Toys for Adults

Ebony, Dec, 1998 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

Holiday toys for the young at heart

High-tech gizmos dominate grown-up lists

It's the year of flat and compact, mini and multi. High-tech and retro. Gifts on the adult wish list for Holiday 1998 range from the futuristic to the nostalgic.

High-tech toys top the list for grown-ups who want to make working out look like child's play. SlamMan, a computer trainer, fills the bill. This electronic personal trainer includes 15 workout programs for a challenging boxing aerobic workout. The computer is the trainer--as you jab and punch, flashing target lights track your blows. You can select the length of your workout, selecting from beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

For busy business execs who travel and still want to work out, or who just want to exercise at home, there is an exclusive no-excuses solution. The Gym-in-a-Box packs everything you need for a workout in a 24 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 6 1/2-inch box with handles. It includes a ribbed exercise mat, nylon jump rope, adjustable hand grips, aerobic latex bands, dumbbells (3-5 lbs.), contoured push-up stand, a stopwatch/timer, and adjustable ankle weights (1-5 lbs.).

Wanna-be or professional musicians can express the rhythm in their soul with a Distal Drum Set. This desktop drum set features seven touch-sensitive drum pads (4 large, 3 mid-size) and two foot pedals providing realistic bass drum sound. A sequencer allows the budding drummer to record and replay performances. Two drumsticks are included along with built-in stereo speakers and headphone jack.

On-the-go grown-ups who don't want to miss their favorite soap or sports event might enjoy Casio's mini color TV. It has a 2.3 inch screen, 39,600 pixel count for a high-resolution image and UHF and VHF channels. This tiny TV also features a nonglare screen and glow-in-the-dark removable screen cover, an AC input, earphone jack, external antenna jack, and an audio/video input jack that makes it compatible as a color playback monitor for a camcorder.

A new twist on the Cracker Jack box provides surprises for him or her. Neiman Marcus has substituted the traditional Cracker Jack prizes with limited edition surprises. These include an 18-karat gold ring with an emerald, ruby, or sapphire cabochon in place of the plastic "jewel" for her and a pair of silver vermeil and enamel cuff links in the shape of the recognizable Cracker Jack box for him. All are inserted in actual Cracker Jack boxes, perfect for stocking stuffers.

If the man in your life is a big baseball fan, there are affordable gifts for baseball fans of all ages. Limited edition 108-stitch PVC vinyl Unforgettaballs are decorated with eight American baseball stadiums recreated in brilliant wraparound color and detail. Each ball comes in a 3 1/4 inch acrylic cube with a certificate of authenticity. Stadiums represented include: Wrigley Field, Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium, Arlington, Busch Stadium, Candlestick Park, Coors Field and Three Rivers Stadium.

Speaking of games, adults are reconnecting with family and friends to play the board games of their youth--some with a new electronic twist.

Milton Bradley offers its traditional favorite, Scrabble, in a 50th Anniversary Edition, available in stores for a limited time only. Hasbro's TV Guide the Game is based on a familiar theme for television fans. Players ask and answer questions from a realistic-looking TV Guide that contains over 2,500 television-themed questions.

Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly and Yahtzee are all available now in electronic hand-held versions. A new Pro-Drag Racing Electronic hand-held game asks players to use skill and caution to race down the track by shifting through five gears without blowing their dragster's engine. That ought to make the ride to Grandma's or the inevitable travel delays more bearable.

Black-owned companies like WB Adams of Lansdale, Pa., and Frederick Douglass Designs of Oakland, Calif., also offer unique culturally-based gifts for adults to enjoy.

This year WB Adams has four distinctive puzzles featuring the artwork of Brenda Joysmith in 300-piece puzzles. Frederick Douglass Designs has a catalog of gift items, but features its Art and Affirmations Calendar for 1999 and music boxes with natural oak and cherry finish painted with African-American water color images.

If there's a couch potato on your list, check out Sony's latest expansion on the DVD technology for entertainment--the five-disc carousel changer (DVP-C600D). With Sony's changer, you'll be able to alternate between DVD and CD entertainment, shuffle playback from DVD music videos to children's programming, or create your own family film festival by dedicating an evening to your favorite movies. The unit also features a built-in Dolby Digital decoder, which provides outstanding sound.

Sony continues the popular notebook-sized computers with its VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook that weighs less than three pounds and measures less than an inch thick. This new notebook computer features speeds up to 266 Mhz and built-in 56Kflex modem. It also comes equipped with Microsoft Windows 98 and a wide range of applications.