No Jingle In Argentine Pockets As Economic Grinch Ruins Christmas

Toy prices have gone up between 110 percent and 230 percent this year, according to industry figures (Credit: AFP)

Cecilia Rojas has scoured shops across greater Buenos Aires to find an affordable gift for her children this Christmas, which is set to be a gloomy affair as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades.

"Before I would buy from a well-known toy store chain, but now I look at smaller, neighborhood businesses to find a better price," the 47-year-old told AFP.