The commercial sale and marketing of children's toys only became popular in the mid-18th century. Prior to this, children had access to relatively few toys, and of those toys in use, most were hand-made, either by the child or a close relative. Toys that were in common use from at least medieval times were very basic items such as hoops, tops, balls and dolls which could be turned out by local carpenters or coopers. A scattering of toy shops traded in 17th-century London, but were virtually unknown outside the capital. A small quantity of mechanical toys were imported from France and Germany, but these were expensive and beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest families.