Nix – I have this great book put out by Rhino (yep, the record people) called Forgotten Fads and Fabulous Flaps. Forgotten is truly the operative word here, though I truly don’t know how I forgot this:
In 1976 Ideal Toys decided to cash in on the success of All in the Family by selling the Joey Stivic doll (Joey was Archie Bunker’s infant grandson, the offspring of his daughter, Gloria and her husband, Meathead Mike).
Only one thing kept the adorable, 14, drink-and-wet Joey Stivic doll from selling–his penis. Within a few years, anatomically-correct male dolls sold well, but Joey was too far ahead of the curve. Then again, the type of people who would buy Archie Bunker’s grandson just may not have been the type who want their daughter’s dolls to have penises, then or ever.

In 1973 Ideal also gave us the JJ Armes action figure. JJ who was loosely based on Evel Knievel and the real Jay J. Armes…a double amputee.

He came with two really realistic prosthetic hooks instead of hands. Those could be removed and in their place one could put things like suction cups, magnets, and a machete.

In 1976 Mego had a game that never made it to the toy store shelves. Many strange things have happened in this world of ours, but few are stranger than the fact that through product development, package design, focus groups and the development of the ad campaign, this name survived.

The name? Ballbuster.

It was when the game was shown to several buyers from department and toy stores, and its commercial was presented, that the problem finally, at last, became apparent. On the TV was the typical family happily playing this wonderful new game. When all was said and done, the husband turned to his wife, smiling, and said, Honey, you’re a real Ballbuster!

The stunned silence that followed triggered the first suspicions that Ballbuster was not destined to displace Parcheesi on the pantheon of clasisc games.

Just thought I’d share.

Rennie – Thats a corker Nix, that’s even more bizarre than some of the sweets they brought out in those days. Those dolls………………..well what can you say

Awombleforever – Yes Dolls ,they wee ,throw up and ,well what more can I say? In our day they walked and talked,Iv’e still got mine from the 70s but its eyes have turned inside out and its silent.Its still got lovley blue eyelashes though drawn on with a biro