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It’s the golden jubilee of Fisher-Price’s Little People toys, even though they’ve been around in some form since 1950. They didn’t become the little peg-bodied Little People we know today until 1959, however, with the launch of the “Safety School Bus”, which included six figures that could removed from the bus, although the driver stayed inside. (His head was attached to a mechanism that caused it to move back and forth as the bus was pulled. Despite being a child of the ’80s, I recall playing with this bus. I had no idea it was so old!) The two Little People sets I recall playing with the most as a kid, the “Play Family Farm” and the “Play Family House” were introduced in the late ’60s. I’d always presumed mine were new—and perhaps they were, as the line wasn’t redesigned until 1991 (and again in ‘97), with the Farm in production until ‘85—but it’s possible that I could have inherited them. Looking at the little chickens and dogs and farmers now in Fisher-Price’s faux vintage photographs makes me wistful; I remember the personality I had imbued in every one of those little pegs. After the jump, some vintage commercials for Little People, as well as some trivia about the line that I cut-and-pasted from a Word doc. Video: Play Family Farm commercial (1960s) Video: Play Family Farm System commercial (1971) Q: Of what material were the first Little People figures made? A: Wood. The first plastic figures were introduced in 1968 they had plastic bodies, with wooden heads. Q: How many different types of Little People animals have there been? A: Since 1959, Little People has created over 80 different animals, from alligators to zebras! Q: What was the first playset for Little People? A: The Little People Farm in 1968. It was one of the hottest toys in the industry that year. Q: For how much did the first Little People playset retail? A: $9.99. Q: In what year did a Little People playset feature its first licensed characters? What were they? A: 1975. Sesame Street. Q: How many Little People products have been sold between 1959 and today? A: More than 1.5 billion. Q: When were Little People figures redesigned with more real-life features? A: 1997. Q: What are the names of the most popular Little People figures? A: Sara Lynn and Eddie. Q: What Little People figures were the first to be based on fairy tales? A: Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Q: When was the first Little People seasonal toy introduced? What was it? A: 1997. Santa & His Sleigh.

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Happy 50th Birthday, Fisher-Price Little People

Weston Boege created these concept NERF N-Force guns for an upcoming NERF-branded game for the Nintendo Wii. They’ll never be real, but we can still dream about a NERF bazooka that shoots a single, giant round into the faces of small children. [via Core77 ]

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These NERF cannons can not be

A “fully remote-controlled flying word,” perhaps not coincidentally the same uttered by owners of these cheap choppers after they’ve run them into the fireplace. ?25 from a UK crapvendor . [via Oh Gizmo! ]

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The inevitable peroration of cheap R/C helicopters

Filed under: Gadgets , Etc. , Toys Automoblox are some of our favorite playthings, and our kids like them, too. When a little cherub wraps baby-fat fingers around the C9 perched on the edge of the desk, rather than grit our teeth, we just wait to see what kind of assemblage will emerge. That free play time can now be worth cash money if you manage to capture a photo that wins one of the categories in the Automoblox Photo Contest . Three categories will be considered; coolest car, best play action, and most artistic photograph. Winners will receive a $200 gift certificate, good at the Automoblox Store . Entries are being accepted until March 31, 2009, and winners will be announced on April 3rd. Get out there and get shooting! UPDATE: The founder, owner and designer of Automoblox , Patrick Calello, is an Autoblog Super Fan and has offered any Autoblog reader 25% off his or her order using the coupon code “autoblog” , which is good through March 31st, 2009. Click here to start shopping. [Source: Automoblox ] This One’s For the Kids: Automoblox holding snapshot contest originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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This One’s For the Kids: Automoblox holding snapshot contest

Filed under: Gadgets , Trucks/Pickups , Marketing/Advertising , Ford , Toys Click above for a high-res gallery of the F-150 Raptor driving simulator Ford is looking to drum up some extra interest in its F-150 SVT Raptor off-road specialist ahead of its actual on-sale date (which is still only listed as “coming soon”) with the introduction of a new dedicated microsite that you can check out here . Features on the new web destination include a place to learn what makes the Raptor different from the rest of the F-150 lineup, along with videos, a gallery and an online tool to build your own. Still not enough to whet your appetite? According to Brian Bell, Ford’s F-150 consumer marketing manager, “We want people to understand the unique capability of this truck, that it can do things that other trucks just can’t.” To that end, Ford has been bringing an off-road driving simulator to the assorted U.S. auto shows that we’ve been following over the last few months, and the Blue Oval will evidently continue doing this on through the rest of the 2009 circuit. Give it a shot, it’s good fun. Gallery: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor driving simulator Gallery: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor [Source: Ford] Continue reading Here’s Mud In Your Eye: Ford Raptor gets new microsite Here’s Mud In Your Eye: Ford Raptor gets new microsite originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Here’s Mud In Your Eye: Ford Raptor gets new microsite

Filed under: Gadgets , Videos , Toys Click above for high-res gallery of SuperCar Challenge screen caps System 3 has a follow-up title to last year’s Ferrari Challenge: SuperCar Challenge . The new game will offer 40 cars to choose from, not all of which are Ferraris this team. The roster will include such cars as the Aston Martin DBR9, Lamborghini Murcielago RGT, McLaren F1, Maserati MC12 and, of course, a supercar or two from Maranello like the Ferrari FXX. You’ll be able to race them on 20 real and fictitious tracks and the graphics of each car have been improved with better polygon counts, texture details and buffing. Multiplayer capability can link 16 drivers at once, sim players will get good handling and tuning options, and there’ll be an arcade mode for folks who just want to tear up the pavement. The AI has also been redesigned to be more consistent, and there’s a “Legendary” AI setting meant to challenge the best drivers. It will be available exclusively for the PS3 this Spring. While you wait, check out the high-res screenshots below and the video about the game’s innovative camera angles by clicking here . Gallery: SuperCar Challenge [Source: Gamers Hell ] Continue reading New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development