Submissions for Best Toys megapoll

[Wolf Larsen]

Marx paper popper
Snippy scizzors
The plastic shoe with a cord and ball that you used for jump rope

[blondbear]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

...frisbees are allowed...

I don't see a post nominating the frisbee, so I'll fix that. Note that you can play frisbee by yourself--disc golf being one example, the "throw, run, and catch" competition event being another. (I used to have a lot of fun at the beach tossing a frisbee into the wind and out over the water and chasing it down as it boomerang-ed back...it was an excellent aerobic workout) I've always liked the old saying about the flying disc, “When a ball dreams, it dreams it's a Frisbee.”

[Zeener Diode]

As it stands now, I have gathered 375 different toys. That's not counting any post-80s electronic toys (or games, as they're called), except the Coleco and Mattel football games. There are still plenty of other toys left to add: dolls, figurines, action figures, collectibles, activity toys, early-age toys, adult toys (non-sexual), dollhouses and dioramas, educational toys, and other miscellanea.

I can keep adding to the list to make 512 entries, including some arcade and electronic toys, but that will add up to about a fifth of the entries little more than cannon fodder. Not an appealing thought. I can cleave the current list to 256, and what I can't omit I can throw in a prelim poll or polls.

I still think we should leave electronic games for a later poll.

[TroutMan]

Just my opinion, but I don't think arcade games or things like skeeball are toys. Handhelds like Coleco football, sure. Maybe limit it to things a middle-class family could buy and bring home.

I'd be fine either counting all handhelds as a single toy, or at least a single entry per general category, like only one football-type game.

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by Wolf Larsen

Snippy scizzors
The plastic shoe with a cord and ball that you used for jump rope

I can't find a match for "snippy scizzors."

The second one has already made the list as Footsie (or Skip-It).

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by blondbear

I don't see a post nominating the frisbee, so I'll fix that.

I have that on my list. I was unsure about it, since usually it's played with two or more people. I have boomerang listed as well.

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by TroutMan

Just my opinion, but I don't think arcade games or things like skeeball are toys. Handhelds like Coleco football, sure. Maybe limit it to things a middle-class family could buy and bring home.

I'd be fine either counting all handhelds as a single toy, or at least a single entry per general category, like only one football-type game.

Sounds like it needs a preliminary poll to decide which brand will be represented in the megapoll.

[Pogo]

Cup-and-ball

Yo-yo

I wanted to link for the first one, so I felt I had to link to the second one...

[Zeener Diode]

I think I'm set. I'll begin tomorrow* with a few preliminary polls. Hopefully we can start voting wrong by next month. With the possibility of ending just before Xmas season begins.


*lord willing

[Wolf Larsen]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

I can't find a match for "snippy scizzors."

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17546139137...waAjI3EALw_wcB

[Dr. Winston O'Boogie]

Has anyone said the Hula Hoop?

It's for the kids, you know!

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Dr. Winston O'Boogie

Has anyone said the Hula Hoop?

It's for the kids, you know!

Jim did in post #7

[Kat]

Before you start the prelim polls, has anybody nominated the shape sorter ball.

Which, if Amazon is to be believed, is called a Shape-O.

This thingy:

[Wolf Larsen]

Troll dolls
The Time Bomb game

[Rebo]

Slide puzzles
Simon
Etch-a-Sketch

[Kat]

Would Perfection count as a toy, or is it a game?

Also, the twisty snake ball things:

[Rat Diva]

Jigsaw puzzles
Handheld water games https://www.amazon.com/handheld-wate...eld+water+game

I remember we had one that was basketball, and one that you had to hook rings onto a peg

Bumble Ball

Ballzack (oh so naughty because you could say ballsack and get away with it)

Floam

Kinetic Sand

Bubbles

Balloons

[Rebo]

Hacky-sack?

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by Wolf Larsen

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17546139137...waAjI3EALw_wcB

Thanks for the link. I think it's a safe bet that kids (adults, we're talking about) wouldn't lose their s--- over a fun pair of scissors, unless we give them permission to run and stab things with them.

The Shape-O shape sorter ball has been added.

Also added:
Trolls (as "kewpie" dolls)
Simon
Etch A Sketch
Jigsaw puzzles
Slider puzzles
Kinetic sand
Hacky Sack
Balloons (and balloon animals, etc.)
Bubbles (soap)
Foam (Silly String)
Bumble Ball
Rubik's Cube Snake Ball
Water game toys (as Water Ring Toss, etc.)

Not added:
Perfection: seems similar to the Shape-O
Time Bomb: two-person activity
BalZack: similar to Red Rubber Ball

Keep submissions coming. I can always shoehorn them in, or add them as play-in polls.

[Zeener Diode]

Winners will advance to Main List.

One vote per poll.

More to come tomorrow.

[Kat]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

Also added:
...
Etch A Sketch
...

Etch A Sketch was the FiRsT tHiNg I nOmInAtEd* and you're just adding it now???

*Damn, it's hard to type like that.

[TroutMan]

OK, I voted in the first group and realized I have no idea what I'm doing here. I know the answer is to use whatever criteria I want, but I crave guidance (or at least a crowd I can follow like a sheep).

Is it toys I personally enjoyed as a kid? Is it toys I'd want my kids to play with? Best toys measured by popularity? Which toys do I want if I'm stranded on a desert island? Uniqueness, fun, brain development, escapism...?

For example, Heelys vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles vs. Zip Shot: if I had to play with one today, I'd probably pick TMNT for ironic purposes and because they're heroes in a half shell. As a kid, I liked the Zip Shot best. But objectively, I think Heelys are the best because nothing else lets you walk and roll at the same time.

What to do?

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by TroutMan

OK, I voted in the first group and realized I have no idea what I'm doing here. I know the answer is to use whatever criteria I want, but I crave guidance (or at least a crowd I can follow like a sheep).

Is it toys I personally enjoyed as a kid? Is it toys I'd want my kids to play with? Best toys measured by popularity? Which toys do I want if I'm stranded on a desert island? Uniqueness, fun, brain development, escapism...?

For example, Heelys vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles vs. Zip Shot: if I had to play with one today, I'd probably pick TMNT for ironic purposes and because they're heroes in a half shell. As a kid, I liked the Zip Shot best. But objectively, I think Heelys are the best because nothing else lets you walk and roll at the same time.

What to do?

The poll is to pick the toy/s you liked best. In the case of Heelys v TMNT v Zip Shot, pick the one you liked best; if neither floats your boat, you can skip voting. These are play-in polls to whittle down the entries to a Megapoll-friendly 256.

You can use whatever criteria you like, but it's about what toys you enjoyed as a kid, as an adult, or both. Popularity means nothing, you get to pick "the best of the bunch."

And @Kat it was added earlier. Like I'd forget Etch-A-Sketch.

[Zeener Diode]

Just to be clear: I had 322 entries and needed 256, so I dropped video games and diorama/playsets and a boatload of action figures just to leave room for some of the older stuff. It's down to 275; there will be 10* polls of 3 entries to get to 256. If anyone remembers something important and has to get it onto the Main List (of 256) let me know.


*and 1 extra poll of two entries

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by TroutMan

OK, I voted in the first group and realized I have no idea what I'm doing here. I know the answer is to use whatever criteria I want, but I crave guidance (or at least a crowd I can follow like a sheep).

overthinking! just pick what you like best!

do we have no sheep emoji?!

[Rat Diva]

Originally Posted by Kat

Etch A Sketch was the FiRsT tHiNg I nOmInAtEd* and you're just adding it now???

*Damn, it's hard to type like that.

THERE'S An OnLiNE DOODaD ThAt wIll do That FoR yoU, BECAUSe It ReAlLy IS dAmN HaRd tO tyPE LIke THaT.

https://textconverter.com/randomize-text-case

[Zeener Diode]

That's it for the prelim polls. Winners will be added to the Main List.

I'll run the occasional side poll during the down times.

[Rebo]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

overthinking! just pick what you like best!

do we have no sheep emoji?!

🐑

[Borborygmi]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

Just to be clear: I had 322 entries and needed 256, so I dropped video games and diorama/playsets and a boatload of action figures just to leave room for some of the older stuff. It's down to 275; there will be 10* polls of 3 entries to get to 256. If anyone remembers something important and has to get it onto the Main List (of 256) let me know.


*and 1 extra poll of two entries

I've been off-line for a few days and it was great to come back to all the play-in polls. Thanks, Zeener!

[JackieLikesVariety]

🐑

how'd you do that?

[Rat Diva]

Rebo is the smileymeister!

[JackieLikesVariety]

Ewe aren't kidding!

[Zeener Diode]

Just a bump to let you know you have 1-2 days left to vote.

[Zeener Diode]

The following will be included in the Best Toys Megapoll:

Whoopie Cushion
Zip Shot Foam Disk Shooter
Balloons
Spin Art
Tabletop Skeebowl
Merlin
Rubber Band Powered Planes
Paint Sets
Robosapien
Slinky Dog
Mattel Electronic Football

Give me another day to put together the first round of polls.

[Kat]

[VS]I want it nooooooooow![/VS]

[JackieLikesVariety]

what lost out that should have won? in case I feel like expressing some outrage over it.

[TroutMan]

Tiddlywinks, Heelys, scooters.

I demand recounts. Zeener obviously installed some Venezuelan software that changed votes. I saw What Exit stuffing ballots in garbage bags.

[JackieLikesVariety]

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by TroutMan

Tiddlywinks, Heelys, scooters.

I demand recounts. Zeener obviously installed some Venezuelan software that changed votes. I saw What Exit stuffing ballots in garbage bags.

Tampering charges will be treated with utmost sincerity. I'll turn this over to our crack team of investigators:

[NAF1138]

Holy moly I'm behind!!!

Take a few weeks break and a whole megapoll breaks out

[Zeener Diode]

NAF's here! Sweet!

[JackieLikesVariety]

anyone else searching for retro toys on amazon thinking "now I don't have to wait for a grown up to buy me this!" ??


asking for a friend

[Zeener Diode]

[Zeener Diode]

Group Toy W   L Toy A1 nerf basketball 15   7 push puppets   magnetix 17   4 slinky dog   polly pocket 11   7 monster high dolls   speak n spell 18   2 jack in the box   tonka trucks 21   1 rc cars A2 newton's cradle 14   6 ex. shape ball   hand puppets 11   10 paddle ball   marbles 20   2 int. human body   rubber ducky 20   1 betty spaghetty   dominoes 18   4 paddle wheel toy A3 soap bubbles 20   2 spud gun   model building kits 23   0 ventr. dummy   electric train set 22   1 rubber chicken   spy camera 15   7 play money   tabletop skeebowl 21   0 my cleaning trolly A4 kaleidoscope 20   2 corn popper   hula hoop 21   2 cabbage patch kids   roller skates 17   6 smash-up derby   mr machine 15   6 mag. building sticks   rocking horse 14   7 beanie babies A5 thingmaker 14   6 stack. letter blocks   cap guns 16   5 3D pin art   big wheel 17   2 junior doctor kit   vac-u-form 14   4 toy gumball bank   rb powered planes 18   2 wee waterfuls A6 lawn darts 20   1 beyblades   LEGOs 17   4 (paper airplanes)*   pool toys 13   6 whee-lo   modeling clay 20   1   hot wheels 20   0 toy car A7 jacks 11   10 mad libs   hacky sack 12   6 moo box   tabletop pinball 11   10 barrel of monkeys   pap. fortune teller 14   6 shrinky dinks   squishmallows 12   4 cadbury bank A8 punch ball 14   4 he man   ssp racers 16   1 poo chi robot dog   magic 8 ball 16   3 hobby horse   squirt guns 11   7 super soaker   magic slate 14   2 moon shoes A9 funhouse 9 TIE 9 Simon   clackers 11   6 bop bag   sling shot 15   6 spin art   Lincoln logs 18   1 rub ons   sidewalk chalk 11   9 water wiggle

I haven't figured how to break ties. I'll stick a pin in it for now.

[NoClueBoy]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

I haven't figured how to break ties. I'll stick a pin in it for now.

How about first or last vote cast? Kind of random...

[Pogo]

Originally Posted by What Exit?

They have catalogs back to 1940. https://christmas.musetechnical.com/

What Exit? posted this in a specific thread that I might not find in the future, so I moved the quote here for easy reference.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

I haven't figured how to break ties. I'll stick a pin in it for now.

run off, or whatever that's called. you know, poll thingie.



or just pick the one you like best, why not. you're doing all the work here.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Pogo

What Exit? posted this in a specific thread that I might not find in the future, so I moved the quote here for easy reference.

OMG I found the ping pong table we had, it was $45... so weird looking at vintage prices, sometimes they are super cheap and sometimes not as much as you would expect.

[Zeener Diode]

All polls are posted. Thanks to everyone who participated!

I'll try to throw together a side poll or two while we wait for the others to complete.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

All polls are posted. Thanks to everyone who participated!

I'll try to throw together a side poll or two while we wait for the others to complete.

I'm confused, (but then I've been awake since 2:30) - are there going to be more rounds?

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