Sure,Detective Archives fidgets spinners may have dominated 2017, but they ain't got nothing on Pogo Bals.
Originally released by Hasbro (formerly Milton Bradley) in 1987, the Pogo Bal was a small, inflatable ball surrounded by a plastic disc (like the planet Saturn but much, much smaller and plastic) that allowed users to bounce to their hearts' content.
SEE ALSO: Kid-friendly gadgets and app-enabled toys that make great giftsThis week on The Toy Shop, Mashable's new show where revisit our favorite retro toys from the '80s and '90s, we relive our bouncy glory days of the Pogo Bal. (Yes, that's spelled correctly.)
The Pogo Bal was basically the cool alternative to the pogo stick — instead of holding onto two handles attached to a spring-loaded stick, the Pogo Bal required users to grip the toy with their feet as they jumped.
This freed up the users' hands for other play activities like, dancing with friends, carrying milkshakes, and play keytar, all of which were very real examples demonstrated in the toy's delightfully retro 1987 commercial.
But the toy was not without its scandals. In 1989, Hasbro, Inc. was sued for copyright infringement after two Belgian men, Rapael J. Van Der Cleyen and Wilifriend F. Ribbens, claimed Hasbro stole the design from their 1969 toy "Springbal," marketed in Europe as "Lolobal." However, Hasbro claims to have conclusively obtained patent rights for the toy. The court eventually granted summary judgments in favor of Hasbro.
Unfortunately for any Pogo Bal fans, the toy began fading from popularity in the mid '90s. That said, bouncing enthusiast can get their hands on a Walmart knockoff called "Moonhopper" for anyone who wants to relive their pogo bal glory days.
If you want more blasts from the past, be sure to follow along with 'The Toy Shop.' We'll be posting new videos every other Tuesday to Mashable's Watercooler YouTube channel.
Staff Picks: Cornets, Collections, and Corn Tempura by The Paris ReviewTo Witness the End of Time by Namwali SerpellPlace Determines Who We Are by Julian Brave NoiseCatWorldbending by Akwaeke EmeziStaff Picks: Cornets, Collections, and Corn Tempura by The Paris ReviewPlace Determines Who We Are by Julian Brave NoiseCatThe Winners of 92Y’s 2021 Discovery Poetry Contest by The Paris ReviewThe Amateur Photographers of Midcentury São Paulo by The Paris ReviewPoets on Couches: Donika Kelly Reads Taylor Johnson by Donika KellyThe Secret Identity of Janis Jerome by Michelle OrangeStaff Picks: Sweaters, Sisters, and Sounds by The Paris ReviewPoets on Couches: John Murillo and Nicole Sealey Read Anne Waldman by John Murillo and Nicole SealeyPoets on Couches: Sara Deniz Akant Reads Naomi Shihab Nye by Sara Deniz AkantRedux: A Good Reading Night by The Paris ReviewThe Momentum of Living: An Interview with Clare Sestanovich by Elinor HittStaff Picks: Sweaters, Sisters, and Sounds by The Paris ReviewWorldbending by Akwaeke EmeziProcrastination, Pressure, and Poetry: An Interview with Kendra Allen by Lauren KaneProcrastination, Pressure, and Poetry: An Interview with Kendra Allen by Lauren KaneThe Winners of 92Y’s 2021 Discovery Poetry Contest by The Paris Review Simone Biles kindly shared her very own post Girl's NSFW birthday cake goes viral for very obvious reasons Motorola's modular phones will make phones exciting again 'The Emoji Movie' reviews are full of shruggies, angry faces and poo We spoke to the hackers who stole $85 million in Ethereum to save it June Foray, iconic voice actor, dies at 99 Live TV reporter acts perfectly calm as spider casually crawls all over her Jony Ive based the design of Apple AirPods on Star Wars Stormtroopers Katy Perry tapped to host MTV VMAs Kanye's sneakers appear in the most unexpected place: 'Splatoon 2' 'Big Little Lies' Season 2 is a possibility, says HBO Jeff Bezos is now the world's richest human Facebook pledges money to help keep elections safe Robert Pattinson fought 'Twilight' producers to save us from Smiling Edward Cullen 'Wonder Woman' director Patty Jenkins joins Chris Pine for a TV series SNES Classic pre Larry David and Bernie Sanders are actually related, and now it all makes sense Disney's Magic Bench lets you play with AR characters without headset or smartphone Nobody is joining Twitter, so let's just blame Trump Gamer accidentally sets herself on fire during livestream
1.8732s , 10111.7734375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Detective Archives】,Openness Information Network