# Is This Toy Still Made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388 "2010-01-10T13:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/1 "2010-01-10T13:56:29Z")
I had one of these, years ago-what happened to it is a mystery. Anyway, it was a small balck plastic cube, with a lever protruding from the top. If you pushed the lever forward, the lid on the box would open, and a little hand would come out-and push the lever back. the hand would withdraw, and the lid shut-so the thing would look as it did (before you pushed the lever). I haven’t seen these things in years-anybody know what it was called? ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/2 "2010-01-10T14:02:38Z")
Is [this](http://www.grand-illusions.com/toycollection/little_black_box/) it? It doesn’t appear to be made any more, but it’s from the '80s, so you might find one on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/3 "2010-01-10T16:09:40Z")
Information on how to make one: > **[Make a machine that turns itself off | Boing Boing](https://boingboing.net/2010/01/03/make-a-machine-that.html)** > > Instructables has instructions for building this Claude Shannon-style box that turns itself off. The Most Useless Machine EVER! ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/4 "2010-01-10T23:23:54Z")
Kind of reminds me of a bank I saw in the 60s. You’d put a coin in a certain place on this black box the looked like a coffiin, a door in the top portion would open, and this skeletal hand would come out and take it, dragging it into the door with it. Then the door would close. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/5 "2010-01-11T02:00:43Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > Is [this](http://www.grand-illusions.com/toycollection/little_black_box/) it? Oh my that’s a great website! I’ve spent the last hour looking at fun stuff and watching videos. If I were rich I’d buy one of everything on there! ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/6 "2010-01-11T04:14:59Z")
I had this awesome toy once. It went _zip_ when it moved and _bop_ when it stopped, and when it stood still it made the fantastic _whirrrrrrring_ noise. You know, come to think of it … as much fun as I had, I’m not sure I ever knew what it was. But I just had a little dude so I’ll be keeping an eye out in the attic or on ebay. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/7 "2010-01-11T05:12:56Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I had this awesome toy once. It went _zip_ when it moved and _bop_ when it stopped, and when it stood still it made the fantastic _whirrrrrrring_ noise. > > You know, come to think of it … as much fun as I had, I’m not sure I ever knew what it was. But I just had a little dude so I’ll be keeping an eye out in the attic or on ebay. And at this rate, I guess you never will. 😉 It didn’t by chance also have green eyes? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/8 "2010-01-11T13:28:02Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I had this awesome toy once. It went _zip_ when it moved and _bop_ when it stopped, and when it stood still it made the fantastic _whirrrrrrring_ noise. > > You know, come to think of it … as much fun as I had, I’m not sure I ever knew what it was. But I just had a little dude so I’ll be keeping an eye out in the attic or on ebay. I loved that song in my youth. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/9 "2010-01-11T15:34:56Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Oh my that’s a great website! I’ve spent the last hour looking at fun stuff and watching videos. If I were rich I’d buy one of everything on there! You might like [this](http://www.samstoybox.com/) one, too, then. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/10 "2010-01-13T10:24:28Z")
Also check out [This T-Shirt](http://www.threadless.com/product/2166/When_Geek_ness_Goes_Retro) ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-toy-still-made/524388/11 "2010-01-13T14:07:04Z")
In the early 60s I had the toy bank version of this concept. It was a shiny black box with a lid and a slot in which to place a coin on top. Placing a coin in the slot turned it on. It would then make a growling sound and a rod which protruded from the bottom caused it to wobble, just slightly. Then a green hand would slowly emerge from the lid, grab the coin and then very quickly retract back into the box.