In toyland, you never run out of money

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on October 17, 2007 at 8:00 AM, updated October 17, 2007 at 8:06 AM

Recently, I witnessed the power of advertising.

A few weeks ago, I spent an afternoon with a 4-year-old girl watching episodes of "SpongeBob SquarePants." During each commercial break this child proceeded to announce "I want that" to almost all of the toys advertised during commercials.

I was most troubled by the new Barbie Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique, which was advertised multiple times. This toy features a built-in credit card swiper and a credit card for girls to send their dolls home with the "latest head turning looks," according to the Barbie Web site.

Didn't anybody think this sounded like a bad idea? I know it's just a toy, but it feels wrong on so many levels.

Does Mattel send the girls a bill at the end of the month, itemize the charges, let them know the interest rate and due date? I think not and there's no evidence to the contrary on the Barbie Web site.

Credit cards are not free money. If you don't pay them back, the big bad creditors will come after you and your credit report. If little girls don't pay for their Fashion Fever purchases, I'm guessing they won't be swamped with calls from bill collectors demanding their money.

Twenty years from now, I hope the young girls unfortunate enough to have this toy won't be the same young women in default because they never knew credit cards had to be paid back.

If this is the toy your child so badly wants for Christmas this year and you buy it, please be prepared to give her a lesson on how credit cards really work.

What happened to the good old days of toys that came with a cash register and "play money," like a few fake bills and coins? At least that way, you could only spend as much as the cash you had on hand. Here, the credit card seems to have no limit, encouraging girls to just charge until their little hearts' content. A girl in the commercial even has the audacity to proclaim "You never run out of money!"

It's too bad that in the real world, the latest head-turning looks can come at a high price. I know if the real world did use Barbie credit cards, I'd be ready for the runway.