---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It has been explained to me that toys are…"
description: "\"It has been explained to me that toys are packaged in shards, to be assembled by the middle-aged and butter-fingered, because this makes it easier for ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/jean-kerr-9802_accidents_it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-ar_81062.jpg"
---

#  It has been explained to me that toys are packaged in…

![“It has been explained to me that toys are packaged in shards, to be assembled by the middle-aged and butter-fingered, because this makes it easier for the shippers. ... If they had to spend hours and hours putting handlebars onto bicycles ... they would repent their ways and deliver something that…” quote by Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/jean-kerr-9802_accidents_it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-ar_81062.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/jean-kerr-9802_accidents_it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-ar_81062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/jean-kerr-9802_accidents_it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-ar_81062.jpg)

> “It has been explained to me that toys are packaged in shards, to be assembled by the middle-aged and butter-fingered, because this makes it easier for the shippers. ... If they had to spend hours and hours putting handlebars onto bicycles ... they would repent their ways and deliver something that looked like a rocking horse and not like the result of a small street accident.”

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote critiques the deliberate design of products to be difficult to assemble, forcing consumers to invest time and effort, which benefits manufacturers and shippers by reducing shipping costs and increasing perceived value.

**In simple terms:** Product design can exploit consumer labor for profit.

Key Takeaway

Convenient shipping often sacrifices user experience.

Themes

Consumer exploitation Design ethics Manufacturing logistics User experience Value perception

Mood

Irritated Skeptical Reflective

Type

Critique Observation Social commentary

When to use this quote

- DIY assembly of furniture
- Bicycle assembly
- Home improvement projects
- Electronic device setup

Key Concepts

Design strategy Supply chain economics

Practical Applications

- Designing products for easy assembly
- Reevaluating packaging strategies

Questions to Reflect On

- How does intentional complexity affect brand loyalty?
- What alternatives exist to balance shipping efficiency with user convenience?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Bicycle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bicycle/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Middle aged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-aged/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Toys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toys/)

## Related quotes

> [I grew up loving horses. I was relatively obsessed, starting with my rocking horse at age 2, all the way through my painting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/i-grew-up-loving-horses-i-was-relatively-obsessed-starting-with-my/)

[Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/)

> [A gunshot rang out, blasting a hole in the door. A crossbow quarrel zinged through the hole and stuck quivering into the opposite wall.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/a-gunshot-rang-out-blasting-a-hole-in-the-door-a-crossbow-quarrel/)

[Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/)

> [Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-confuse-motion-and-progress-a-rocking-horse-keeps-moving-but/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Americans have a taste for…rocking-chairs. A flippant critic might suggest that they select rocking-chairs so that, even when they are sitting down, they need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/americans-have-a-taste-for-rocking-chairs-a-flippant-critic-might/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It may be only small injustice that the child can be exposed to; but the child is small, and its world is small, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-may-be-only-small-injustice-that-the-child-can-be-exposed-to-but/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Until, accustomed to disappointments, you can let yourself rule and be ruled by these strings or emanations that connect everything together, you haven't fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashbery/until-accustomed-to-disappointments-you-can-let-yourself-rule-and-be/)

[John Ashbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashbery/)

> [They swayed about upon a rocking horse, And thought it Pegasus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/they-swayed-about-upon-a-rocking-horse-and-thought-it-pegasus/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

## More by Jean Kerr

> [The average, healthy, well-adjusted adult gets up at seven-thirty in the morning feeling just plain terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/the-average-healthy-well-adjusted-adult-gets-up-at-seven-thirty-in/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Being divorced is like being hit by a Mack truck. If you live through it, you start looking very carefully to the right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/being-divorced-is-like-being-hit-by-a-mack-truck-if-you-live-through/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [To me having a party is something like having a baby. The fact that you got through the last one alive is not somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/to-me-having-a-party-is-something-like-having-a-baby-the-fact-that/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [I make mistakes; I'll be the second to admit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/i-make-mistakes-i-ll-be-the-second-to-admit-it/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Man is the only animal that learns by being hypocritical. He pretends to be polite and then, eventually, he becomes polite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/man-is-the-only-animal-that-learns-by-being-hypocritical-he-pretends/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if some manufacturer would make a toy as tough, as staunch, as hard to crack open as the carton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/oh-wouldn-t-it-be-wonderful-if-some-manufacturer-would-make-a-toy-as/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [“Oftentimes, in the evening after they have finished spreading the fertiliser, the writer and his wife sit on the fence - with a wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/oftentimes-in-the-evening-after-they-have-finished-spreading-the/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Being on a ship is something like being pregnant. You can sit there and do absolutely nothing but stare at the water and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/being-on-a-ship-is-something-like-being-pregnant-you-can-sit-there/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Dearer to me than the evening star A Packard car A Hershey bar Or a bride in her rich adorning Dearer than any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/dearer-to-me-than-the-evening-star-a-packard-car-a-hershey-bar-or-a/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Don't be silly. I'm a mature, intelligent woman. Of course I'm afraid of my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/don-t-be-silly-i-m-a-mature-intelligent-woman-of-course-i-m-afraid-of/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Even though a number of people have tried, no one has ever found a way to drink for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/even-though-a-number-of-people-have-tried-no-one-has-ever-found-a-way/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [People only call you 'my dear' when they are irritated with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/people-only-call-you-my-dear-when-they-are-irritated-with-you/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> ['Lunch Hour' is suitable for a teenager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/lunch-hour-is-suitable-for-a-teenager/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Children are different - mentally, physically, spiritually, quantitatively, qualitatively; and furthermore, they're all a little bit nuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/children-are-different-mentally-physically-spiritually-quantitatively/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

> [Confronted by an absolutely infuriating review, it is sometimes helpful for the victim to do a little personal research on the critic. Is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/confronted-by-an-absolutely-infuriating-review-it-is-sometimes/)

[Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

[Explore all 69 Jean Kerr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/)

## More Accidents quotes

> [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/)

[Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/)

> [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [No, I think most astronauts recognize that the space shuttle program is very high-risk, and are prepared for accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/no-i-think-most-astronauts-recognize-that-the-space-shuttle-program/)

[Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

> [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [Good films are not made by accident, nor is good photography. You can have good things happen, on occasion, by accident that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/good-films-are-not-made-by-accident-nor-is-good-photography-you-can/)

[Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/)

> [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/)

[Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/)

> [I made out with a homeless guy by accident. I had no idea -- he was really tan, he had no shoes on. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/)

[Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/)

> [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/)

[Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/)

> [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/)

[Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/)

> [I don't think it's by accident that I was first attracted to translating two French women poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/i-don-t-think-it-s-by-accident-that-i-was-first-attracted-to/)

[Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/)

> [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. (As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/despite-my-mentors-advice-that-i-would-never-go-to-heaven-fishing/)

[Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/)

> [Dont stand outside in a lightning shower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padraig/dont-stand-outside-in-a-lightning-shower/)

[Padraig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padraig/)

> [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/)

[Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/)

> [My musical career was an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/my-musical-career-was-an-accident/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

[Browse all 1,971 Accidents quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It has been explained to me that toys are packaged in shards, to be assembled by the middle-aged and butter-fingered, because this makes it easier for the shippers. ... If they had to spend hours and hours putting handlebars onto bicycles ... they would repent their ways and deliver something that looked like a rocking horse and not like the result of a small street accident.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jean Kerr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-are-packaged-in-shards-to-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Accidents"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-are-packaged-in-shards-to-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/jean-kerr-9802_accidents_it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-ar_81062.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/jean-kerr-9802_accidents_it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-ar_81062.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/jean-kerr-9802_accidents_it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-ar_81062.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It has been explained to me that toys are packaged in shards, to be assembled by the middle-aged and…” — Jean Kerr",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jean Kerr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It has been explained to me...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-are-packaged-in-shards-to-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/it-has-been-explained-to-me-that-toys-are-packaged-in-shards-to-be/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
