101.9 Blake FM » toys

Rare LEGO Selling For a Staggering $800

Stephanie McMaster — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:54:43 +0000

The search for Mr. Gold — a recently-released LEGO Minifigure — has collectors opening their wallets wide, with the average 1.5-inch figurine bringing in about $800 in eBay auctions. Mr. Gold was created to commemorate LEGO’s 10th series of its Minifigure line. Only 5,000 of the figure were created and then hidden in boxes across [...]

Etch A Sketch Inventor Dies at Age 86

Donald Deane — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:33:22 +0000

Andre Cassagnes, the man responsible for inventing the venerable Etch A Sketch, a toy that inspired countless children ever since it was introduced in 1960, has died at age 86 in France. According to the Ohio Art Co., the toy’s manufacturer, Cassagnes died in a Paris suburb on Jan. 16 due to undisclosed causes. “Etch [...]

10 Weird Fad Toys Every Kid Had to Have for Christmas

Danny Gallagher — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:51:27 +0000

You can always spot a parent around the holiday season. Their hair is a frazzled mesh of cow licks and stray strands as if it’s been pulled by a crowd of frantic people. Their eyes dart around in all directions desperately seeking something that could suddenly appear at a moment’s notice. They break down and cry during commercials that advertise “the hottest toy of the holiday season.”

Teen Launches Campaign for Gender-Neutral Easy Bake Oven

Amanda Ferris — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:23:35 +0000

Thirteen year-old McKenna Pope is fighting mad at Hasbro, and this little activist wants some positive changes now. The eighth grader, who hails from Garfield, New Jersey, has started a petition on Change.org asking Hasbro to make their Easy Bake Ovens more gender-neutral.

Toy Company Debuts New Gender-Blind Catalog

Tom Blunt — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:31:44 +0000

Scandinavian Toys”R”Us licensee Top-Toy has taken a new approach to making sure kids get what they really want for Christmas: a fully gender-blind catalog that erases the line between boys’ and girls’ toys. For many decades the tide has slowly been turning on forcing kids to play with toys and games considered fitting for their [...]

Swedish Toy Company Defies Gender Stereotypes for Unique Christmas Catalog

Amanda Ferris — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:45:36 +0000

In a pleasantly surprising move, a Swedish toy company called Top Toy has made a giant leap for gender equality amongst children. Top Toy's Christmas catalog features an interesting twist: the boys are the ones who are playing with dollhouses and the girls are happily playing with the Nerf guns.

Trossen Robotics Builds The BoogieBot

Dan Seitz — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 14:25:19 +0000

This is not technically called the BoogieBot. It’s a hexapod robot called the PhantomX built from a kit and controlled via radio that you can buy from Trossen Robotics’ website. But you’ve got admit, this robot has some moves in that opening. The owner’s toddlers weighing in on its style is just the icing on [...]