I remember having so much fun with Clackers, and being so disappointed when they took them off the market.

It was such a simple toy, and must have made the inventors a fortune. It consisted of two translucent hard plastic balls, with a cord going through them, and a ring halfway in between. The object of the game was to hold the ring, pump the hand up and down, and get the balls to hit each other on the up and down stroke. It made a terrific noise, wasn’t nearly as easy to do as it looked, and was loads of fun. They came in gorgeous colors and marbelized effects, so having just one wasn’t enough.

Well, there were accidents where the plastic broke and the flying shards were quite dangerous, so it went the way of many other toy recalls.

One of the cautions any buyer of used toys should keep in mind is the possibility that the toy is on a recall list, or is not safe for a specific age child. You can always check out any item you have concerns about at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.