NOW COMPLETED Letterbox Toys Product Test Feedback Thread

[AnnMumsnet]

Many thanks for trying the one of the two Letterbox toys on behalf of Mumsnet. Below are the feedback questions Letterbox would like you to answer. Feel free to also add your own comments.

Everyone who was part of the test and who offers feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive £250 of Letterbox vouchers.

We'd also like testers to please add a review on the Letterbox website and/ or on Mumsnet toy reviews - links below:

Letterbox - Fairy Post Office
Letterbox - Red Retro Racer
Mumsnet toy reviews aged 3-4
Mumsnet toy reviews aged 4-5

Please do say on this thread which toy you tried - the Fairy Post Office or the Red Retro Racer and the age and gender of the child(ren) who played with it.

Q1 What did you think of the quality of the product you just tested?

Q2 How long did your child spend playing with the toy? Did they share it with other friends/ siblings?

Q3 How did your child interact with the product? Did they enjoy playing with the toy? How did they describe it?

Q4 Do you think this is a toy you would normally buy for your child, or suggest or buy as a gift? If so why? If not, why not?

Q5 The Red Retro Racer is sold by Letterbox for £20, and the Fairy Post Office for £17. Compared to other toys you have seen, how would you rate the value for money of the toy you tested...Excellent, Good, Average, Poor

Q6 Thinking about Letterbox ? have you bought from them before? Had you heard of them before the product test? Having tried this toy do you think you would be likely to buy from or look at the Letterbox site/ catalogue in the future?

Q7 Both Letterbox toys tested by Mumsnetters - the Red Retro Racer and Fairy Post Office - were chosen as they represent the kind of toy Letterbox specialise in selling. Having seen these toys what would you say were the key values you'd associate with Letterbox (as a whole)?

Many thanks
MNHQ

[Doobydoo]

RED RETRO RACER....My SON aged 3AND A HALF. Q1..Car Very good quality and robust.The flagpole bent quickly.The figure looked rather grubby after a few days and threads starting hanging off his clothes.

Q2..He spent 3 days playing with it regularly.He was not pleased when his cousin wanted a play and looked anxious until he got it back!

Q3..He did enjoy playing with it.He used it with other toys such as his lego mini figures and also used the racing driver with his other toys.He liked taking the driver out and pulling up his Goggles and using the Flag.

Q4..Yes I would buy this for someone now.I may not have before as £20 sems expensive.Having seen how robust the car is though I think it is not too pricey.Also,it gave my son a challenge as getting the racing driver in the car requires legs to be bent a certain way and manipulating the goggles took my son a while.This I think is a good aspect as it helps with dexterity and problem solving.

Q5..Good value.Let down slightly by the Driver looking grubby and threads hanging off.

Q6..I had heard of Letterbox before and have looked at website.I have never bought from them before.I may purchase the Post office for niece for Christmas.

Q7..Values..slightly old fashioned,traditional,robust[no cheap beeping plastic]Little challenges for children and scope to use their imagination.

My son would like to know the following:

1.Why dosen't the steering wheel turn?

2.Why dosen't the driver's helmet come off?

He also had difficulty putting driver's hands on steering wheel.
He liked the way it went for a long way across our sitting room floor.

[CaptainNancy]

Oh...oh...oh! When was this product test announced?
I miss all the good ones....

[LynetteScavo]

Q1 Good

Q2 About 15 mins each time. Yes, it was shared with older siblings.

Q3 DD (5) became quite nervous that the fairies would come at midnight to collect the post she had written. We had to use masking tape to tape the slot in the box up each evening. Although the writing cards part was fun, the stress that the fairies might come and empty the post box in the night got a bit much. I suppose the tin could be used to leave milk teeth in for collection.

Also, there were very few envelopes, but a huge amount of stamps, which seemed a bit silly.

Q4 I wouldn't normally buy DD a toy like this; I tend to go for more obviously educational games, but I might buy it as a gift for another child's birthday.

Q5 To be honest, I thought the Fairy Letter Box was worth no where near £17. I would have Paid £12 if I was in a situation where I had little choice (madly rushing off to a birthday party), but if I'd been asked to guess the RRP I would have said £7.99.

Q6 I have bought from letterbox before, and have found their products to be good value for money. Yes, I would buy from them, but I would be wary as to what I was actually getting from my money.


Q7 Yes, I would you say the Fairy Letterbox represents the key values I'd associate with Letterbox. A nice gift/special treat that couldn't be easily found on the high street.

[elvislives]

Red Retro Racer, daughter aged 3.5

Q1 Car itself seemed good quality. Less impressed with the man- the elastic came off one side of the goggles the first time she played with it, so had to be removed for safety

Q2 A good 30 minutes the first time, then for shorter periods every day after that. Wouldn't share with 21 year old brother- or even let him see it in case he took it.

Q3 DD was thrilled to bits with it and drove the car round the room for ages until she realised the man would come out. Once she'd got him out she announced he would fit in her doll's house and took him upstairs to try him out. He hasn't been back in the car since, but she has continued to drive the car without him in there.

Q4 I would have bought this sort of toy for her older brothers (and sister) but I wouldn't have done for this child, simply because I didn't know whether she would like it, and it's a lot of money if she didn't. Having seen her play with it I would get her something similar again.

Q5 £20 seems a lot of money for a toy car. It is obviously good quality, and was bigger than I expected, but if I'd gone into a toy shop I wouldn't have expected to pay more than about £17.99 at the very outside.

Q6 I had heard of Letterbox but never bought from them. I would be likely to buy from them in the future.

Q7 Key values- traditional, classic, educational, well-designed, quality.

[LynetteScavo]

Sorry, I forgot to say; Fairy Post Office. Tested by my daughter, 5 years, and also played with by my sons, 7 & 11 years. (my 7yo son particular enjoyed it)

[andiem]

Ds 3 red retro racer tested

Q1 this is one of those toys that is style over substance. The tyres came off the wheels too easily, the man has already lost his hat, goggles and flag. Whilst I love the look of it, it is just not robust enough for my 3 year old.

Q2 ds2 loved it and played with it loads. He didn't share it with anyone.

Q3 he enjoyed playing with it. He used it with his other cars and he loved taking the man in and out. But he was able to pull all the bits off the man too easily.

Q4 I would buy this sort of toy as it looks very attractive but I would have been disappointed with the quality. I would buy it as a gift if I hadn't tested it first!

Q5 poor value for money because of the quality.

Q6 I have bought from letterbox before and would buy from them again.

Q7 the key values I would associate are interactive, wooden rather than plastic toys, reasonably priced although I think this is expensive, unusual toys you don't see everywhere.

[DramaInPyjamas]

Fairy post office, girl, aged 5

Q1 Well made, beautifully designed, just the kind of toy I would have wanted as a child.

Q2 She still plays with it from time to time (had to buy her more paper and envelopes..see Q3)
Not had any friends over to play since we recieved it as we have been too busy - She won't let her big brother near it - "Fairy Post Office is for Mummies and little girls only!"

Q3 She is a very girly girl and loves anything fairies, so I knew what her reaction would be instantly - Joy! I enjoyed playing as well.. Although she did suggest that she would have liked more paper, envelopes, pens, gold fairy coins, another stamper etc.. I agree, a few more contents would have made a big difference.

Q4 Yes, maybe if it was cheaper and I had the funds to spend.. (or maybe even £250 worth of Letterbox vouchers..!)

Q5 Hmmm, I thought the rrp £17 was a bit much to be honest - I would value it at more like under a tenner.
Average?? I wouldn't say excellent and I don't want to say poor as my daughter loves her post office and she's had enjoyment from it as have I had peace and quiet.

Q6 Never heard of them before, had a wee look at the website and requested the catalogue.. Will have a look through it for Christmas ideas.

Q7 Imaginative play, educational..?

[PfftTheMagicDragon]

MN -

You have to log in to post a review on the Letterbox website. Shall we just leave one here? I don't want to have to have an account.

[DooinMeSizers]

Fairy Post Office - girl aged 6.


Q1) Quality was good. The tin is very nice.

Q2) She plays with it for about 10-15 mins at a time.

She won't let anyone write on cards on in her notepad but she will let them use her pencil and postbox.

Q3) She used the first day to invite her cousin to a sleepover at our house. She posted the letter into the tin and assured me that at midnight the fairy would come to deliver her letter. Luckily the fairy's dog needed walking so she was out and about and able to deliver letters

It's now used to write letters to dd2 requesting her to clean their room. She uses the invoices to 'charge' dd2 for the priveledge of recieving a fairy letter

Q4) Yes I would buy this sort of thing for dd1. She likes to write and likes anything girly.

Q5) I thought the RRP was way too high. I'd be happy to spend around £7-£10 on something like that.

Q6) I have never heard of letterbox before but had a look at the website. There are some nice little stocking fillers and dd2 loves the dolls houses.

Q7) I'd say LetterBox values high quality (if a little pricy) traditional toys that encourage learning and imagnative play.

[PfftTheMagicDragon]

We tested the fairy post office - for My DS, aged 5.


Q1 What did you think of the quality of the product you just tested?

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. The picture online of the post box makes the box itself look like it is made from card, so it was nice to open it and see that it was metal. Everything inside is very dainty and appealing, DS immediately wanted to start using it. I thought that everything inside was nice quality. The wooden stamp (rather than plastic) was a nice touch.


Q2 How long did your child spend playing with the toy? Did they share it with other friends/ siblings?

DS shared a little with his sister(22months) but as she couldn't play with it properly, he mostly played with it by himself. He played initially with it for about half an hour and then went back to it a couple of times after the initial play.


Q3 How did your child interact with the product? Did they enjoy playing with the toy? How did they describe it?

He enjoyed playing with it. He spent a while writing letters and posting them. He thought that all the little letters and stamps were lovely.


Q4 Do you think this is a toy you would normally buy for your child, or suggest or buy as a gift? If so why? If not, why not?

I would buy this as a gift, although not at the price it is currently sold for. I wouldn't buy it for my child as it has finite appeal. Once the letters are gone, that's it! Of course you can replace with your own paper, but it isn't the same. I also didn't understand why there were 40 stamps but only 15 letters.


Q5 The Red Retro Racer is sold by Letterbox for £20, and the Fairy Post Office for £17. Compared to other toys you have seen, how would you rate the value for money of the toy you tested...Excellent, Good, Average, Poor

Currently, value for money is poor. £17 takes it out of gift price range for a child that is not yours. I would expect to pay £8 for this, meaning that I could buy it as a party gift. However, I understand that with little extras like the wooden stamp, this price is not likely. However, £17 is FAR too much.


Q6 Thinking about Letterbox ? have you bought from them before? Had you heard of them before the product test? Having tried this toy do you think you would be likely to buy from or look at the Letterbox site/ catalogue in the future?

I have not bought from Letterbox before but have a relative who has and has been pleased with what she has received and the service she has been given. I would consider buying from Letterbox in the future.


Q7 Both Letterbox toys tested by Mumsnetters - the Red Retro Racer and Fairy Post Office - were chosen as they represent the kind of toy Letterbox specialise in selling. Having seen these toys what would you say were the key values you'd associate with Letterbox (as a whole)?

I think that Letterbox straddles some fine lines between fartsy GLTC wooden overpriced traditional toys and plastic ELC rubbish. I do like a lot of the toys that Letterbox sell, and would look here in the future for party toys rather than buying Lego or similar, to buy something different. However, I do feel that Letterbox does not really offer anything that cannot be found elsewhere and some things are overpriced. The build your own clock, for example.

I like the idea of letterbox, I love wooden toys, and I do think that the fairy post box is a perfect example of letterbox - halfway and not really saying anything. I do think that your website needs a drastic update.

[pixierara]

Q1 What did you think of the quality of the product you just tested?

The quality was great - very well made and durable (needs to be in this household!)

Q2 How long did your child spend playing with the toy? Did they share it with other friends/ siblings? Played for about 20mins, writing letters, arranging where to put the letterbox. DS2 aged 4 then wanted a go and so overall about 30mins. Has been used weekly since to write a letter to the Head Tooth fairy....

Q3 How did your child interact with the product? Did they enjoy playing with the toy? How did they describe it? DS loved this since the Head tooth fairy (ie me!) has entered into weekly correspondence with him...He enjoys writing news but more importantly, waking up to a letter.

Q4 Do you think this is a toy you would normally buy for your child, or suggest or buy as a gift? If so why? If not, why not? I would never have bought this for my son, however with a lot of imagination we have both got a lot of fun out of this.

Q5 The Red Retro Racer is sold by Letterbox for £20, and the Fairy Post Office for £17. Compared to other toys you have seen, how would you rate the value for money of the toy you tested...Excellent, Good, Average, Poor They are both very, very expensive and for this alone, it would stop me buying the letterbox as it is massively overpriced.

Q6 Thinking about Letterbox ? have you bought from them before? Had you heard of them before the product test? Having tried this toy do you think you would be likely to buy from or look at the Letterbox site/ catalogue in the future? Yes - I have bought all the Xmas presents from them before, then they went bust.or got bought out and I didn't bother. Also didn't get a catalogue but has definitely re-ignited my interest in the company as I like the innovative toys.

Q7 Both Letterbox toys tested by Mumsnetters - the Red Retro Racer and Fairy Post Office - were chosen as they represent the kind of toy Letterbox specialise in selling. Having seen these toys what would you say were the key values you'd associate with Letterbox (as a whole)? Different from the high street, more quirky, definitely a present for a special someone. Well made and great customer service.

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

PfftTheMagicDragon - if you can leave a review on Mumsnet that would be great - you do have to log on to Letterbox to do this and if you'd rather not that is fine - thank you

[PfftTheMagicDragon]

Thanks, Ann - have added a review on MN toys

[ginghamgiraffe]

Retro Racer

Q1 It looks gorgeous - almost more of a bedroom shelf ornament than an actual TOY tbh. Quality wise, the paintwork and the rubber wheels are lovely but the steering wheel fell off in 24 hours (!) - nothing that couldn't be fixed but nevertheless. Flag also got lost amongst other toys quite quickly - hence what I was saying about an ornament.

Q2 Spent quite a while playing with it - loved the packaging in particular. No siblings yet and he's not keen to share with others . Lots of zooming it round on the floor.

Q3 Loved the "racing car", loved the man driving loved it, but it's not become a favourite over the other vehicles, much as I might like him to!

Q4 I would possibly have bought this as a gift because it looks so beautiful (See Q1 reply) but I probably would be loath to spend that much unless it was (e.g.) a new godchild and even then, I think £20 would be spent better on something else.

Q5 I would say Average - as it is a lovely item but unfortunately as other posters have said, not only is the car appreciated in the same way as a cheaper one would be, the price also takes it out of the range for gifts for most other people.

Q6 Yes, have been a Letterbox customer for over 6 or 7 years - know their reputation as good old fashioned, traditional toys and have ordered personalised things from there as well as other items. I will probably be buying from them again in the future but was surprised at the price for this particular item.

Q7 Tradition, attention to detail, high-end retailer.

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for adding your feedback.
Am pleased to say elvislives has won the £250 Letterbox voucher - well done!

[elvislives]

Never won anything before and I'm thrilled to bits