Today's toys have nothing on the ones in this 1960s Mattel commercial

[boingboing]

Originally published at: Today's toys have nothing on the ones in this 1960s Mattel commercial | Boing Boing

…

[knoxblox]

We had the clowny jack-in-the-box at our church nursery. It was very well made, and lasted for years.

I had a friend who had the Mickey Mouse guitar, and I remember it being kind of awkward to use (the crank on the side – no, not my uncle). IIRC, weren’t the strings made of nylon similar to fishing line?

[vtboinger]

Holy motherfucking shit. I think I had that Popeye guitar.

[Melizmatic]

@knoxblox

the clowny jack-in-the-box

I had this one as a kid;

[awfulhorrid]

Well yeah, but haven’t they ruined the surprise already? Or not; I’m still not sure what’s supposed to pop out of the guitar when you turn the crank.

[RickMycroft]

[R.Birks]

They already had the candy cigarettes and military uniform costumes. Now all they need is PTSD flavor soda. I’m thinking something like New Coke.

[d_r]

Not that it much matters, but this ad was almost surely from the late 1950s, not the 1960s. Not only from the style of the commercial, but also because it describes the Mattel musical line as “new”; I have personal knowledge that at least two of these toys existed before 1960.

[TomFury13]

I hope the therapy I have to get after seeing that thing is as successful as what you must have had from owning it.

[knoxblox]

@d_r

Not that it much matters, but this ad was almost surely from the late 1950s, not the 1960s.

I think you are likely correct. From history I’ve found, the Jack-in-the-boxes debuted in '51, and the guitars around '55?

Mattel Crank Guitars, video #1