World Changes. Toy Doesn't.

[posted by Callimachus]

It will be a sad day when Fisher Price stops making these. They have been around at least as long as I have. It seemed like there was one in every house with toddlers in the neighborhood where I grew up. My son had one when he was little 15 years ago or so (with a plastic base in place of the wooden one on the older toys). Recently we pulled it down from the attic and cleaned it off for my daughter to play with.

Rotary dials? Cradle-style receivers? The scratchy "chatter" sound? My child will grow up in a world where nothing resembles this toy. She may never see the thing this is based on. But it's such a happy toy, with its googly eyes and button nose and perpetual smile. It's going to be sad to see it go. You can't put a cell phone on wheels.