When you were a child, did you own a hamster? Did you say to yourself, “this pet is okay, but I wish it didn’t poop, bite, or sleep, and that it could skateboard and surf?” Well, envy the children of today.
toys
"Homeless" American Girl Doll Costs $95
By 9.29.09
Looking for the perfect gift for the little girl who has everything, from her own pet llama to dramatic ski and swim vacations? If the little girl happens to be Chrissa, a character in the American Girl doll series, a homeless friend may just be the perfect accessory. And if you’re a real little girl, wouldn’t you just love a homeless friend, too? Or, better yet, a homeless friend doll, for a mere $95?
7 Toys You Probably Shouldn't Buy
By 9.17.09
Look, we’re not going to sit here and pretend to know a lot about parenting. But unless Ambras syndrome runs in your family, we can’t imagine why you need to teach your 7-year-old how to shave a baby. The toy tattoo gun actually looks like a lot of fun, though.
Play Doh Ads Make Crying Out For Help Fun
By 9.16.09
These Play Doh ads from Singapore don’t seem to be aimed at kids. Then again, the message “safe no matter what you make” seems to be aimed directly at parents of kids who play with Play Doh, which leads us back to our initial thought, which is wtf kind of kid requiring parental supervision is shaping eerily realistic looking bottles of pills and razor blades for fun? Play Doh, the fun sad toy that tastes like tears!
You Will Not Escape Toys R Us This Christmas
By 9.15.09
One good thing about the bad economy: There are plenty of empty storefronts in malls across the country, and the owners are more than happy to rent them to short-term tenants during peak seasons. And, this year, you can add Toys R Us to the usual gang of Halloween and Christmas stores that pop up suddenly in your local Simon, and disappear in the night a few weeks later. Jeffrey and his posse are expected to open 80 temporary stores next month, along with new toy sections in 260 Babies R Us shops.
Walmart's "Junk Food In The Toy Aisle" Mystery Officially Solved
By 9.10.09
Yesterday we posted a photo a reader sent in of a toy aisle in his local Walmart that was packed with junk food. We all got commenty on what exactly Walmart was doing—was it a one-off paid promo by Pepsi? A marketing experiment? A power-mad store manager driven crazy by shelving issues? Nah, it’s actually an intentional choice mandated by corporate.
EECB To Toys R Us Results In Refund, Personal Apology, Free Toy
By 8.30.09
Seth had what should have been a fairly simple problem. His son’s radio control car broke after only a few weeks of use. The toy was purchased at and manufactured by Toys R Us, and an e-mail to the support address included with the toy bounced. No one in the company’s usual customer service channels could resolve his problem, and the people whose job it was to help customers in this situation never managed to contact him.
Mattel, Primary Reason For Toy Safety Law, Gets Exempted From It
By 8.28.09
When the CPSIA—the toy safety law that requires independent lab tests on toys—was passed, a lot of smaller toy manufacturers complained that it was really a dirty trick by the big toy companies to increase overhead for the small ones. Now comes word that the government has secretly exempted Mattel from the law’s testing requirements—even though Mattel was responsible for 6 lead-tainted toy recalls in 2007.
Toys R Us Wants Your Recalled Baby Gear
By 8.26.09
Responding to a rash of recalls involving cribs and other baby paraphernalia, Toys R Us is starting a trade-in program Friday, asking for recalled items in exchange for discounts on new stuff.
August? Pretty Much Christmastime, Declares Toys R Us
By 8.21.09
Mark, a host of a radio show called the Parafactor, is always on the lookout for paranormal activity. He found himself a bounty when he happened upon this Paramus, N.J. Toys R Us, which has bent space and time to move the holiday season into the dog days of August. Alert Santa Claus and Hanukkah Harry.
Pool Toy Burns Kids, Kids Strike Back
By 8.11.09
Sad but true: the Banzai Alligator Pool isn’t all that it seems. Brennan Donnellan and his kids were excited to come across the pool on sale at Kmart. But hopes for fun in the sun were crushed upon discovering that the pool was much smaller than the one pictured on the package.
If Your Dog Is Lonely, Buy Him A Sex Doll
By 8.5.09
It’s not enough to drape your best friend in his own custom-made Snuggie. After all, a robe alone doesn’t keep away the haven’t-had-sex-in-years blues—you need ice cream for that, and dogs shouldn’t eat ice cream. Instead, you can pamper him with his very own fake dog sex toy.
Mattel Profits Increase After Cost Cuts
By 7.17.09
Mattel’s revenues are down by 19%. Toy sales from summer movies and flagship product Barbie and Hot Wheels are down. However, the company reported today that profits are way up. So what explains the profits? Blame a visit from Price Hike Barbie.
By 7.17.09
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You mean I don’t need a $900 stroller? Perhaps this is a sign that perhaps the recession is dragging everyone back to something approaching reality. Even affluent American parents are buying secondhand items or using hand-me-downs for their children. [New York Times]
Lead Paint To Cost OKK $655,000
By 6.29.09
The OKK Trading company has agreed to pay a $655,000 fine for violating the federal ban on lead in children’s toys. Over the past two years, the California-based company has issued six recalls spanning almost 18,000 toys and baby products.
Not-So Accurate Free Toys 'R' Us Shipping Promise Makes Reader Shoot Self In Foot
By 6.25.09
Toys “R” Us has a clever little “free shipping” trap going on with its Nerf guns, reader Chi writes. The site offers a couple of compelling deals that, when combined together, cancel one another out and pretty much screw you over.
Mattel Will Pay $2.3 Million Penalty For All Those Lead Toys
By 6.6.09
Remember back when lead toys were all the rage? Oh, those dangerous days, when you couldn’t lick a Dora the Explorer doll without fear of memory loss! Well, Mattel and the Consumer Prouct Safety Commission (CPSC) have reached an agreement on how much Mattel should pay for importing toys that exceeded U.S. lead safety guidelines, and the amount is $2.3 million. Maybe now the CPSC can use some of that money to grease the DC wheels and get their new chair nominee confirmed.
