Toy-identification-filter

May 10, 2009 3:28 PM

Can you identify this toy? 1980s (70s?) purple plush thing with plastic face and big nose.

Four people are simultaneously Googling here with no luck... What are these things? The big one has a place for a 9V battery (broken) and what looks like a little light on his chest.

posted by kmennie to grab bag (10 comments total)

At first I thought it was that little guy from Rainbow Bright but your toys have ears whereas the Rainbow Bright thing has antenna.
posted by HappyEngineer at 4:10 PM on May 10

Is it a variation on the Ziggy comic strip toy? They look similar but I think the eyes are a little different.
posted by Buttons at 4:59 PM on May 10

There's some sort of lettering on the seat the toys are on. I've looked at it through a few Photoshop filters and I'm fairly certain it's not English lettering. Beyond that, I can't tell. It could be Hebrew as easily as Japanese to my eyes. At any rate, I suspect this isn't an American (or Canadian) toy, which is why Googling isn't helping.

I don't suppose you have a larger image?
posted by lore at 5:26 PM on May 10

Definitely NOT a Rainbow Brite Sprite, which is what I expected to see from your description. That's all I got, though.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:33 PM on May 10

My guess is that it's a human character that is, for some reason wearing a mauve costume (rather than being some sort of naturally fuzzy animal-type character). No idea what character, though- doesn't ring a bell and I remember many mid1980s toys pretty clearly.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:35 PM on May 10

Ignore the seat, which is just a (contemporary -- says 'Safety 1st') toddler booster I put them on for the bad mobile phone snap.
posted by kmennie at 5:41 PM on May 10

Aw, I thought I was being clever and stuff. No tags, then, I assume?
posted by lore at 5:47 PM on May 10

Human Bean, perhaps? They were manufacturered by Enesco in the early 80s - most of them were ceramic, but maybe they made plush versions as well.
posted by Ostara at 6:28 PM on May 10

Try Plush Memories Lost Toy Search Service.
posted by Miko at 8:55 PM on May 10

Ugh... I recognize the face on the little purple guy but I can't quite place a name on it! It's a kid's cartoon and that's a father-son duo there (in case you hadn't guessed that already).

I don't have kids and I was out of the plush doll phase by 1985-ish (well, except for Kermit the Frog, but he doesn't really count, does he?), so I can't place the dolls beyond the father-son + cartoon thing.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 3:31 AM on May 11