# What is/was this toy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-was-this-toy/278904>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 9, 2004, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-was-this-toy/278904 "2004-12-09T10:10:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-was-this-toy/278904/1 "2004-12-09T10:10:24Z")

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Waaaaay back in the late 60s/early 70s, there was a toy (not really high on the entertainment value) that consisted of a silver/'mirrored" half-sphere on a small pedestal, with a small rubber ball dependant from a wire inside the half-sphere. The whole point of this toy was tap the ball so it would swing back-and-forth or to-and-fro, and watch the reflection change size (_Oooooooooooooh!! Pretty!_). As I said, not very high on the entertainment value unless you were stoned [it was the 60s/70s] or a small child [me back then].

What was the general name of this toy (brand name asopposed to cheap copycats & knock-offs, like the Rubik’s Cube and that ilk)?

Anyone know if/where I can still get one?

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-was-this-toy/278904/2 "2004-12-09T10:15:24Z")

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I forget what they’re called, but I remember buying one at Spencer’s Gifts back in 1973. If anyone still sells those things, it would be Spencer’s. (Are they still in business?)

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**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-was-this-toy/278904/3 "2004-12-09T11:13:55Z")

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They are still in business, but they ditched the “darkened section in the back of the store with all the adult material lit with the fluorescent tubes and lava lamps” a long time ago. (All the adult material is scattered throughout the whole store, btw.)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-was-this-toy/278904/4 "2004-12-10T23:29:53Z")

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Desperation last chance ‘bump’ for the name of this toy: it’s kinda hard to google ‘silvery swingy reflective thingy’ with any sort of result.