Sock Obama Doll Short Lived

A small Utah based toy company today quickly pulled the controversial Sock Obama doll from production after a tidal wave of public anger that the doll was racist in nature and a terrible blow-back to the old days of "Jim Crow" racism. There was however absolutely nothing posted on the company's website that indicated that the Sock Obama doll was intended to be racist or even antiObama in nature. In fact, if anything, the site seemed to view their toy as merely an affectionate and new variation on the classic sock monkey toys. It was merely bad judgement on the part of the company that created the entire controversy it seems.

Bad taste aside, I'm a avid toy collector, and this terrible idea for a political novelty toy will no doubt make it a highly sought out collectible for whatever few actually exist before the product was pulled from production, and any existing models will certainly be highly sought after by toy collectors. Most other political toys are far less controversial. A GI JOE type action figure of John McCain has been on the market for a while, and some new bobble head and soft knit McCain figures also exist. On the Web, a far more respectful Barack Obama 6inch tall PVC action figure doll is taking orders at ClarkToys.com for Mid-July shipment.

Not all political toys are entirely affectionate. A talking figure of a pandering bear in a suit with a Bill Clinton-style Southern voice was once marketed for a short while during the Clinton years. The item was certainly antiClinton in nature, yet sort of funny and lovable in other ways, and not really intended for children, but more as a adult collectable.

2008 will certainly see far more political toys and collectibles to marketed before the year is out. Not all of them will be a good idea either. But to political junkies, some of these items will become highly sought out collectibles that will almost certainly pick up value over the years, especially toys or collectibles of the winning 2008 presidential candidate.