(continued)

whoa, i want one of these. spark up and watch it melt, dude.

Since this list includes adult and youth "toys," you have left off perhaps the most hazardous: the red "english style," Huffy 3-speed bicycle produced and sold through the decade of the sixties and beyond. With its handlegrip shifter, it was certain to cause multiple moderate to severe ankle sprains (to go with testicular impact against the frame crossbar) in all who rode it habitually. But that was the kindest cut of all. To many (probably tens of thousands or more) riding across the path of a distant vehicle when the bike lost control and threw its rider towards the ground, their imminent next location was in a grave or awaking in a hospital facing months and years of recovery, and lifelong disability from serious to grave injury bestowed by their Huffies. A product that today would certainly put its manufacturer out of business, Huffman/Huffy Mfg company had the prevailing attitudes of those times, and the ineptitude of police agencies (DPD comes to mind as probably the worst) to thank for the fact that it is still in business selling bikes today.

What? No Ricochet Racers?

What, no mention of the toy that hurt?

Etch A Sketch (sp?)

Remember, you would hold it over your head and shake it to erase the drawing? My younger sister saw us do that and try to do the same. She wouldn't hold it high enough and hit herself on the forehead.

She would cry, Mom would assume we did something to her (we were 2, 7, and 12 at the time), Mom would take it away from her. That would make her cry more, so we would give it back to her. Then she would hit herself again.

The thing weighed a few pounds, and was made VERY sturdy. I don't ever recall one of those things breaking open, do you?

Larry

PS Jeff Foxworthy did a routine on some of these very same toys about 10 years ago. I gotta find that CD now.

You know what Larry, don't sweat looking for that CD. I think we will make it without it. And if we get really desperate for some hee-larity we can always ask someone to pull our fingers, right? Yeeeeeeeehhhhaaaaawwwww!!!!

These are still avilable at Walmart. Saw them there tonight.

What, no Clackers?

Nothing means fun like slamming glass balls together!

What strikes me as very interesting is; What is it that makes a toy recallable?
Why are some extremely dangerous toys sold year after year, such as bicycles, skateboards, inline skates, any sports related paraphernalia &/or hobby supplies.
What are the variables that are plugged into what equation to say if a given toy is going to be recalled or not?
Perhaps the illusion of safety, but lawn darts defy that.
Perhaps pure shoddy workmanship or plainly toxic materials...
i find it -fascinating- that many products-- Not only toys, but furniture and other items are found, after several 'accidents' that they have been made from, not only dangerous materials, but The Most Dangerous Materials imaginable...!
It's as if; The designer was specifically TRYING to make an extremely dangerous toy.
With many toys, there is the factor of overwhelming popularity and widespread usage that seems to negate the hundreds or thousands of injuries every year...
So; It's not a Safety issue... It would appear to be an Economic Socialization Mechanism that is implemented occasionally to sedate The Damp Masses into thinking that Big Brother is taking care of you... In some even-handed balance between Over Coddling & Supervision of The Mentally Retarded.
???

"The brightly colored disco ball cost 1,500 Chuck E. Cheese tickets. For the average skee-baller, that adds up to about 15 months of play at a cost of approximately $20,000."

wait... Seriously?

$20,000 / 1500 tickets = $13 and a third PER TICKET

not to mention 1500 tickets / 15 months = 100 tickets per month

I've never been to Chuck E. Cheese's but i've been to places like it and
i don't think they we're THAT much of a rip-off. I'd always play the thing that you would try to stop the lights and get 100+how ever many tokens went in since someone else won, even if you missed you got 7 or so tickets. I think someone messed upon the numbers.

But maybe Things work different where i'm from. (canada)