Chattering teeth (toy)
Chattering teeth (sometimes called chattery teeth) are a wind-up toy invented by Eddy Goldfarb mimicking the bodily function of the same name. Goldfarb and Marvin Glass sold their design to novelty company H. Fishlove & Co., which released the toy as "Yakity Yak Talking Teeth" in 1949.[1] Goldfarb's original design was awarded U.S. patent 2,504,679 from the U.S. Patent Office. As of 2004, a toy based on Goldfarb's specifications was still being produced by H. Fishlove & Co., now a division of Fun, Inc. (a manufacturer of magic trick and novelty items).[1]
Some off-brand variants of the toy add anthropomorphic features such as eyes and feet. The light feet allow the toy to travel somewhat. A directed modification of this mechanism is employed in walking wind-up toys like the bowling ball in Tomy's Strolling Bowling (1987).[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Newgarden, Mark; Picturebox Inc. (2004). Cheap Laffs: The Art of the Novelty Item. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. pp. 54–55. ISBN 0-8109-5599-7.
- ^ Hauser, Joanna (September 2, 2025). "Strolling Bowling from TOMY (1987)". Toy Tales. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Pressman Toy – Inventor Profile: Eddy Goldfarb (Web archive as of February 19, 2012)
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