European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday december 17, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 3aafes toy sales hit new peaks by Chuck Roberts staff writer although toy sales Are Flat in the United states sales Are booming at cafes toy stores in Europe. Toy sales increased 300 percent this year at the to land store at Rhein main a and Strong sales also were reported in Heidelberg Darmstadt Giessen and Ramstein a. Sales increased by at least 50 percent this year at Ramstein Soyland store. Quot our sales have exploded a said manager Jim Berry. Both Berry and the manager at Rhein main attribute increased profits to moving their stores to better locations. Sales were reported strongest during to land grand openings in september during special promotions in october and after the thanksgiving Holiday. Sales have picked up again in the past few weeks and store managers predict steady sales right up until Christmas. But that did no to seem to be the Case during a visit Berry made to the United states last month. He said toy sales seemed to be sagging despite heavy advertising and special promotions. It is different in Europe. Despite a depressed Dollar a sad Exchange rate base closures and troop reductions parents Are digging a Little deeper into their pockets Here to provide a plethora of playthings to place under the Christmas tree this year. A people will do without a lot of things but they wont stand Short on buying toys for their children a said Joyce marrow senior buyer for toys at the cafes Headquarters in Dallas. That was the Case with one Mother in Giessen. A a in a not going to worry about it a said Arline Loyd As she was finishing up her Christmas shopping at the to land store in Giessen on Friday other parents said they were spending about the same amount of Money As last year but fewer dollars were being spent on the local Economy. One explanation for increased sales might be the Home layaway plan which was a big help to staff sgt. James Doyle and his wife Simone last year. Under the Home layaway plan parents who buy up to $200 in toys could take the toys Home with them in september and pay for them later in Mort they instalments. But poor sales have been recorded at other to land stores and the reason Isnit Clear said Ken Warden merchandise manager at the cafes european Headquarters office in Munich Germany. Although business has been Good at the to land store in Heidelberg Doris Emmerich said business was better last year. Emmerich who is a reorder associate has worked at the to land store there for 10 years. She said business has steadily declined during that period. In areas where military installations Are closing Down some people Are stocking up before leaving Europe and some Are waiting until they get Back to the United states Warden said. Doyle and his wife Are transferring to Fojt Bliss Texas so they decided to do the a shopping in the United states. They were looking for a toy Pony at the to land store in Darmstadt to keep their 3-year-old son Christopher occupied during the flight Home. Jessica Christian 3, pets a stuffed Deer at Ramstein Abs to land s tt0admm on it in t too late to buy gifts at to land by Chuck Roberts staff writer although it is less than two weeks until Christmas it Isnit too late to buy toys to put under the tree. The busiest shopping times of the Holiday season have passed for Many stores but cafes to land shelves Are still stocked with plenty of toys at its Darmstadt Giessen Heidelberg Ramstein a and Rhein main a facilities in Germany. A right now  be a better time a said Jim Berry store manager at the cafes toy store at Ramstein. But for some cafes customers like Elizabeth Miller time is not of the essence when it comes to buying presents a pm a last minute shopper Miller said. A prices go Down when you re a last minute  she had just saved 30 percent on a bottle Buster game for her 5-year-old son Sean. Although Miller found a plenty of Booty at Rhein main and Darmstadt she said the shelves were empty where she lives in bad Hersfeldt. Miller had crossed off the final items on her list at the to land store in Darmstadt after making previous stops in Giessen and Rhein main. Her shopping still might have been Complete even if she Hadnot found her final gift items at Cambrai Fritsch Ca sern in Darmstadt. At the to land store there if you done to find the toy you want the store will try to find it and then Call you when it arrives said Debbie love who does the stores reordering. She said the store is successful about 80 percent of the time in finding what a customer wants. She said one customer was so pleased when the store found the gift he was looking for that he bought a cake for All the employees. But not everyone is optimistic that they will be Able to find what they want at the last minute. A if you Haven to done it by now Good Luck a said staff sgt. Manuel Maldonado of the 11th signal in at Cambrai Fritsch Cavern. Quot toys come in and they re gone a said Maldonado who was completing his shopping at Cambrai Fritsch after standing in line for 20 minutes at the Rhein main to land. But there were no lines last week at air base s to land and manager Brig cute Shaw said it Isnit too late for parents to fill up Santa a toy bag. A you still can get everything you need a Shaw said. Angie Irwin did most of her shopping for her sons Thomas and will at the to land in Heidelberg. The few items that she could t find in the stores were obtained by shopping on the Economy and through mail order Cata logs. . To Send team of monitors to Yugoslavia United nations a the Security Council has voted to Send a Small party of monitors to Yugoslavia and said the group could be followed by 10,000 . Peacekeepers if a True cease fire is attained. The councils decision sunday to Send the monitors came As Germany used its diplomatic muscle to encourage the recognition of Croatia and Slovenia republics As Independent states. Many observers believe such recognition would exacerbate the fighting by allowing Croatia to legally rearm. How much influence the . Monitoring Mission would have is Uncertain. Fighting continues in Croatia despite a .-brokered cease fire called in november. Also some . Members contend sending peacekeeping troops would violate the world body a charter which forbids interference in countries internal conflicts. Proponents note that Croatia its foe Serbia and the Federal military All have asked for peacekeepers. The United nations has taken preliminary Steps toward sending up to 10,000 peacekeeping troops but will not approve such a Mission unless the warring parties adhere to a cease fire. Croatian officials on monday reported More fighting around Osisek a strategic croat stronghold in the republics Eastern Region under siege by the serb dominated Federal army and ethnic serb militants opposed to croatian Independence. Ethnic serb militants and the Federal army have captured More than a third of croatian territory in fighting that has claimed thousands of lives since Croatia and Slovenia declared Independence june 25. Serbia the largest yugoslav Republic demands that Croatia a 600,000 serbs be allowed to decide whether they want their areas to remain in an Independent Croatia. Croatia charges Serbia and the army Are using that Issue As a pretext to expand Serbia a territory. , officials said the monitoring team would consist of about 20 people headed by Herb Okun a former Deputy us. Ambassador at the United nations. It will include military observers civilian police and political observers. Secretary general Javier Perez de Cuellar said he planned to have them in Belgrade the Federal and serbian capital on wednesday. A we Are going to move very very quickly a he said. Y the team would let the Security Council know when an effective cease fire is in place and would help develop Advance plans for deploying a peacekeeping Force. The Security Council on sunday strongly urged nations not to take any step that could Worsen Yugoslavia a civil War. But German foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher said Liis country would press the european Community on monday to Grant diplomatic recognition to the two secessionist republics before Christmas. That would put the dec in the Tough position of choosing Between its strongest member and the United nations. Perez de Cuellar has said Quot premature recognition of Croatia and Slovenia would Widen the conflict because an Independent Croatia could legally rearm. Genscher said failing to recognize Croatia and Slovenia As Independent was a capt to encourage those elements in Yugoslavia which All along have vehemently been resisting the successful conclusion of the peace