Posted on 01/11/2019 11:11:08 AM PST by Red Badger
10. Spanish Barbie
In 1999, fans of this popular fashion doll were very upset that she was wearing a matador's costume - usually worn when bulls are ritually killed in a bullring as a public spectacle.
Barbie fans, including actress Alicia Silverstone, wrote letters to Mattel asking that they discontinue the toy.
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9. Air Pirates Comic
The underground comic, Air Pirates Funnies, was created by a group of San Francisco based cartoonists in 1971. The comic portrayed Disney characters engaging in VERY adult behavior. Disney sued, alleging copyright infringement.
In 1978, the Ninth Circuit ruled against the Air Pirates.
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8. Snacktime Kid Cabbage Patch Doll
The Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids featured battery-powered mechanical jaws. Armed with “real chewing action” this toy kept chewing, even when kids got their hair and fingers caught in the doll's mouth. Mattel recalled them in 1997.
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7. Clackers
Clackers, also known as Knockers and Click Clacks, consisted of two large acrylic balls, which hung on either end of a heavy string. The two balls would swing apart and together, making the loud clacking noise that gave the toy its name. If swung too hard, the acrylic balls would shatter, sending flying shrapnel everywhere.
Clackers were banned in 1985.
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6. Belt Buckle Gun
In 1959, Mattel introduced the Belt Buckle Derringer Toy Gun.
To unsuspecting badguys, this unique belt buckle looked harmless. But when the user extended his stomach, the gun swung out, firing a toy bullet and a cap.
Unfortunately, the caps could be accidentally ignited by friction and cause serious burns.
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5. Sky Dancers
Sky Dancers were a Barbie inspired helicopter-like flying toy. Placed on a mechanical base, once the cord was pulled, the Sky Dancer would twirl high into the sky.
The hard plastic Sky Dancer's propeller-like wings flew rapidly in unpredictable directions, hitting users and causing temporary blindness, broken teeth, face lacerations, and one mild concussion.
Galoob recalled almost 9 million Sky Dancers in 2000.
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4. Battlestar Galactica Missile Launcher
Red missles, about 1 1/4" long, created for the 1979 Battlestar Galactica toys, were just about the perfect size to lodge in a child's throat.
Before the missle recall, Mattel added stickers to the toys warning "do not put or fire red missiles into mouth or towards face."
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3. Yo-Yo Water Balls
Illinois, New Jersey and New York have all banned the Yo-Yo Water ball. The Yo-Yo Water ball is made of flammable diesel hydrocarbons.
The stretchy, sticky cord can wrap around a child's neck, causing strangulation.
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2. Lawn Darts
Heavily weighted and solid metal, Lawn Darts can pierce whatever they strike! Lawn darts have been responsible for over 7,000 injuries. On December 19, 1988, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lawn darts from sale in the United States.
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1. Atomic Energy Laboratory
In 1951, A.C. Gilbert, inventor of the ERECTOR set, released the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab. Using real radioactive materials, one could witness mist trails created by particles of ionizing radiation.
The set included four Uranium-bearing ore samples, and originally sold for $49.50.
huh....I had no idea Yo-Yo Balls and Sky Dancers were a problem.
#4 impacted me for my send away Boba Fett. He was supposed to have a firing rocket pack. Collected the necessary tokens and waited (like in Christmas Story) for it to arrive....except it didn’t fire....they did include a paper explaining why... I was a very ticked young lad.
Sky Dancers could put your eye out, kid....................
Happy Fun Ball - still legal in some states!
The only thing I ‘sent away’ for as a kid was a package of Boyers Mallo Cups. They are like Reeses Peanut butter cups but filled with marshmallow cream.
Each one you buy had a small card inside with a number of ‘points’on it. When you saved up enough ‘points’ you could mail them in for a ‘free’ case of Mallo cups about a dozen or so.
Mine came in on a very hot Mississippi day and stayed in teh mailbox all day. They were melted into one big blob.................
Ah yes, clackers. Saw a few shatter in my day. No one wore safety glasses and yet no one was ever hurt that I knew of. Should monkey bars qualify for this? lol
I remember playing catch with Lawn Darts (Jarts).
Not tryin’ to hijack the thread but this came to mind. Back when snl was actually funny:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veMiNQifZcM
I remember Clackers. Look at that tiny little metal ring. It was easy to lose control of that and send those Clackers flying through a window or knocking someone’s head off or doing other types of serious damage.
Fun toy. Until someone loses an eye.
Lawn Darts were always a hit at family gatherings...especially 4th of July, with tons of fireworks and kegs and more kegs....
I remember the Lawn Darts, but that’s it. :)
I clacked many a Clacker!......................
FREEPERS need to refresh my memory. There was a toy made in the 1980’s with something like the name Rivetron. It used a rubber type doughtnut to connect pieces together. The toy was tested for safety. However, at home when the kids knew observers in lap coats would not be watching, they (the kids) popped the “doughtnut” into their mouths and chewed them. Unfortunately, at least two small children died as the doughtnut stuck in their throats. The toy was recalled.
I am sketchy about most everything here including the name of the toy-it was over 30 years ago. But the toy was recalled and at least two kids did die from chewing on the rubber.
Had a couple pairs towards the end of elementary school. While they could well be rather painful until mastered, I never saw any shatter...
Catching them, though...
Chemistry sets aren't any fun anymore, not, at least, compared to the one I had in the basement. It was mostly safe.
The Asian girls were the best.......It just flew up, and up and up......and was gone!...............
I had one.
Burned a lot of sulfur!.................
I like the one where it flies straight into the fireplace. Poor kid. But there’s no coming back from that one.
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