TOYING THE BARATO. A DREAM FACTORY

Toys are as old as man. But there have not always been specialized stores whose exclusive selling business was toys. For this to be possible, the purchasing power of families had to be increased, something that would not happen in Salamanca until the 20th century. This notebook tells the story of a toy store in our city. The author of the text is Marta Bonilla, who has written it based on the testimony of Bernardo and Enrique García Sanjosé and Juana Lozano, professionally linked to El Barato for decades. Founded at the end of the Civil War, the business remains buoyant after seventy years of commercial activity. As Marta explains, El Barato’s “is the story of a family business that has experienced the great evolution experienced over the years in this magical world, and here is our small tribute to a lifetime of work performing a task that is not easy: feed the illusions of the kings of the house, the children. With this objective fulfilled, the El Barato toy store continues to give life to the toy business of the city. Inside the store, the third generation of the family, Diana and Enrique, continue to advise their customers with affection and dedication, just as their grandfather Bernardo and later their father and uncle did in their day. For this reason, and for a professional life backed by work and dedication, El Barato is and will always remain a factory of illusions. 27,5x15cm, 2,5€