Toys
Flying Squirrel
You just can't trust anyone now a days!
Posted By: Alex - Fri Oct 09, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Animals, Enlargements, Miniatures, and Other Matters of Scale, Flight, Toys
Brickplayer
Here is an old British toy that had a lot of good intentions, but also some unanticipated drawbacks.
Buildings were constructed on allegedly waterproof waxed card bases. The bricks etc. were stuck together with a mortar made from a mixture of flour and chalk powder. It required a great amount of skill to erect buildings accurately, very time-consuming and beyond the patience of most of the children it was aimed at (8 to 14 years). Especially so in cold houses (as most British homes then were) it would take several days for the building to 'set'. Reusing the components involved a process of dunking the entire model in a large bowl of warm water. After the model fell apart the bricks and plaster pieces required lengthy rinsing to remove all organic traces to prevent mould growing on them.
I wonder how well they sold in the USA, as touted in the ad below, from Boys Life for September 1948.
Fan page.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 20, 2015 -
Comments (8)
Category: Buildings and Other Structures, Toys, Children, Europe, Twentieth Century
Protest over plastic dog
From 1959. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals protested inclusion of a plastic dog in a toy rocket ship.I assume the plastic dog must have been inspired by Laika, the Soviet space dog, who was sent on a one-way ticket into space. Once people figured out that the Soviets hadn't bothered to plan any way for bringing Laika back from space (except for letting the rocket crash and burn), her launch pretty much turned into a PR disaster for them.
Source: San Rafael Daily Independent Journal - Oct 27, 1959
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 12, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Toys, 1950s
Wonder Woman Roller Skates
These are triple-distilled nightmare fuel. How could a kid enjoy skating with a baleful Wonder Woman glaring up at the wearer like Mad Max as hood ornament?
I can only hope that these toys are re-released in conjunction with BATMAN V SUPERMAN next year.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 03, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Horror, Toys, Superheroes, 1970s
Is the new Barbie doll gonna be banned in the Pentagon like Furby ?
Is the Pentagon gonna ban this doll like they did the Furby?
http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2015/03/12/talking-barbie-too-creepy.cnnmoney/index.html?
Posted By: BrokeDad - Tue Jun 02, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Toys, Regulations
Creepy Crawlers
For every young girl or boy who aspires to become Dr. Phibes.
Posted By: Paul - Tue May 26, 2015 -
Comments (14)
Category: Animals, Insects and Spiders, Toys, 1960s
Robot Commando Or Zeroids? Your Choice!
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 18, 2015 -
Comments (10)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Robots, Toys, 1950s, 1960s
The gun safe enough to use as a toy
There seem to be layers of meaning in this ad. On one level, it's just a girl playing with her toys (and her gun). On another level, the doll clearly seems posed in a way to represent a dead person, shot perhaps by the girl who's looking down at the gun in her hand with regret. What's the message here?
Incidentally, wikipedia tells us that Iver Johnson revolvers were used in the assassinations of William McKinley and Robert Kennedy (and the attempted assassination of FDR).
Source: The Canadian Magazine - April 1904
Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 21, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Guns, Toys, Advertising, 1900s
Miniature Menagerie
A portrait of the once-proud USA squeaky-toy industry in its glory days, before Asia kicked our squeaky butt.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 26, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Business, Technology, Toys, 1950s
| Who We Are |
|---|
| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |