Shopping for toys at Target, Anthony noticed an interesting change in a small, inexpensive doll that his daughter enjoys. The princesses have been affected by a toy shrink ray–the dolls are smaller, the mold used to make them is different, and they come with fewer accessories–for the same price, naturally. [More]
toys
Make Your Own Zhu Zhu The Fad Robot Hamster Toy
By 12.16.09
If you have kids, you’re probably biting your nails down to the quick worrying how you’re going to find–much less pay for–this year’s super hot fad toy, Zhu Zhu the Robot Hamster. But don’t be so stupid! The thing about fad toys like Zhu Zhu is that they’re about 30% fun, 30% marketing, and 40% media hype. You can bypass all that nonsense and make your own in less than 20 minutes, and for a fraction of the cost. [More]
Target Cancels Zhu Zhu Pet Order Placed In September, Ruins Christmas
By 12.12.09
Long before the national robot hamster shortage began, before fights broke out over the toy critters, and even before Consumerist took notice of the trend, Stacey’s daughters wanted Zhu Zhu Pets for Christmas. She ordered two hamsters and a playset for them from Target.com in mid-September, and waited for them to come off backorder. And waited. Finally, less than two weeks before Christmas, Target canceled her order. [More]
Relax, Toy Hamsters Not Metalloid Death Bringers After All
By 12.8.09
You can dig up that bag of Zhu Zhus from your backyard and re-wrap them for the kids again. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has said that the robot hamsters are not loaded with too much antimony after all, despite claims made by the website GoodGuide. [More]
Mother Thinks Hannah Montana Doll Is Swearing
By 12.3.09
We’re going to go ahead and suggest that if you are the type to hear swear words when confronted with awful audio recordings, you not buy dolls that sing. One Florida mom is such a person, and is convinced that her daughter’s Hannah Montana doll has taught her kid to say the “F” word. [More]
Police Called To Quell Fight Over Toy Hamsters
By 11.27.09
People in Indiana really want those trendy little robot hamsters that are the designated fad toy of 2009. Police were called to two Toys R Us stores, one in Indianapolis and one in Greenwood, on Friday after fights broke out among toy shoppers. [More]
First Toy Store Melee Reported In Connecticut
By 11.27.09
The crowd waiting at the doors of the Toys R Us in Manchester, Conn., burning up with Black Friday fever, grew impatient. Shortly before the store opened at midnight, a group of people tried to jump the line and get through the doors. The store didn’t open until nearly an hour later–and after twenty police officers got the crowd under control. [More]
Toys Are Not Immune To All-Zapping Shrink Ray
By 11.17.09
Alexey has found the ubiquitous Grocery Shrink Ray is also zapping toys. The pictured Imaginarium blocks used to come in sets of 200, as is reflected in the old price tag, barely visible at the bottom of the screen, but has been shrunk down to 150.
Toys R Us Advertises Zhu Zhu Pet Sale, Forgets To Stock Zhu Zhu Pets
By 11.11.09
Arnold was excited to receive an e-mail from Toys R Us advertising a special early-bird sale of Zhu Zhu Pets. The inexpensive little robot hamsters are in short supply, and the chain promised critters to the first fifty households who showed up at their local store on Sunday morning. Only Arnold reports that not only did his local store never have any of the battery-operated rodents in stock, it wasn’t open at the advertised hour at all.
Verizon Wireless Relegates iPhone To Island Of Misfit Toys
By 11.8.09
As a whimsical follow-up to AT&T’s lawsuit concerning their “There’s a map for that” ads, Verizon Wireless released their Christmas-themed set of AT&T/iPhone bashing ads today. They’re harsh, but also pretty funny.
Game Consoles, Dolls And Wooden Dogs Are The Best Toys Ever
By 11.6.09
Did you play with a Slinky growing up? Well, that makes you a loser, because your toy didn’t make Good Housekeeping‘s Yahoo list of the greatest toys ever made.
Mattel To Release "Palm Beach Sugar Daddy" Ken Doll. Yes, Really.
By 10.30.09
Playing “Madoff investors” just got a little easier thanks to Mattel’s “Palm Beach Sugar Daddy” Ken doll, which will be released in April of 2010.
Walt Disney Planning On Turning Stores Into Shopping Theme Parks
By 10.14.09
Starting the middle of next year, Walt Disney will be rolling out a new version of its mall store format that is intended to suck in your child like a fairy princess crack pipe. “The goal is to make children clamor to visit the stores and stay longer,” writes Brooks Barnes in the New York Times, by using things like embedded chips in the packaging to trigger responses from the store’s furnishings, a rotating library of scents that fill the store, and karaoke.
Target: No Plans To Remove Bleeding Rock-A-Stacks
By 10.13.09
Target decided to break its rule about not talking to blogs and responded to our inquiry about the Fisher Price Rock A Stack toys with the blue rings that bleed blue dye on those who encounter it. We asked how many complaints has Target received about this defect? Are there any plans to remove the toy it from the shelves? And If a customer has bought the toy and wishes to return or exchange it, is a receipt required? They responded thusly:
Squishable's Cuddly Customer Service Resolves Website Bug
By 10.10.09
Jonathon wanted to give his girlfriend the gift of a large, cuddly stuffed animal, but the gift certificate to critter maker Squishable.com was causing strange transaction problems. He called the company up and received not only friendly service, but a free critter upgrade.
Toys R Us Manager Says Store Will Be Open On Thanksgiving This Year
By 10.9.09
Retail isn’t a great field to be in if you enjoy having nights, weekends and holidays off. A disgruntled Toys R Us manager wrote us to say Thanksgiving, one of his three guaranteed holidays per year, will vanish in order to give the store a jump on its Black Friday competitors.
Target Must Pay $600,000 To Settle Lead Paint Charges
By 10.1.09
Looks like the CPSC can afford donuts tomorrow for their office: Target has agreed to pay $600,000 for selling toys with too much lead on them from May 2006 to August 2007, reports Reuters. The fine “resolves allegations” over the issue, so now Target can focus on what it does best, which is act crazy.
