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As simple as they might seem in concept, the truth is that making a good toy is harder than it seems. Many toys that represent human figures tend to invoke the uncanny valley, but some are so creepy that it’s unclear what parent’s would look at it and think “my child needs one of these.” At the same time, parents are also forced to search through the veritable ocean of bootlegs.

We’ve gathered some spectacular examples of bizarre, creepy or just downright weird toy design fails from across the internet. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.

#1

From What Level Of Hell Was This Retrieved?

From What Level Of Hell Was This Retrieved?

mausii Report

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Pyla
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Frankly, my weird goth a$$ would have made this a purse in the 90s

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#2

They Should Have Thought About This Kinder Egg Toy A Little Longer

They Should Have Thought About This Kinder Egg Toy A Little Longer

Kiekoes Report

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BookFanatic
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hah! My parents (both of whose first names started with "K") wanted to name me Katherine so we could sign Christmas cards as KKK. I think one of my uncles pointed out the obvious for them.

KillerKiwi
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My sisters and I all have k names. They wanted to name our lemonade stand when we were little “kkk lemonade”

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Fat Harry (Oi / You)
Community Member
3 weeks ago

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Cat Chat
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are available when packaged differently (the toy being separate from the food portion).

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Tiny Dancer
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For those thinking this is fake, it was released in 2019 as a collectable and immediately removed after customers complained. According to Kinder, the original only had one balloon but they added more to make it look better. The K stands for Kinder and nothing else. https://au.news.yahoo.com/kinder-surprise-apologises-offensive-toy-inside-chocolate-045826414.html

Jrog
Community Member
2 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thisd was (briefly) part of the 2019 lineup of limited edition surprise toys designed for the product's 50th anniversary. The toy was approved with only one balloon, with the "K" standing for "Kinder"; the other two balloons were added to make the balloon more stable because the single balloon could easily snap at the "wire" and become an ingestion risk. So, to make it compliant with toy safety laws they had to add a stronger cross section on the weak point and make the potentially detachable part larger to prevent ingestion. This was changed after approval and on a purely "manufacturing issue" point of view, so it didn't undergo much scrutiny, until it was picked up by social media and dubbed "Trump's Kinder" because of the KKK reference and the blonde wig.

Jrog
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funnily enough, since Ferrero prevented part of the limited edition run to enter the market after they were notified, and even offered to replace at their expense the toy with a different one for people who complained, this is nowadays one of the rarest recent Kinder surprise toys, fetching a few hundred dollars on the collector's market.

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G A
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The other ones in the set come with a burning cross, a Trump bible and a Confederate Flag

DC
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We should call it as it is. That is the analphabets' flag. The idiots' flag. The racists' flag. The flag of the gullible and the easy targets. Just look at the abandunt use of Trump merchandise among protests of the gullible racist analphabets, when they show their support of the right to marry an AR15 yet it's not 18 or something. Whatever urgent problem endangers the free world....... Just call it the flag of the landfill. A nation that hasn't done anything else than protect racism, try to force their legislation onto free states (... yeah, states' rights, as if anybody would believe that...) and lost a war. A losers' nation. A nation of defeat and error. A nation that couldn't even make itself exist longer than a handful of, wasted, years. Nothing indicates the state of being defeated more than that losers' flag does.

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August
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have seen examples of Kinder doing this all of the time.. They never learn. 😭

John Dilligaf
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

well, Kinder eggs are not sold in the USA, and 3 Ks together doesn't have the same impact outside the USA as it does inside.

Traveling Lady Railfan
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had this one too and thought, "um....wtf"? Three balloons if you must but a "k" on just the middle one please!!!!

_-DungeonKeeper-_
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've played a lot of frostpunk recently so that gives me a license to say by Jove

DC
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seems made up. Trump's hair, some KKK'ery, doesn't appear to be a real one.

LakotaWolf (she/her)
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nah, it's probably real. Ferrero is an Italian company and I highly doubt its executives know about a group of racist a-holes in America who like to wear pointy hats and white wizard robes.

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On the face of it, toys really should not be creepy at all. Most folks would probably agree that playthings for children should, on average, be cute and inoffensive. However, toymakers also have to deal with the unfortunate reality that the items they make tend to be human or humanoid forms and, as it turns out, people have a weird aversion to this concept.

This is generally referred to as the uncanny valley, where “mostly” human figures make people nervous. We tend to be able to relate more to forms and figures that resemble us, but as these figures get closer and closer to perfectly resembling humans, there is a “drop,” or a valley which suddenly creates some revulsion.

#4

This "Hagrid" Doll I Bought 15 Years Ago In A Dollar Store Is Just A Repainted Lion From The Wizard Of Oz. Rocking His Mane, Ears, And Medal Of Courage

This "Hagrid" Doll I Bought 15 Years Ago In A Dollar Store Is Just A Repainted Lion From The Wizard Of Oz. Rocking His Mane, Ears, And Medal Of Courage

Magicst3v3 Report

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Some have, rather sensationally, suggested that this powerful aversion to “almost human” figures is some evolutionary response to alien doppelgangers. However, there is a significantly more logical explanation. It's the same reason rotten food, maggots and skeletons all, generally cause some degree of fear and disgust: being around dead things can be dangerous, and a corpse is perfectly in line with something “almost human.”

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In toys, the uncanny valley tends to show up most often in hyper realistic baby dolls. While it might not be as common of a toy anymore, there was a period of time when dollmakers were going through a sort of arms race to produce baby dolls. This included features like crying until it was “fed,” the ability to urinate and dynamic sounds, from sleeping to laughter.

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#10

Geocentric Solar System At A Public School's Playground

Geocentric Solar System At A Public School's Playground

cagranconniferim Report

#11

My Favorite Show Is Called The Americans

My Favorite Show Is Called The Americans

yarge33 Report

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Corvus
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3 weeks ago

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#12

My Friend's Daughter Got A Veterinarian Kit For Her 4th Birthday, He Sent Me This

My Friend's Daughter Got A Veterinarian Kit For Her 4th Birthday, He Sent Me This

Kib717 Report

At a young age, this might all seem quite cool but as an adult, a very lifelike toy making noises and sometimes even “reacting” to movement and light (these sorts of features also exist) are probably the inspiration for horror movies about dolls and toys coming to life.

#13

Homer On Steroids

Homer On Steroids

jconja Report

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#16

SpongeBob Devourer Of Children

SpongeBob Devourer Of Children

The_Crow_33 Report

#17

Found This Toy At A Random Store. Nothing Makes Sense In This Toy

Found This Toy At A Random Store. Nothing Makes Sense In This Toy

Economy-Limit-5430 Report

#19

Mario Grew A Mustache Above His Nose

Mario Grew A Mustache Above His Nose

NoobVanNoob234 Report

#20

I'm A Benign Girl, In A Benign World

I'm A Benign Girl, In A Benign World

doc_two_thirty Report

#22

“Luigi, I Think Something Is Not Right”

“Luigi, I Think Something Is Not Right”

yaboyfriendisadork Report

#23

Jamaicachu: "Jamaica No Problem"

Jamaicachu: "Jamaica No Problem"

UrameshiYuusuke Report

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#24

This Bootleg Captain America Toy

This Bootleg Captain America Toy

AsydBurn Report

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Sleestak
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3 weeks ago

This comment has been deleted.

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#26

You Had One Job

You Had One Job

darkangel_aphrodite Report

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Angelina Wilkins
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, this is how a lot of folks wear their makeup, with a face a totally different complexion than the rest of their body

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#27

I Don't Even Know What To Call This

I Don't Even Know What To Call This

MonkeMan1244 Report

#28

Dora Did Not Like What She Explored

Dora Did Not Like What She Explored

Rentaro-_- Report

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reuben kift
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Somewhere there's The Terminator action figurine that comes with a pink, flowery backback.

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#29

Spiderman With His Famous Spider-Rifle

Spiderman With His Famous Spider-Rifle

heyrickyhowsitgerrrn Report

#30

I Have No Words

I Have No Words

UrameshiYuusuke Report

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Toujin C'Thlu
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see Captain America, fit Popeye, a guy with puffed-up cheeks who looks vaguely familiar, Spiderman, and what appears to be the disembodied head of Ben 10

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#32

Here Comes The Yellow Cat That Hates Saturdays: Barfyard

Here Comes The Yellow Cat That Hates Saturdays: Barfyard

IllustriousPaper1576 Report

#33

Spotted This Chimera At The Mall

Spotted This Chimera At The Mall

Weevelle Report

#34

Blursed Avengers

Blursed Avengers

lucasribeiro21 Report

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Toujin C'Thlu
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The person who packaged this probably thought "Mario Brothers, Batman, The Avengers...all the same thing..."

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#36

They Blocked The Middle Slide At The Playground

They Blocked The Middle Slide At The Playground

TAF_CJ_GAMING Report

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El Cucuy
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But yet, judging by all the shoe streaks on it, the kids found a way to still use it!

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#37

The Folks Installing The Playground Weren't Looking Too Closely

The Folks Installing The Playground Weren't Looking Too Closely

B34TBOXX5 Report

#38

I Think Wario Ingested A New Kind Of Mushroom. I Wonder What Mario Party He Went To

I Think Wario Ingested A New Kind Of Mushroom. I Wonder What Mario Party He Went To

ingeniuses Report

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#40

This Is A Toy That I Got Today. My Kid Removed It's Head To Reveal This. I Should Have Read The Text Properly, "Security And Non-Taxic". The Head Comes Off Very Easily, And It's Very Pointy

This Is A Toy That I Got Today. My Kid Removed It's Head To Reveal This. I Should Have Read The Text Properly, "Security And Non-Taxic". The Head Comes Off Very Easily, And It's Very Pointy

Organic_Pineapple_73 Report

#41

Any Idea Why My Kid Refused To Ride This?

Any Idea Why My Kid Refused To Ride This?

MsMaggieMcGill Report

#46

This Toy Parking Deck Has A Battery Compartment Without A Battery Compartment

This Toy Parking Deck Has A Battery Compartment Without A Battery Compartment

Jizzraq Report

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#48

This Burger King's Patrick Star Toy Is Actually Mr. Crab

This Burger King's Patrick Star Toy Is Actually Mr. Crab

cavallol Report

#49

Poor Woody And Buzz, What Have They Done To You?

Poor Woody And Buzz, What Have They Done To You?

MisterEd_ak Report

#50

I Found Some New Avengers Infinity War Figures. "Derp" Black Widow And "Calm But Clearly Not Amused Steve" Captain America

I Found Some New Avengers Infinity War Figures. "Derp" Black Widow And "Calm But Clearly Not Amused Steve" Captain America

j._tasca Report

Note: this post originally had 110 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.