INTRO We have Sam in the studio with us today. Sam does our ODJs. He lives outside of the greater Cut and Shoot area way over there in Waco so he only comes to the studio every now and then to record several oddities at a time. When that happens we graciously let him sit in on the episode recordings as well. We’re sweet like that. But that’s the reason that sometimes you hear him in an episode and sometimes you don’t.
Well today’s episode is actually the first part of a two part series called FUN & GAMES. Next episode we’ll discuss all kinds of board games, their history and weird stories but today’s FUN & GAMES is all about toys. [Banter]
We’ve talked some about toys in past episodes. I think everyone had a slinky when they were a kid whether it was an original one made of metal (boy did those things get dirty and smelly!) or had the plastic ones like my kids had in the 90s. We talked about the Slinky at length in the last episode of Season 2 called LEFTOVER STEW and how if your parents—or grandparents—bought a Slinky toy prior to 1960 then it’s very likely that money was used to fund a religious cult. Interesting story, go back and listen to the episode to hear all about it and more crazy stories like the music video that helped find missing kids, clown eggs, bone music, and the odd Jewish tradition of Plague Weddings.
In another past episode we talked about how Play-Doh, another staple of American childhood, was originally invented as a wallpaper cleaner. That episode called REMARKABLE INVENTIONS was also in season 2 and included stories of how the incubator that has saved so many lives of premature babies was first used as a sideshow attraction at Coney Island (complete with the infants), as well as how chainsaws were first invented to aid in difficult childbirths. No kidding! Check it out!
You might also remember a couple of episodes back our beautiful ode to the mighty potato. If you missed it, make sure to go back and listen to This Spud’s for You. In that episode we discussed that popular low tech childhood toy called Mr. Potato Head. You may recall that originally children received only a package of weird looking eyes, noses, and other appendages that they were to apply to actual potatoes. In time the toy transitioned to the plastic form with pre-drilled holes that we are more familiar with. We reported in that episode that the 1952 television commercial for Mr. Potato Head was the very first commercial for a toy.
Today we are opening up the toy box and taking a deep dive into the wonderful and sometimes weird world of childhood playthings.
HISTORY OF TOYS
Toys have probably been around as long as children have. I have mentioned before that my wife Judy and I are the proud grandparents of eight grandsons and five granddaughters for a grand total of 13. The oldest is 20 and the youngest is just over a year. We have one bedroom in our house that is the designated kid play area and we do have some toys there. One of them has survived through all thirteen. He’s a little green frog named Tad, and he sings and counts in English and Spanish.
An article from digventures.com states that the oldest known toy to have been found by archeologists was a baby’s rattle found in central Turkey that is believed to be some 4,000 years old. It was made of ceramic and had small pebbles inside giving it that nice rattling sound that we are still familiar with today. The rattle was located by researchers from Ankara University and it is currently on display there.
A separate article in gigglemagazine.com details that ancient toys fell into two categories. The first category of toys was just for fun like balls or yoyos. They state that the earliest written evidence of toys dates to about 500 BC in a Greek reference to yoyos made of wood, metal, and painted terra cotta. There are also written references in China dating from around that same time that speak of kites. They state that kites were used as toys but also had military and bridge construction applications.
The second category of toys mentioned in the article referenced toys that mimicked adult behavior. These would include tools, weapons, or living things. When ancient children had time to play, they would mimic the things they saw adults doing in their everyday life. Throughout the world archeologists have found differing kinds of baby dolls, toy swords, stick horses, and figurines made to look like different animals.
A website called greektoys.org details seven ancient toys that kids still play with today. Now some of these are games, so we will hold them until our next episode which is going to be called Games.
The Kerakimos Museum in Athens has a marvelous terra cotta toy wheeled horse on display that dates to 1,000 BC. This would have been a prized possession in Ancient Greece, but it is not unlike the string-pulled wheeled duck toy that we see toddlers playing with these days.
Dolls were called plagons in ancient Greece. They were the most popular girl’s toy as the doll was a female figure made of clay and sported a complicated hairstyle. Sometimes the clothes were painted on, but for others the girls would sew clothes for their dolls from scraps of cloth. On the eve of every girl’s wedding day, plagons were dedicated to the goddess Artemis.
As mentioned earlier, yoyos were a very popular toy in ancient times. The basic design of yoyos hasn’t changed much over the centuries. It was basically a round shape made of wood or terra cotta upon which a string was attached and wound. I can make it go up and down a few times, but I have never been able to master any of the cool yoyo tricks like “walk the dog” or “rock the baby” that I used to see on those Duncan Yoyo commercials or from the Yoyo Man who would occasionally come to my school to put on demonstrations.
A couple of other ancient toys mentioned in the article are spinning tops and hoops. Spinning tops have been found throughout the ancient world. Though they varied in shape and material they were always designed to spin gracefully on a narrow point appearing to defy gravity. It is likely that acorns may have been the first spinning tops.
The ancient Greek predecessors of Hula Hoops were made of metals like bronze, iron, or copper. Hoop rolling was a popular activity for children and adults. Ancient Greek vases have been unearthed depicting boys rolling hoops with the aid of a small stick.
From the ancient world until about 200 years ago toys changed very little and were primarily hand made. That all changed with the industrial revolution, or as one article put it, the indus- toy – al revolution (we only pick articles from the cleverest sources!) which occurred in the 1800s. The factory system was created, allowing for more efficient production of goods. And yes, these goods included toys! Toy production became quicker and cheaper, making toys more accessible to more children. By the end of the 1800s even the first plastic toys were being created.
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WEIRD TOYS
Speaking of those 1800s here is a toy that traces its beginnings to that century and to the American South. This one is a bit of a controversial toy called the Topsy Turvy doll. An article in theatlantic.com defines the Topsy Turvy as a doll that is two-headed and two-bodied—historically one black body and one white, conjoined at the lower waist where the hips and legs would ordinarily be. The lining of one's dress is the outside of the other’s, so that the skirt flips over to conceal one body when the other is upright. Two dolls in one, yet only one can be played with at a time.
The article further states that the Topsy Turvy doll most likely originated in American plantation nurseries of the early 19th century. By the mid-20th century, thanks to that Industrial Revolution we mentioned earlier, Topsy Turvy dolls had grown so popular that they were mass-manufactured and made widely available in department stores across the country. Today they’re found mostly in antique stores, museums, and private collections.
I actually had a TT doll when I was little that I loved. I’ve looked for it online over the years but it was a bit too expensive for my tastes. You know you’re getting old when the toys of your youth are now antiques! Anyway while researching for this episode I came across a cheaper TT doll just like the one I had as a kid but about half as big which was perfect. I bought it and have it with me today. Now this wasn’t the controversial black and white doll but rather a figure of Little Red Riding Hood that flipped over to Grandma and then grandma’s bonnet flipped over to reveal the Big Bad Wolf in Grandma’s clothing. (S3E24 Once)
You might be thinking, “Yeah, that Topsy Turvy is kind of weird.” Well, it’s not nearly as strange as some other toys that have hit the market. An article by Christopher Byrne in huffpost.com details several of the weirdest toys ever made. Perhaps you enjoyed one as a child. Maybe that explains a lot about you. Let’s explore.
As a child, did you ever hear one of your friends tell you, “Don’t play with Mary, she has cooties!” Whether or not you knew what cooties were, you were likely dissuaded from going near Mary unless you had armed yourself with a cootie shot. Technically cooties are lice, but to elementary age children cooties can be any range of imaginary germs usually carried by an awkward member of the opposite sex.
For some reason in 1948 the W. H. Shafer Co. in Minneapolis, Minnesota developed a toy in which you could construct your own cootie. Simply called the Cootie Game, it contained various colored body parts so that kids could construct their own louse. It was a major hit and has never been out of production. Mr. Byrne states that Cootie is the only hit game that can truly be called (wait for it) lousy! Oh yes, harkening back to our very first episode called Balloonacy, Cootie was honored in 1975 with a 15 foot tall float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
This next one I don’t remember at all, but it sounds amazing. In 1963 the Marx Co. (That’s Louis Marx the toy manufacturer, not Karl Marx the communist) marketed an amazing plastic robot called Big Loo. Big Loo was big, he stood over three feet tall and was a foot wide. Retailing for $9.95 which would equal just over $100 today, Big Loo had eyes that lit up, a voice changer, a Morse code clicker, darts that shot from his nipples, a rocket launcher in his foot and an arm that shot plastic balls. According to Mr. Byrne, “It had all the bells and whistles of classic, active play—including the bells and whistles.” We did a quick search on ebay and located a Big Loo Robot. The asking price was $1,000. Oh yes, according to Wikipedia, Big Loo was featured on the cover of the Los Lobos album called Colossal Head.
There is a hilarious classic video clip from the first season of SNL in 1975 featuring Candice Bergan and Dan Akyroyd. In this clip, Bergan is interviewing Akyroyd who is portraying Mr. Mainway, a sleazy manufacturer of dangerous toys. He’s defending some of his products including Johnny Switchblade Adventure Punk and Teddy Bear Chainsaw. In fact we have a clip here where Bergen asks Mr. Mainway about his toy, Bag of Broken Glass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veMiNQifZcM
In typical SNL fashion that skit was a reflection of what was really happening at the time. In the 19790s there were some truly dangerous toys on the market that would never pass muster today. Those included lawn darts, atomic energy kits, and one of my favorites, Clackers!
Clackers were a pair of hard acrylic balls, they were a bit smaller but the same consistency of billiard balls, that were tied to a cord that was about two feet long. In the middle of the cord was a small ring for a handle. Kind of like num-chuks only with a longer cord and heavy balls instead of grips. The idea was to get the Clackers to bang against each other in rapid succession as you quickly moved the handle up and down. It was not easy, and when you finally did get them clacking they made an ear shattering noise similar to hailstones on a tin roof. Worse yet, when you tried to stop the clacking one of the balls would invariably smash you in the wrist, chin, knee, or other nearby body part. And that was just the official use of the Clackers. Frequently they were often employed as hurling weapons toward offending friends and siblings.
I have a very vivid memory of being in the 7th grade in 1970. You know announcements were usually made in the morning. But one day about 2:15 in the afternoon the old intercom crackled to life and the school secretary came on. We were thinking that this was going to be an announcement about some major news bulletin. But instead, she said, “Listen kids, don’t bring any more of those clangers or bangers or whatever it is you call them to school anymore. If you do, they will be thrown away immediately!” Click! She had had it!
Another weird toy from the 70s in Mr. Byrne’s article was Stretch Armstrong. This was a small muscular male doll which sort of resembled Arnold Schwarzenegger. But you could stretch his arms and legs up to four feet in length and he would always snap back to his original shape. He was pretty much indestructible, that is until you left him inside a hot car. Then he pretty much melted.
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WESTERN TOYS
Back in the 1950s and 60s it appeared that 2/3 of all television programs were Westerns. How many Westerns can you think of? Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rawhide, The Lone Ranger, The Virginian, High Chaparral, The Big Valley, Death Valley Days, Maverick, and many more. Kids like me who grew up in that area spent much of our play time on stick horses chasing bad guys and having mock gunfights with our friends. Of course, if you were shot, it was expected that you wouldn’t just fall down but you had to put some drama into it and make it look showy. Immediately afterwards you popped up cartoon style and rejoined the fight. My wife recalls a childhood memory where each morning she would strap on her pink holster and cap pistol before she went out to round up the offending neighborhood kids and put them in jail. A ladder turned horizontal substituted for the jail.
Toy manufacturers capitalized on the Western craze by marketing cowboy hats and outfits, feathered headbands, mock Winchester Rifles, Colt 45 cap pistols, bows and arrows, rope coils, and a host of other Western themed items. The Lone Ranger himself and other Western stars often appeared in TV commercials urging kids to go out and get the latest gear. Most of these Western themed toys were pretty much what you would expect, but occasionally they got weird.
An item on lowerthebar.net notes that in 1965 Kenner developed the Daddy Saddle. No kidding, this was an actual child sized saddle that was designed to strap onto dad’s back. The kiddo hangs on while Dad gallops around on his hands and knees. The box states, “Now every child’s favorite game, Horsie, comes to life!” It also boasts “authentic Western design and tooling, washable vinyl coating, and adjustable straps and cinch.” If dad isn’t around or is hiding somewhere, just throw the saddle over the back of an armchair or use it on a see saw. Drawings of these uses are also on the box cover.
About that same time, Mattel came out with the Belt Buckle Pistol. This was an oversized Western belt buckle with what appears to be an engraving of a large pistol on it. Only it is not an engraving, it is an actual pistol! Well, sort of. The pistol is hinged to the buckle so that it swings out. Inside the barrel is a small spring loaded plastic toy bullet. The bullet can be fired by squeezing a hidden release switch on the back of the belt buckle.
A blogger named Dave Potchak of New Enterprise, PA writes an amusing anecdote about the belt buckle pistol on his blog pospeek.com. “One Sunday afternoon when I was ten years old my Dad was half asleep on the couch. I walked over to him and said, ‘Dad, can I shoot you in the belly?’ ‘Sure, just be careful,” he replied. I swung open the hinged pistol and fired point blank into his white T shirt middle. For some reason the plastic bullet took a sharp left turn and made a direct hit into his half opened eye. For a split second I thought I was safe because I had asked permission. I was wrong. The smack I got was mild, though, probably because Dad was half asleep and no doubt still partially blinded by the bullet.”
CRINGWORTHY TOYS
Those are definitely some interesting Western toys, but I ran across some non-western toys that are also rather cringeworthy.
Now most of us can recall having piggy banks when we were kids. The idea was to encourage children to save their money. A Japanese company called Banpresto has taken this idea to new levels, and one of them is especially creepy. Many of their products are featured on a website called japantrendshop.com. Some of them are really quite clever. One bank has a soccer theme. You place your coin on the soccer field and a mechanized player kicks it into a goal net from which it disappears into a storage box below. Another called the laughing money bag actually bursts out in guffaws when you drop your coin inside. Several others depict characters from anime cartoons. But then there is the Facebank.
The Facebank is a small box shaped like a cube only with one angled side. On this side you can clearly see two eyes and a slightly open mouth. Looking closer you can detect a slight resemblance to a chimpanzee’s face. The idea is to put your coin in the face’s mouth. The face slowly chews your coin until it drops in its belly. But the thing is so creepy looking that no kid in their right mind would go near it. So now Banpresto has come out with Facebank 2. I can’t say that it is much of an improvement. The mouth is still there, but the two eyes have been replaced by a large protruding nose. Still, for those kids who aren’t in their right mind, this could be the perfect birthday gift. The cost is a mere $47.
And then there’s Baby Laugh A Lot. This was a doll with red hair and chubby cheeks that rocked back and forth and laughed maniacally. Here’s the original commercial for the doll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kvenmWEhFE
The commercial starts with a little girl pushing a button and evil laughter ensues. I don’t think that the manufacturer Remco intended for the laughter to sound evil, but it definitely gives you the creeps. Remco produced Baby Laugh A Lot in 1971 and then went bankrupt shortly after. A website called cursed-commercialsfandom.com claims that as the batteries begin running down the doll takes on a smoker’s cough tone and sounds even more sinister.
And we can’t forget about Jolly Chimp in our ode to cringy toys. I think this is kind of the epitome, or poster child, of vintage toys. According to Wikipedia the Japanese manufacturer Daishin C.K. began producing a toy called Musical Jolly Chimp in the early 1950s. When you pressed a lever on its back the chimp bared his teeth, howled, and began banging two cymbals together. Evidently Daishin didn’t get a patent on their product because soon knock-off Jolly Chimps emerged on the market. For this reason, you can locate many variations of Jolly Chimp today. Jolly Chimp has appeared in numerous movies and television shows including Rebel Without A Cause, Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind, The Great American Hero, Phantom of the Opera, and Toy Story 3. If you are interested in purchasing one, we found an original Musical Jolly Chimp on ebay for $225. Knock-off versions can be located for about $25.
And now we come to what might be the queen of cringy…in 1964 Mattel introduced the Skipper doll who was supposed to be Barbie’s little sister. She actually is really cute but ten years later they decided that it was time for Skipper to grow up - - and out! The box for the “Growing Up Skipper” doll included a bold claim, “She’s 2 dolls in 1 for twice as much fun.” According to messymessychic.com, when you took Skipper out of the package she looked like the cute 9 year old kid sister of Barbie that kids had come to know and love. But when you rotated her left arm, she grew taller, - - and she grew breasts. Now she appeared like a 15 year old Mini Barbie. A note on the back of the box claims, “The doll which grows from a cute little girl to a tall and curvy teenager. Comes complete with a different set of pretty clothes for each time of her life.” It’s definitely a good thing that they never created a little brother for Ken.
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TOY SOLDIERS
Perhaps the most prolific and common toy of the past 70 years are those green plastic soldiers with the broad base. I remember having a set of them when I was a kid. They were especially fun to set up and knock over with marbles from my marble roller that my brother built for me in shop class. These toys also were featured in the Toy Story movies. Thinking about them got me to wondering about the history of toy soldiers.
A website called warwickandwarwick.com which operates a collectables auction house has some great information about the history of toy soldiers. They state that the first mass produced toy soldiers were made of tin and produced in the early 1800s in Germany by the Heinrichson, Heyde, and Gebrüder Riechewere (Reechevere Brothers) companies. These figures were somewhat engraved but generally unpainted. Later in the 1800s more realistic military figures were produced by pouring molten lead into a mold. They often resembled various European military leaders.
In 1893 an Englishman named William Britain (of course) changed the way toy soldiers were manufactured when he invented a process called hollow casting. Quoting from warwickandwarwick.com, “Britain’s hollow-cast production system saw molten lead poured into a mold, which was turned as the metal cooled. Because the mold featured a small opening to allow excess lead to escape, the finished figurine was hollow – making it far lighter and cheaper to make than previous designs.” William Britain’s earliest works were beautifully hand painted and reflected English uniforms from the Boer War and other British campaigns of that era.
In 1924 a New Jersey company named Barclays began producing metal toy soldiers with highly creative poses. Their soldiers reflected American and Canadian military regiments. Barclays also produced Native American figures. During World War II Barclays, as well as most other American manufacturers had to switch from producing toys to products for the military. When the war ended in 1945 the company went back to producing toy soldiers, now reflecting the various units and regiments that had just come home from fighting in Europe and the Pacific. Manufacturing advances of the 1940s saw the figurines become far more lifelike and detailed than ever before. They also produced barnyard sets and city worker figurines.
The biggest postwar change in toy soldiers was the rapid development of plastic injection molds. This made the soldiers cheaper and faster to manufacture. In the 1950s the American toy company Marx, mentioned earlier, began producing the famous green plastic army men in several realistic poses. No doubt these popular toys inspired many youngsters to join up when they came of age. In the 1960s Marx also introduced colorful figures including soldiers in uniform, Native Americans, cowboys, and spacemen.
The long-lasting appeal of toy soldiers contributes to their continued popularity as collectables. Plastic models and sets from the 1960s are widely available and can be purchased for around $25. The rarer tin and lead models from the early 1900s in good condition can fetch upwards of $700. Warwickandwarwick.com notes that prices continue to rise steadily, making toy soldiers a potentially shrewd investment.
The subject of toy soldiers reminds me of the story we did about soldiers making a toy out of a weapon. In our S2E11 titled Submarines and War Machines we talked about the Doodlebug. Officially named the Goliath Tracked Mine it was a bizarre device built by the Germans during WW II. It was a remote-controlled mobile explosive measuring one foot tall that was supposed to maneuver under allied tanks and detonate. The problem was that the power was supplied by a 2,000 foot extension cord which the Allied soldiers quickly learned to cut. There is a nifty YouTube video showing some American soldiers playing with several disabled Doodlebugs. Well, Leah has our final stories that also involve soldiers and toys.
SOLDIERS WITH TOYS
In late July of 2011 Staff Sgt. Christopher Fessenden was on tour of duty in Afghanistan. Fessenden was an experienced soldier having already completed tours of Iraq in the four previous years. While on duty he travels with his standard issue equipment – weapons, ammo, helmet, boots – plus one other important item, a toy truck.
Well, we should explain that this was not just any toy truck. In 2007 Sgt. Fessenden’s brother Ernie back in Minnesota had sent him a remote-control toy truck. Ernie had taken an extra step and had his friend Kevin Guy who owned a hobby shop in Rochester, MN attach a wireless video camera to it. Why did he do this? According to Ernie, his brother had told him that the military did not have a good method of checking roads and paths for Improvised Explosive Devices or IEDs. “Or at least if they have one, I don’t know about it,” stated Christopher.
Ernie decided that a remote-controlled truck with a wireless camera attached to it might be just what was needed. The brand of the toy truck is called a Traxxis Stampede and it is capable of moving as fast as a military vehicle. Ernie states that the truck, camera, and miniature monitor which can fit on Christopher’s rifle only cost about $500.
Christopher received the truck from his brother in 2007. Over the next four years he claims that he was able to locate four IEDs with the toy truck. The truck travels ahead of the troops as they are on maneuvers. “The Traxxis actually keeps up with us and is able to advance past us and give us eyes on target before we get there," said Christopher.
Then one night in late July of 2011 Christopher loaned the truck to some other soldiers who were on patrol. While they were out the toy truck got tangled in a trip wire connected to what was likely 500 lbs. of explosives. The bomb went off. The six soldiers controlling the truck from their vehicle were unhurt. The toy truck had saved their lives.
Christopher emailed his brother saying, “The truck is gone, but six guys are alive because of it!” Ernie couldn’t believe it and immediately ran to share the news with his friend Kevin at the hobby shop who had helped him mount the camera. They immediately went to work on a replacement toy truck camera.
Of course, the military does what it can to provide servicemen and women with the supplies that they need. But as Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said, “Army soldiers and Marines are not forbidden to come up with new ways to do their jobs, especially in the ever-evolving battlefield.” You might recall during the Iraq War that American soldiers were requesting that pantyhose be sent from home to be used to protect equipment from blowing sand.
Well, there is another toy that soldiers have recently put to good use. One of the challenges military personnel have faced in Iraq and Afghanistan is that of trip wires attached to explosives. Very thin fishing lines or similar triggers are often strung inside buildings and across narrow alleyways. They are nearly impossible to see. Can you think of a cheap children’s toy that could help soldiers and Marines to detect them? The answer is Silly String!
Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem.
In 2006 one soldier wrote to his mother, Marcel Shriver of Stratford, New Jersey, and asked her to send him a case of Silly String. Shriver went into Mother Mode and organized a Silly String drive. She collected 1,000 cans including several cases that were donated by the manufacturer and sent them to her son in Iraq. “If I turn on the TV and see a soldier with a can of this on his vest, it will be really gratifying,” said Shriver.
We here at Remnant Stew really applaud the ingenuity of our troops on the battlefield for their innovative and inexpensive use of the toys of their childhood as solutions to the very real problems that they face. It makes us wonder, though, how much would a defense contractor charge the taxpayers for making those same devices?
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O U T R O |
Phil here reminding you to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages @RemnantStewPodcast. Drop us an email at StayCurious@RemnantStew.com just to say hi or to let us know about any topics you would like to hear us cover in an upcoming episode.
Remnant Stew is part of Rook & Raven Ventures and is created by me, Leah Lamp. Steve Meeker researches and writes each episode that we then host together. Our audio producer is Phillip Sinquefield. The Oddity Du Jour is brought to you by Sam Lamp. Theme music is by Kevin MacLeod with voiceover by Morgan Hughes. Special thanks goes out to Judy Meeker. For a complete list of sources for this episode please see this episode’s transcript, there’s a link in the show notes.
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Until next time remember to choose to be kind…AND ALWAYS STAY CURIOUS!
--SOURCES ----------------------
https://digventures.com/2014/08/worlds-oldest-toy-unearthed-in-capital-of-ancient-kingdom/
https://www.gigglemagazine.com/the-history-of-toys-throughout-the-ages/
https://greektoys.org/2020/12/21/seven-ancient-toys-that-still-exist-today/
https://blackiowa.org/collections-corner-the-topsy-turvy-doll/#:~:text=Often%2C%20the%20white%20doll%20is,were%20handmade%20by%20enslaved%20women.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/the-racial-symbolism-of-the-topsy-turvy-doll/416985/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/weirdest-toys-of-all-time_b_4138131
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Loo
https://www.pospeek.com/2012/12/the-belt-buckle-derringer-by-mattel.html
https://www.loweringthebar.net/2017/06/the-daddy-saddle.html
https://www.japantrendshop.com/facebank-2-robotic-bank-from-banpresto-p-537.html
https://cursed-commercials.fandom.com/wiki/Baby_Laugh_A-Lot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbal-banging_monkey_toy
https://www.warwickandwarwick.com/news/guides/the-complete-guide-to-vintage-toy-soldiers#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20toy%20soldiers,-Mostly%20standing%20between&text=Early%20figurines%20were%20made%20from,from%20tin%2C%20lead%20and%20composite.
