by the fact that they had to replace toys that were only 2 weeks old all because they decided to save a few dollars by buying less durable find-anywhere-kind-of toys.

Don't get me wrong. These toys have their place too. It's just that if you're looking for a higher quality toy that will live through the bashing and thrashing (you know that's what's going to happen), you're probably much better of investing a little more up front and getting something that is very durable - like the CAT construction toy trucks from Bruder.


"It's a little more than I wanted to pay for a toy construction truck."

This line of reasoning is very common and perfectly understandable as well as reasonable. When you look at the CAT construction toy trucks, they are quite a bit more expensive than your typical toy construction trucks, partially due to license fees and uncompromising build standard as mentioned above.

Some of the most common reasons that parents choose not to go for the CAT construction toy trucks are:

  • "They are just too expensive. I can get cheaper ones that will probably last just as long."
  • "Toy is a toy. I'm not here to buy a replica model. I just want something that the kids can play with and something that will engage their imagination."
  • "Not too sure if my child will like it very much or play with it for a long time."
  • "My kids are very rough with their toys. No sense in paying a lot of money for something that I'll have to replace anyways."
  • "I have a little girl and she says she wants a toy truck, but I'm not so sure, so I don't want to buy something so expensive." Yes, I know. This is gender biased, but you'd be surprised how often this comes up.

There are other issues that could go on the list, but I just wanted to give a quick taste of why someone would choose not to buy the CAT construction toy trucks.


For your consideration...

As you can imagine, whether to buy or forego the likes of CAT construction toy trucks is a very personal decision based on your personal values, goals, and means.

Before heading into your local toy store with the intention of buying one of these fine trucks, it might serve you well to think about the following:

  • How much longer (age wise) will my child enjoy this?
  • Does my child enjoy this kind of toy already?
  • Will this toy fit well or easily into his/her current world of play?
  • What is my child's playing style? Gentle? Rough? Highly imaginative? Role playing?
  • Since there are many models in the CAT construction toy truck line, if I buy one (and my child likes it), am I prepared to buy more of them at the same higher prices?
  • What is more important to me?
    • Price?
    • Durability?
    • Quality?
    • Accuracy in appearance and function?
    • Brand name (CAT)?
    • Excitement level of my child (assuming he/she will recognize the name and be excited by it)?

I am sure you can think of many more questions important to your decision making process. I hope that this page has informed you and raised some things for you to consider when it comes to CAT construction toys.

"education at play"


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