Two moms, bound together by cancer (one has lymphoma; the other's daughter has leukemia) are asking—quite nicely—for Mattel to make a "Beautiful and Bald Barbie" to help young girls who suffer from hair loss due to cancer treatments, Alopecia or Trichotillomania. Will the doll giant bow to public demand? Eh, probably not, but let's spread the word with the hopes that they will! more ›

Whoa, meta: the Kardashian sisters, who are already basically plastic, are being turned into actual plastic, courtesy of Mattel. Yes, that's right, Kardashian Barbies will soon exist in this world—hide your kids. more ›

It's been a bad few months for toys—parents are pissed off about tattoo-covered Barbies and cursing dolls, to say nothing of the busty LEGOs that blew our minds last week—and the latest victim on the Toys 'R' Us hit list is...the little red wagon. more ›

Drama is stacking up against the children's classic LEGOs this week, with some people plenty pissed over the company's brand-new ladies-only toy set. Why, oh why, would LEGOs ever need boobs? The new LEGO "Friend" set features five busty female characters in settings like hair salons and doggie daycares, going about their girly business. It's part of a new plan from LEGO to appeal to more girls—a worthwhile cause with a poorly executed campaign. more ›

Have you been wondering what to get that little girl who has graduated from her baby bikini or (faux) high heels? And maybe she's just too young—like maybe she's 6— for a padded bra or virgin bikini wax? Well, don't sweat: The makers of the Breast Milk Baby Doll are committed to making sure as many people as possible can buy their doll, which offers kids the experience of breastfeeding with the help of a doll and a "special flowered halter top which activates the dolls suckling mechanism." more ›

If you've been home sick watching the daytime marathon of Spongebob Squarepants any time recently (we're not ashamed), you have seen the ad for Pillow Pets, which always reminded us of that old Shimmer Floor Wax SNL bit. The toy's name is pretty self-explanatory, but if you need clarification check out the video below. Anyway, CJ Products want to make sure they have the only Pillow Pets on the market, so U.S. Marshals have seized thousands of counterfeit pillows from a Flushing Avenue warehouse used by Concord Toys International. Brooklyn Federal Judge Eric Vitaliano said, "This is particularly troubling given the potential that [Concord's] products may pose a potential public health risk." more ›

Cute, creepy... this could go either way. A new company called Stuffed in the City promises to give your toy the time of its life in the Big Apple, since you can't afford to, or since you suffer from enochlophobia, or whatever. Like the gnome in Amelie, your toy's trip will be visually documented so you can become increasingly jealous of it as it visits all of the landmarks you wanted to see, and could see if only you didn't spend all of your money on useless stuffed animals! Let's face it, there are a lot of blanks to fill in here, so here's what we're told about the tour (which costs $100): more ›

In Manhattan, Urban Outfitters has been spotted tossing out perfectly good items that could go to charity, in Brooklyn, a school was recently called out for throwing out good books, and now on Staten Island, a CVS is being criticized for trashing what appear to be good toys that could be donated to charity. SI Live reports that the CVS Pharmacy on Arthur Kill Road in Eltingville recently filled their dumpster with boxes of brand new toys, and as one local Good Samaritan pointed out: "Christmas is coming, a lot of kids could have them." more ›

The mother of a 9-year-old who was reprimanded for playing with a tiny LEGO-sized toy gun during lunchtime might sue the principal who punished him. "This principal is a bully and a coward, and needs to be held accountable," said Laura Timoney, 44, whose son Patrick was brought to the principal's office, forced to sign a statement, and nearly suspended after being spotted playing with the miniature weapon. "The school should be embarrassed. This is a common-sense issue." more ›

From stroller recalls to toxic baby bling, it’s been a bad few months for children’s products—that’s why Toys “R” Us wants to give back. From now until February 20 the mega-retailer for all things kiddy is holding a massive trade-in event for those many items that may have proved hazardous to your child’s health. NY1 reported that during this year’s “Great Trade-In” event customers are urged to hand over their strollers, cribs and other baby items in exchange for a 25 percent discount (personally I would ask for a full refund). Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco and Jeep have all volunteered to take part in the promotion, but do they have a choice, really? more ›

Toys R Us has announced its purchase of FAO Schwarz. According to the AP, "Toys R Us will operate FAO Schwarz's flagship store in New York City and a second store at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. FAO Schwarz's Web site and catalog will continue to use the company's name." Toys R Us chairman and CEO Jerry Storch said, "We will work tirelessly to preserve the distinctiveness and integrity of the FAO Schwarz stores and brand as we grow the business and, indeed, take the brand to even greater heights." However, Storch did not details the financial agreement. FAO Schwarz has filed for bankruptcy protection twice and last year announced it would sell toys in Macy's stores. more ›

Toy manufacturer Ty is getting ready to ship its new "Marvelous Malia" and "Sweet Sasha" dolls to retailers eager to cash in on Obama fever. While Ty claims the dolls are not in any way related to the Obama daughters, the owner of Source, an Upper East Side toy and party store, told Crain's New York, “They’ll definitely sell, everybody’s Obama crazy." First Lady Michelle Obama's office was perturbed enough to tell Crain's Chicago, "We believe it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes," but Ty says, "There's nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls. It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not." The dolls are part of the TyGirlz Collection which sort of seem like Beanie versions of less slutty Bratz dolls. And we'll await the TyGirlz mix of Rick Warren's "Malia and Sasha" hit. more ›

Nine people were arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine inside children's toy packaging. NY1 reports that "four kilograms of cocaine, four handguns, and more than $86,000" during the investigation. The suspects pleaded not guilty to charges including drug possession and money laundering; a prosecutor said, "We're investigating whether they were paid in cocaine." One employee worked in a check-cashing facility, and it's believed he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars there, and the ringleader allegedly wired the money back to Puerto Rico. As for the smuggling, the DEA says kilos of coke were "concealed inside children’s toy tool boxes and large building toy container boxes" and then "the organization used United States Postal Service Express Mail to make deliveries to drop off addresses in Manhattan and the Bronx." more ›

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The farewell party for the famous "Toy Tower" at the Avenue B and 6th Street community garden took place yesterday. Vanishing New York estimates about 100 well-wishers were in attendance to eulogize the found object art tower, which rose to a height of 65 feet over the course of two decades. The eclectic structure is the work of the colorful East Village character Eddie Boros, who passed away one year ago this month. more ›

A tipster tells Vanishing New York that the iconic found object “Tower of Toys” that began rising out of the Avenue B and 6th Street Community Garden in the mid-80s will be demolished by the Parks Department. According to the garden's executive committee, the 65-foot tower has been deemed unsafe. And, let’s face it, it’s just not in keeping with the city’s ever-expanding ‘generic and soulless’ real estate trend. more ›