1962 Fisher Price Tick-Tock Music Clock. Designed for the child of your own worst enemy, amazingly some of these pieces have survived in full working order.
Popular Mechanics Toys of 1962 - Video
Popular Mechanics toy and hobby merit award program, 1962
Eighty-one companies put forward 145 toys for play-testing and judging by a panel of experts. And these experts weren't just the children for whom the toys were created.
There were experts in lab coats. Professional Toy Testers who conducted experiments to see if the toys sent in for testing could withstand temperatures of 150°F — just in case the space rocket you were getting for your next birthday could make it all the way to planet Mars.
Each toy was tested for things like finger-trapping ability, and shock value (if it was electrically operated).
1962 Eldon Bowl-A-Matic bowling game fetches in the region of $400 these days. A beautiful piece of design, worth every penny.
The plastic vegetable garden passed the test to be validated as a toy which children in the age group it was designed for could play with unattended. Ironically, that age group looks old enough to take an interest in a real vegetable garden. This toy went on to become an award winner because of its educational value — the stems of the plants are shaped to actually fit into the correct vegetable.
The musical tick-tock clock from Fisher Price sounds like the perfect gift for the child of your worst enemy if the store has already sold out of the Scotty Bagpipes which are not so much a toy as a sound effect for an abused cat.
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