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The Toy Fair's Top 10 Strangest Products

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the log-log-it's-heavy-it's-solid-it's-wood dept.

FloggingMollyrox writes "UGO looks at the recent 2004 Toy Fair's Top 10 Strangest Products. Forget about Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man, the real stuff was an art farm that grows vegetables, a pogo stick that shoots you over the moon, 'real' shrunken heads, and an educational plush toy based on an alien invasion."

10 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Blade Racers == Micronaut Rocket Tubes ?? by L-Train8 · · Score: 4, Interesting


    This sure reminds me of my favortie Christmas present of 1979, this, although the modern one is so big it must include an expansion set.

    --

    Don't forget that Friday is Hawaiian shirt day.
  2. This reminds me of... by deliciousmonster · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Flat Eric. Not that the Baboochi isn't a good start, it seems that toys that grown-ups can laugh at through one marketing channel and kids can appreciate on their own level will always endear themselves more effectively than simple flat blue animals.

    Not unlike the Buddy Lee campaign... which succeeded both as doll-based jingle silliness for TV people and as more mature viral webmercials for the internet set...

    --
    I have a plan. Using mainly spoons, we'll tunnel our way out of the city...
  3. Re:Glowing, vibrating...um...hedgehog? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting
    Actually, one of largest adult-toy manufacturers/importers (they developed the CyberSkin line) used to be a regular toy manufacturer - until they found that the adult business was far and away a more lucrative market. They have a pretty nice website, geared toward distributors, showing all of their products and lines - I just can't remember the name of the company, but they are located in California, and from the outside of the building, you would never have a clue (even their name doesn't give you any clue).

    Posting this anonymous for a reason...

  4. How about Settlers of Catan? by ackthpt · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Settlers of Catan, an old favorite will be developed as a premium online game for MSN. Bummer.

    At least there's Russian Rails (scheduled) to come out this year, Comrade(!)

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  5. Notice!?!? by CaptScarlet22 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Did anybody notice that none of the "Major" toy brands made the list??

    It just goes to show how much a company will go to, just to attract consumers!!


    I always though that the slinky was the strangest toy!!

    Hmm

    --
    It's left blank because I have nothing to say to you punks!
  6. Spongebob Joystick TV missing in top 10? by i4u · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Spongebob Joystick

  7. Giant Microbes? by De+Lemming · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No mention of Giant Microbes? They now include such cute cuddly toys as the Black Death and Ebola!

  8. Re:Glowing, vibrating...um...hedgehog? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
    actually owned a hedgehog for a while, an African pygmy hedgehog (Mr. Pembleton didn't like Connecticut, unfortunately, and passed away a few months back). While the glowing aspect is not quite accurate, the vibrating very much is. Hedgehogs are rather nervous little guys, and whenever he was startled (i.e., whenever anyone looked at him), he would ball up and vibrate. If he didn't have quills of death it would have been rather cute. As it was, he became a vibrating death cactus.
    I also had a hedgehog for a few years. Ahh. Nothing like the joy of living with a prickly critter who was scared shitless of any moving thing, slept during the night, was trainable in the bathroom arts only in principle, and possessed the unique ability to digest and deficate ANY pathogen known to man all around the house without damage to itself or the swarming life passing through it. Did I mention that it could save a portion of animal waste for the moment that you finally got it to uncurl in your hand and rub its belly in hopes that it might be pleased?

    Sadly, when we were moving a friend of ours expressed an interest in adopting Morty. We hope he is well, but that did not cause us to give these people our new phone number. You know: just in case.

  9. Re:Flybar's the coolest one by tyroney · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I decided to check, and found some details at uspto.gov under patent number 6,558,265. Pretty cool stuff. Uses rubber bands, and it's quite adjustable. Might have to get me one someday. There's also a scissor lift kind of rubber band based design also included in the patent, which might be equally cool if they start making it.

    Now if only I could find a cheap/easy way to make me some stilts

  10. Re:Huh... by fenix+down · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You catch this from the summary in the article too? Just from the awkward names and the space refugees I was thinking it sounded a lot like an L. Ron story. That and the way they had a booth guy willing to pump out a 10 minute spiel about blue aliens to everybody who walks by. Only Scientologists command that kind of attention span.