Banned for Life

March 21, 2015

You’re probably familiar with The Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, where rejected playthings find community amongst ice and snow hoping for a ride in Santa’s sleigh. (Who wouldn’t want a water gun that shoots jelly?!) In reality, lawmakers and the public call for the removal of many “misfit” toys from store shelves for safety reasons ranging from choking hazards to toxic paint.

Luckily, the Banned Toy Museum in Burlingame, California provides a home for prohibited toys. Started in 2009, this collection features everything from hand-chomping Cabbage Patch dolls and lead-painted Sponge Bob notebooks to science kits containing uranium ore samples. Like the rest of the museum’s objects, these were banned for being too offensive or hazardous to consumers. It may not be a ride with Santa, but the museum will preserve these ill-fated playthings for years to come!

Photo: Battlestar Galactica Missile Launcher, 1979, Mattel, United States. Courtesy of the Banned Toy Museum.