Weeble People
Weebles is a small egg-shaped roly poly toy that has been around for a while. Initially they came in the form of Santa Clause-style bodies. They were eventually rounded out with a variety of fancy-looking accessories like buildings and vehicles. In the early days, they were manufactured in the United States. Eventually they were relaunched in a number of incarnations and rebranded by a company called Hasbro. As of July 2011, Hasbro had produced 42 different Weebles.
The first Weeble was invented in the early 1970s by the Playskool division of Hasbro. Its earliest incarnation was an egg-shaped toy made out of red plastic. Like most toys, it was designed for the young set. While its awe-inspiring design made it ideal for younger kids, it was also fun for older ones. At the height of its popularity, it was often accompanied by a playset of its own, such as a train set and an airplane set. For the most part, each playset had a specific set of figures. A few notable exceptions were the ‘Weeble Wild West Ranch’ and ‘Weebles Circus’.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Weeble is its name. Aside from being a toy, it was actually a trademark for a variety of other roly-poly toys. Various lines have adopted the name, but it still remains in use. Other notable mentions include the ‘Weebles’, ‘Weebles Wiggle’ and ‘Weebles Haunted House’. There is also a weebles-themed movie called ‘Weebles in Wonderland’. However, it wasn’t until 2010 that Hasbro began making more realistic looking Weebles.
There are a few other things to consider, but none are quite as impressive as the original egg-shaped toy. On the physics front, the most notable thing about the Weeble is its low center of mass. This means that the weight on the bottom is not evenly distributed, but a single point of contact makes the whole thing a little bit lighter than it would be otherwise. Combined with the right sort of materials, the resulting product is the perfect blend of lightness and strength. When you add a bit of inertia, the process translates into the aforementioned wobble.
Having a bottom that’s not too thick is a good idea, as it makes it easier for the toy to be flipped from one direction to the other, and for it to stand upright. The only downside is that inertia tends to make the Weeble go the wrong way. Fortunately, modern Weebles have a more rounded out design and a sculptural relief-style body. With some careful planning, your little one can have hours of merrymaking.
The most important thing to remember is that Weebles are fun for all ages. If you are shopping for a gift for your younger family members, a Weeble is an easy choice.
0