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.
1. Atomic Energy Laboratory
Cool Toy!
I had something like that and made my own cloud chamber!
Yeah, I liked that one, too!..............
I wonder just how many engineers and scientists got started on their career paths thanks to A.C. Gilbert
My bro and I had #6. The Belt Buckle Gun. No “serious burns” to report. At 9 and 10, we both suspected that the caps were designed to explode and handled them accordingly.
I wonder just how many engineers and scientists got cancer thanks to A.C. Gilbert?.......................
Mattel could have saved the Spanish Barbie if they had come with a coupon for a Big Mac.
Ping...
Silly
I proudly sported number 6, the belt buckle gun. Never once got burned by a cap. Not by a greenie stick-um, or red rolled caps.
My kids had Sky Dancers. Never had an incident.
I wonder how Super Elastic Bubble Plastic, with a list of ingredients straight out of a Superfund Toxic Waste Site, managed to avoid the list?
I have a set of clackers in my desk drawer. Nothing better than handing them to my grandkids.
Even a simple Super Ball carries some risk. Flying at you at Mach 2 from some crazy angle after bouncing off two walls and your brother’s head...
I saw one of those craft kits that I still have trouble believing was real. A glass blowing kit.
#9...alleging copyright infringement....lol
yeah, I guess it’s a close call. maybe somehow it isn’t
Had the Clacker, had the Nichols derringer belt buckle, but I discount the cap claim as you put a round sticker cap on the back of the spring loaded cartridge into which you stuffed a plastic bullet, so there was no large roll of caps to catch fire and burn, eschewed lawn darts because I saw the danger and refused the entreaties of my kids to buy them.
Do you remember the original slate grey Superball? If you could throw one hard enough against concrete theyd explode, sending Superball shrapnel everywhere! Pulled from the market until the formula was changed to avoid it.
My brother and I decided to find out if we could bounce a superball over the house. Slammed it down on the driveway as hard as possible ... watched it arc off into space ... spent an hour searching the back yard before finding it.
Yes: we could indeed bounce a superball over the house.
Lesson: Next time, put an observer down-range to spot the impact.
Feh ... the danger of Jarts was only to idiots.
YEP! Had one!..................
One set has never been out of the box, and the box has been kept in a footlocker in the shed since the lawn darts were purchased ...
This is akin to saying no one was ever hurt falling from tall buildings. . . Its the very sudden ending of the fall that results in the injuries!
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