It's Time to Play the Keyboard, Baby
The people who make toys have a big job on their hands, and we don't envy them in the slightest. But it seems as though the person who designed this toy got a little confused. Instead of hearing, 'Let's make a keyboard for a baby,' they obviously heard, 'Let's make a keyboard baby!' And while this bizarre creation does give us the heebie-jeebies, you can't deny that he simply did what he was told.
This really is a keyboard baby, which would be weird enough without the fact that the hands and feet seem fused together and the head looks as though it's been broken. This is just strange on all levels.
A Kinder Surprise... But Not a Good One
Let's be honest; you're never too old for a Kinder Egg. The chocolate itself is utterly delicious, and there's something so exciting about opening up the egg inside and finding a toy. But we have a feeling that the people who opened up this Kinder Surprise were certainly surprised... and not in a good way. Whoever signed off on this particular toy obviously didn't listen in history class, otherwise this would not have been approved.
It seems as though the rest of the world agrees with us, too. After just a few days in circulation, Kinder received so many complaints about this toy that it was quickly recalled and discontinued.
Quality Check? What Quality Check?
When producing any kind of product, there should be a whole team dedicated to quality check and control. This ensures that every product that leaves the factory doors looks exactly how it should be to limit customer complaints. However, it seems as though the quality controller missed the toy on the right. And if you're still looking at this picture and wondering why it's a toy fail, just look at the tail...
Yes, we're 99.9% certain that the tail is on the wrong way! But we're sure someone out there wanted to add this particular toy to their collection just for the fun of it.
Presenting Hagrid the Cowardly Lion
Dollar stores really are a law unto themselves, and it's amazing what you can buy under the roof of these stores. Some products are so amazing that you don't know why you would ever shop anywhere else, and then other products are pretty questionable - like this toy, which was supposed to be a Hagrid toy. In reality, it was just a repainted toy made to look like Hagrid. And not very well, either.
Behind the beard, you can see the mane, the ears, and even the Medal of Courage that once adorned a toy of the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. They didn't even really try.
Don't See It? Read the Box
You probably don't need us to tell you that we live in a world of knock-offs. Counterfeit items pop up here, there, and everywhere, and this is especially true when it comes to off-brand toys that take the essence and the image of well-known toys to make cheaper dupes. In some cases, they're not too bad and a great addition to the toy box. In other cases, they relied on Google Translate a little too much.
While it's clear to see that these toys were supposed to be a knock-off of Paw Patrol, we have no idea how they managed to get to this name. But apparently, 'The more you play with me, the happier L will be!'
The Earth Is the Center of the Solar System According to This Toy
For parents, there's nothing better than seeing their kids do something fun while learning something new at the same time. And at first glance, this looks like one of the most educational playgrounds out there. After all, what parent doesn't want their kids to learn about the solar system while they're gearing up to slide down a giant hunk of metal at full pelt? But we'd advise you to take a closer look at this 'solar system.'
Last time we checked, there needed to be an actual sun in the solar system - but this one doesn't seem to have one. At least Pluto gets to play for a change, though.
The Not-So-Fantastic Four
Kids and adults alike love having toys that represent their favorite movies, TV shows, and comic books, so it's no wonder that there are so many amazing The Fantastic Four figurines out there. However, we can all agree that these are more like the not-so-fantastic four. From the shoddy paintwork to the strange proportions and the creepy heads, everything about this foursome is truly bizarre - and a little uncomfortable.
We do like the fact that The Human Torch seems to be having fun, though. From where we're sitting, it looks like he's raising the roof while he's on fire.
Time to Spring Into Action
Being a kid is so much more than playing with toys in your house. It's also about going on adventures, exploring the great outdoors, and trying out the many playgrounds that exist around the world. However, if you're a kid and you're looking for an action-packed playground filled with slides, jungle gyms, and more, you'll probably want to avoid this playground in Germany. It won't exactly be a thrilling experience.
The only thing in this playground is the spring platform in the middle, which will probably give a child approximately 0.3 seconds of fun. At least there's sand on the ground instead of concrete, we guess.
This Doll? She Looks Sick
We love it when a word has two meanings, but which 'sick' do you think is suitable for this toy design fail? Sick, as in cool? Sick, as in...ill? Well, one look at her green face suggests that she's not feeling too great or the plastic box has cut off all of her oxygen. Whatever the case, this doll is one of the strangest looking things we've ever seen in our lives.
Sure, we appreciate the fact that her purse matches her shirt, but there's something about her sick-looking face that makes us feel a little nauseous when we look at it.
Well, It's Close Enough
Uno is perhaps one of the most famous card games out there. But anyone who has ever bought popular, legitimate games will know that they can be expensive - and some people just don't have that kind of cash lying around. Because of this, we really don't blame other companies for creating bargain knock-offs like this Ono game. What we do take issue with is that they didn't even try to make it look different.
If you didn't read the letters on the front of the cards, you'd just assume that this was Uno. But we guess that's the sign of a good fake, right?
So Long Spiderman, Say Hi to Sniperman
Let's be honest; Spiderman is one of the gentlest superheroes out there. He doesn't have laser eyes or super strength but slings webs from his wrists and climbs buildings to reach the end goal. It seems as though this toy maker wanted to toughen him up, though. So, they decided to switch Spiderman to Sniperman and give him a little edge over the competition - and it's fair to say that he looks pretty fierce.
The fact that this toy is battery-operated does make us worry, though. What needs to be operated? Let's hope it's his legs rather than the weapon he's holding in his hands.
Better to Be Blocked at the Top Than the Bottom
Have you ever been to a playground and quickly realized that it was designed by adults with no real understanding of children and their needs? Yep, that's what the people who visited this playground realized when they got to the top of these slides. After all, the middle slide has been blocked off completely, and the other two have only left a tiny slither for the kids to go through.
Although it's way better for them to be blocked off at the top than at the bottom, we also have to take a moment to appreciate the marks on the slide. Even if the adults don't want them to, they're going to find a way to have fun.
If Spongebob and Patrick Had a Baby
The beauty of these toy fails is that they are giving us storylines we didn't even know existed. From Captain America's stomach pains to a solar system without a sun, these made-up scenarios are pretty interesting. And while we know that Spongebob has a girlfriend in the form of Sandy the Squirrel, have you ever considered if Spongebob and Patrick got together? And what if they then had a baby?
This toy designer obviously considered it, as what they created was the perfect lovechild of the pink starfish and the sea sponge. Either that or they ran out of yellow fabric.
What's Up, Cap?
You probably don't need us to tell you that superheroes are everywhere. You can't turn on your TV, walk along the street, or head into a toy shop without seeing some kind of superhero product or advertisement. And while we appreciate budget options being available to kids who only have a few dollars to spend, we do have to question whether these superheroes are as super as they're meant to be.
For starters, Spiderman seems to have really let himself go. And what's with Batman's face? All in all, they all look a lot less super and a lot more ill. Especially Captain America.
Yeah, That Looks Super Safe...
One of the biggest problems when it comes to toy fails isn't the design itself, but rather the manufacturing behind the design. And while some companies put a lot of effort into making sure their toys are safe - especially for children - there are others that don't care as much. We're going to assume that this company is part of the latter category. Yes, the head did come off and reveal a giant screw...
Perhaps the clue should have been in the fact that this toy claims to be 'security, non-taxic,' but we don't think anything should have a giant screw in the middle of it.
Maybe It's Time to Rethink Number Eight
As we've already mentioned, educational toys always go down well with parents. And when a young girl was gifted a children's veterinarian kit for her 4th birthday, we bet her parents were overjoyed to see that she could learn so much about animal care - from the food they eat to the bacteria that can potentially make animals ill. But let's just take a second to hone in on number eight on this card.
Yes, that really does say what you think it does. And while it's certainly something you need to think about when you're caring for animals, perhaps a wording change should have been in order?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Going Through the Awkward Phase
We can't believe that someone would make a whole franchise about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles without thinking about the fact that teenagers are the worst. From the crazy amount of hormones raging around their bodies to their awkward physical changes, there's so much to deal with when one teenager surrounds you - let alone a whole group of them. And we can't help but think that this toy failure was actually a toy success.
This shows what the guys would look like if they really were teenagers: awkward, gangly, and a little bit uncomfortable in their own bodies. He looks pretty accurate to us!
Straight in the Shopping Cart
There are two kinds of people in this world; there are those who see toy design fails and walk as far away from them as possible, and then there are those who find them utterly hilarious and pop them straight into their shopping cart. And looking at this Bart Simpson lookalike, we have to say that we probably would have done the same as this person. This is too good to ignore.
We're not sure what's going on with Bart's head here, but the toy looks as though it's missing some stuffing on the inside. Either that or Nelson Muntz finally got to him.
Say Hello to SpongeBob Scarepants
Looking at this toy fail probably brings out a whole host of emotions for you. Firstly, you might be feeling a little jealous about the fact that you didn't have a Bikini Bottom-themed inflatable obstacle course for your birthday party. But when you take a breath and properly look at this picture, you may also feel a little relieved as this Spongebob is like no other Spongebob we've ever seen before.
This isn't Spongebob Squarepants, this is Spongebob Scarepants, and we can only assume that his main aim is to devour as many children as possible during one single birthday party.
She's A Benign Girl, In A Benign World
Are you tired of seeing Barbie everywhere? Us too. After seeing Barbie take over the world in 2023, it's been nice to take a little break from the perfect doll we're all familiar with. But can Benign Girl kick Barbie off her pedestal? Well, we're not sure. We have a feeling that this was a very poor attempt at Google translation, but at least we know she's healthy and not cancerous.
The more we look at this, the funnier it becomes. In fact, the more we look at this, the more we want a Benign Girl cell phone for Christmas this year.
Is This What Nightmares Are Made of?
Some of the toy designs on this list have been so weird that they've just been funny, but we can safely say that this Mario toy is not one of them. Although it actually looks like it's of high quality - unlike some of the others on here - the design itself is bizarre. Since when did Mario have a triangle head? And why does he have razor sharp fangs?
From the looks of it, Mario is going through a mid-life crisis, and that's not something we want to surround ourselves with. Not with those teeth staring at us, anyway.
The "Barely Keeping It Together" Barbie
The whole point of the original Barbie was to showcase the 'perfect' woman. She looks stunning, she has a handsome boyfriend, and she has the coolest friends. But over the years, realistic Barbies have started making their way into toy stores - like this one. Sure, we know this isn't an 'official' Mattel creation, but we can't help but think it's perhaps one of the most realistic doll we've ever seen.
After all, this doll looks as though she's barely holding it together - and isn't that how we all feel? We're trying our best over here, and sometimes it shows.
Dora the Explorer or Dora the Destroyer?
Every so often, a toy is made that mashes up two different universes. These collaborations often do extremely well as they bring two fan bases together for one epic toy. However, we do have to question the logic behind this toy design. While we all know that Dora the Explorer is extremely popular, we're not sure how Dora and the Terminator are linked. And linked by a bubble machine gun, no less.
Although it's one of the strangest things we've ever seen, there's a part of us that loves this mash-up. Some bubble machines are pretty boring, after all, and this is anything but boring.
Take a Closer Look
If this was installed in the other playground from earlier, this place is just a whole heap of wrong. And while we appreciate the fact that the builders and designers of this playground wanted to teach the kids a thing or two while they were having fun, multiple problems start to arise when the educational material isn't factually correct. After all, the last time we checked, South wasn't North, and North wasn't South.
The more we look at this playground fail, the more it starts to make our heads hurt as we just can't make sense of it all. So, we're just going to move on.
That's One Unusual Dinosaur
Toys come in so many different shapes and forms, and what we love about them is that they can range from hyper-realistic objects and animals to make-believe creations. But the key to toy design is choosing one lane and sticking to it - unless you want to break the rules and do whatever the heck you want. The toy designer behind what we're coining the Horseasaurus obviously decided to go for the latter option.
Either that or this is one of the strangest horses we've ever seen. Either way, the whole thing definitely deserves a place on this list of the most epic toy fails.
A New Addition to the Avengers
Everyone wants to be an Avenger, right? Although some superheroes have been given the chance to join the coolest superhero squad in this particular timeline, there are others who just haven't quite made the cut - like Deadpool. But you do have to start questioning things when Deadpool gets rejected and Luigi doesn't. And according to this toy design fail, he's the Anvengers' newest recruit. He's also changed his name to Batman.
Everything about this toy design fail proves that this was not made by a legitimate source, and was simply thrown together by someone trying to make a buck and pull the wool over someone's eyes.
Spiderman Gone Wrong
After watching superheroes on our screens for decades, we have a good idea of what they're supposed to look like. The Hulk has big green muscles, Iron Man has an iron helmet, Captain America has his shield, and Spiderman has his spidey-suit. But the appeal of Spiderman is that he's Peter Parker - a slim, nerdy guy who just happens to be super cool at the same time. But this toy does not look like that at all.
From the crazy thighs (has he been using the Thighmaster?) to the eyes that have quite clearly been sewn on incorrectly, this Spiderman is like nothing we've seen before. And we don't want to see it again.
Muscle Man Homer
The problem with these toy fails is that most of us know what they should look like. Most of us have watched enough episodes of The Simpsons to know Homer's appearance from memory - from the little tufts of hair on his head to the clothes that he wears. So, we can only assume that the people who made this toy hadn't watched a single episode in their lives, as Homer's definitely not as jacked as this.
Our guess is that the toy makers simply repurposed an old muscly figurine they had lying around to make this new Simpsons-based series. And while the body is tolerable, the face is beyond creepy.
No Drama, Llama
Everyone loves a plushie, right? Even those who say they don't can't deny that cuddling a soft toy can make everything better. And this person hit the jackpot when they won what was supposed to be a lamb plushie from a claw machine. Of course, we have to give them credit for winning anything from a claw machine as those games are notoriously rigged, but we also have to question the lamb-like qualities of this toy.
In our eyes, this looks more like a llama than a lamb - but this toy fail is definitely cuter than all of the other toys on this list. Even if its head is on the wrong way.
Jamaica No Problem, Man
Anyone familiar with Pokemon will know that it's Japanese - which is why we all seem to assume that Pikachu is Japanese, too. But has anyone ever asked the creators of the show whether he has a Jamaican cousin or not? This toy company seems to think so, as they decided to make what we're going to call Jamaicachu. He's even got his own catchphrase, which we're still trying to make sense of.
This whole picture is confusing in so many ways, but perhaps the biggest shock of all is the length of the man's finger next to him. We've never seen anything so big.
Please Make It Make Sense
The first one to make sense of this random toy gets $5 from us. Okay, not really, but it's fair to say that this is one of the most confusing things we've ever seen. For one, the shape itself is utterly bizarre and we can't tell whether it's supposed to be a hippo lying on his back or whether it's not supposed to be any shape at all. Then, we have the numbers and shapes to contend with.
For a while, the numbers seem to be doing alright - until you come across number fourteen. And has anyone ever heard of the cirle shape? We've heard of a circle, but not a cirle.
Is That-A You, Mario?
Mario and Luigi are two of the most well-known figures in the toy world, and everyone knows what they look like. This makes it incredibly easy to spot the real deal from a fake, and we think you'll all agree that this is a fake. Or, alternatively, the machine suffered a serious malfunction during the manufacturing process. Either way, it should have never left the factory looking like this guy.
We didn't know it was even humanly possible to grow a mustache above your nose, but we guess these toy makers thought it was good enough to pass quality control.
You Okay Bart?
In the toy world, copyright is a huge issue. It's down to these knock-off companies and brands try and tow the line between gently copying and copyright to avoid any serious legal action - and changing the name is the best thing you can do. That's what this toy company decided to do when they changed up their (very obvious) Simpsons toys with The Americans. At least it's factually correct.
However, we can only assume that these people are called Bort, Humer, Midge, Linda, and Aggie, because they're definitely not The Simpsons that we know and love from the great town of Springfield.
Captain America Has Seen Things
We don't know what it is about knock-off toy makers, but they just can't seem to capture the essence of Captain America. With his good looks, charming personality, and bravery, he's supposed to be the embodiment of the American hero. But this guy looks as though he's been in too much action, and he's seen things he just can't unsee. Either that or he's suffering from a bout of the stomach flu.
At least they got the colors right with this one. The red, white, and blue hero is still fairly recognizable - which is more than we can say for some of the other toy fails on this list.
Popeye Really Has Been Eating His Spinach
There is definitely no shortage of superhero figurines out there. Go to any toy store or dollar store, and you'll find so many different options. But we bet you've never seen any quite like these before - and what a group! You have Captain America, Spiderman, Popeye (who is apparently a superhero now?), a floating head, and a creepy guy with the biggest cheeks you've ever seen in your life.
We're not sure how these figurines all got grouped together, but one thing we do know is that these guys look as though they mean business. Just look at Popeye's muscles!
We Guess He's Called Lario Now
When you're creating a budget toy for the mass market, it's probably best to do your research. And fans of Mario Bros. know exactly what both Mario and Luigi look like - and this isn't either of them. Instead, this factory has made a mixture of them both and turned Lario into a plushy toy for this person to carry around on Halloween. Or maybe he's their cousin from across the way.
Whatever the case, let's hope that the person who bought this plushy toy didn't spend too much money on Lario. Especially if they were hoping to get Mario or Luigi.
When You Eat Too Much Spaghetti
If you're staring at this picture and thinking that you have a vague idea of who it's supposed to be, we'll put you out of your misery. This is supposed to be Garfield - the orange cat that loves spaghetti. But we guess when you eat too much yellow spaghetti you start turning yellow yourself. And as for the eyes and lack of nose and mouth? Well, we have no excuse for that.
We don't know what we find the most disturbing about this soft toy - the fact that he looks like a Minion or the fact that he has strange ears (which we assume are meant to be whiskers) coming out the side of his head.
It's Luigroot and Pikachoke
The more you look at this toy fail, the more you realize just how weird it is. At the forefront of this picture, it looks as though Luigi and Groot have been morphed together into one strange and quite unnerving toy. Then, when you tear your eyes away from the horrors at the front, you realize that Pikachu is being strangled in the background. Why? Well, we have absolutely no idea.
To make things even stranger, it looks as though this picture has been taken in an airport, so we can only assume that these strange toys were stopped at security.
Eyes up Here, Wario
From the looks of things, the person who bought this toy design fail really loves to collect figurines. They have shelves upon shelves of them, and whole cases of figurines sat next to this guy. But out of all of the ones we can see, Wario is perhaps the most intriguing of the lot. And while we'd love to say that this is a serious toy design fail, it actually looks pretty accurate.
Wario is known for making some strange faces and rolling his eyes back and forth. We must admit that having the two eyes looking in opposite directions is pretty unnerving.
Jurassic Robot Park
Do you love dinosaurs? Do you love robots? Well, you're probably going to love this toy. This right here is a transforming robot dinosaur, and we have to say that we're a little bit obsessed. From the Jurassic jazz hands to the tiny robot head above the dinosaur head, everything about this gets better and better the more you look at it. In fact, we'd quite like to buy one ourselves!
We don't know what this transforming dinosaur does - apart from transform - but the whole thing looks as though it could be hours of fun. We love the colors, too.