These cuddly characters, available in at least five designs, hold PEZ candy for on-the-go snacking. Launch date: March 2008.

This non-toxic tooth paint is available in gold, silver and bronze, as well as other colors. It dries in 10 seconds and lasts about 24 hours.

This safe, black paint for teeth is easy to apply and dries in 10 seconds. It lasts about 24 hours and can be removed at any time. The product comes in various colors.

Each of the five scented pencils in this set comes in a freshness tube and is designed to retain its Watermelon scent for two years. Smencils are made from 100-percent recycled newspaper. Many other scents are available.

Small new shape. Cup your hand around the base of this glass sculpture and the liquid inside shoots up into the upper bulb, where it begins to boil! Also called a "love meter" because its reaction intensifies with higher body temperatures. Comes boxed.

The limited edition pen features the head of Hillary Clinton, with a moveable mouth. Production of this collectible, retractable pen is limited to 5,000 pieces.

Ugly Ghosts can be found way out beyond the back exits of Uglytown.  If you ever decide to go camping near those trees just beyond the gates of the big city, you may be lucky enough to see one! Boo! Boo! Is that some sort of scare tactic or is he trying to tell you his name? Or is it Karaoke night? Hard to tell. But one thing is certain... Ugly Ghosts are good to have around if you can find a way to make friends with them. Try leaving out some sweet snacks under the bed.  Launch date:  2008.
— “Such a cute toy and the kids like collecting them; and there’s always a new generation (of kids) that get started collecting,” Shana Hack, owner of Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M., said about Uglydolls in early summer 2008.
— Kevin Pohle, owner of The Wizard's Chest in Denver, Colo., named Peaco, Moxy, and OX as the favorite characters among his best-selling plush line, the Uglydolls.
— “We sell lots of Uglydolls — several a day, maybe 50 to 75 a month at our one location,” Kathy Goeddy, manager of JaZams in Pennington, N.J., told TDmonthly.

Puglee is super smart. She figured out that a great way to avoid getting a job was to get the worst possible grades ever!  Only an F- would do. But here’s the problem... Puglee LOVES to read, write and count. So she gets all A’s no matter how hard she tries to fail! Puglee is also smart enough to know that life isn’t about getting a grade. It’s about the special bond she now has with you. Launch date: 2008.
— Uglydolls are a strong seller at The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., Owner Randy Austin told TDmonthly in summer 2008.

Plunko is a business man. He’s got his own car wash, his own tire store, and ideas for lots of other stores. Some of those ideas are his very own. Plunko is a good guy to know. If you know Plunko, you can say you’ve got some connections. And if you call Plunko’s phone, you may get a bad connection. He's 14" tall and is the ultimate business partner because he only wants 100% of your love and even less
of your money.  “Fans love to collect Uglydolls and they have to have them all!” Pretty Ugly LLC Director Alita Friedman told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2008.

Kids can watch these animals walk, then flip for fun. The assortment includes a dog, cat, frog and monkey. Launch date: 2006.
— “Wonderful wind-up toys from Toysmith,” Candace Williams of The Toy Maven in Dallas, Texas, told TDmonthly when asked to name the best-selling novelty item in her store.
— “Toysmith wind-ups are most popular,” Fred Rosenberg, owner of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas, told TDmonthly in May 2008. According to Rosenberg, they sell “hundreds” per month.
— In May 2008, 11 of 55 retailers named Toysmith as the manufacturer of their best-selling novelty toys.

Each pack comes with a dude with magnetized feet, a magnetized skateboard, a story about the dude and either a “jigsaw” piece of sidewalk and posing stand or a skate-able street obstacle. Launch date: 2008.
— “Know what's good? The Tech Dudes — they’re from Spin Master” Carol Knight, owner of The Toy Store in Ketchum, Idaho, told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— “They call it specialty action figures,” Knight told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— The Dudes can be collected to build a Dude Street Pack diorama.

This whoopee cushion self-inflates and comes in a “Try Me!” package. It is available in yellow, orange or pink.
— “The whoopie cushion — that's your perennial novelty item,” Tye Steinbach of Thinker Toys in Portland, Ore., told TDmonthly in May 2008.
—  According to Thea Brown, buyer and general manager at World of Mirth LLC in Richmond, Va., whoopee cushions are best-sellers, running out the door at a rate of “10 per month.”
— In May 2008, three of 55 retailers surveyed by TDmonthly singled out prank products as best-sellers in the novelty category.

This yo-yo features a roll of paper with a printed design on a 7” handle. The paper extends when the yo-yo is forced outward by a simple wrist motion.
— “Funny enough, Chinese yo-yos,” Alicia Smith, owner of Juneau's Imagination Station in Juneau, Alaska, told TDmonthly when asked to name the best-selling novelty item in her store. “I don't know why, but all of the sudden everybody loves them. [I] probably sell a couple dozen in a month.”
— “Chinese yo-yos … do really well,” Mary Sisson, owner of Kazoodles in Vancouver, Wash., told TDmonthly in May 2008. “They're on backorder right now.”
— Nathan McKelvey, manager of Toy Castle, LLC in Jonesboro, Ar., told TDmonthly in a September 2011 survey that they sell about 100 of this item each month.

This eraser looks just like a cup of ice cream. Many other varieties are available in the ice cream line, including ice cream in a cone and ice cream bars.
— “The erasers are doing really well,” David Ekwall of The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in May 2008. “They’re erasers from Japan that come in all different shapes — there are vehicles and cakes and ice cream.”
— “Japanese erasers are huge pickups,” Candace Williams of The Toy Maven in Dallas, Texas, told TDmonthly in May 2008. “[We’re] almost out of a 1,300 wholesale order [placed] three weeks ago.”
— In May 2008, two retailers singled out Japanese erasers as their best-selling novelty item.

Featuring different breeds of retrievers including the golden retriever, this Scramble Squares® puzzle goes great with dog lovers. b. dazzle, inc.'s brain teaser puzzles earned a Dr. Toy Award for Best Products for Summer 2008.

Dolphins are playful, have individual personalities and adapt well to humans, making them a popular sea mammal to kids and adults alike, making for a very enjoyable Scramble Squares® Puzzle.

Kids today can enjoy this classic metal toy as much as their parents did when they were children. Awards: TDmonthly Classic 2008.
— Original Slinkys are one of the top-10 best sellers at the Lollipop Shop in Jonesborough, Tenn., and Kiawah Island, S.C., Co-owner Jeff Gurley told TDmonthly in spring 2008.
— “Slinkys are still doing very well,” Ray Goodhart of Ages & Stages Toy Box in Golden, Colo., told TDmonthly in May 2008, noting that they sell “probably 15 to 20” per month.
— “Slinky — nostalgia does very well,” Linda Hill, owner of Emerald Isle Toys in Emerald Isle, N.C., told TDmonthly in May 2008. “[We sell] 50 per year … [to] kids — not parents — looking for older toys.”
— In May 2008, three of 55 retailers named the Slinky as one of their best-selling novelty items. Original Slinkys are a top-10 best seller at the Lollipop Shop in Jonesborough, Tenn., and Kiawah Island, S.C., Co-owner Jeff Gurley told TDmonthly in spring 2008.

Where to Buy: Rocking Horse Toy Store; Berkira

Rub the notches of the stick to make the propeller spin. Astonish friends by mysteriously making the propeller change directions. It’s a “ruly unique and fascinating classic toy with a great optical trick,” Peggy Tobias of Copernicus Toys told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2008.

The air-powered jet car demonstrates the surprising physical phenomenon of jet propulsion. Inflate the balloon and then release, watching as the air from the balloon powers the car with zero emissions. “Explore science while zooming around a little race car,” Peggy Tobias of Copernicus Toys told TDmonthly. It’s “really colorful and fun, combining the appeal of balloons and race cars.” Launch date: March 2008.

This biodegradable latex balloon grows to at least three feet when inflated. Use for delightful play or to think about atmosphere, air molecules and more. It’s “a great instant-gratification stocking stuffer — blow it up and chase it around the tree or out in the snow,” Peggy Tobias of Copernicus Toys told TDmonthly. “Fun compact packaging makes this a great stocking stuffer.” Launch date: March 2008.

The tops spin, light up and play music. They are available in red and green or red and white. Launch date: January 2008.

At the press of a button, the tree spins and a Santa appears in the center of the open tree.
The “Santa in tree spinner is great for both boys and girls, and is beautifully decorated and detailed,” Ellen Englishmen of Kurt S. Adler told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2008.

Plastic reindeer lips and a battery-operated, lighted nose are attached to a cherry-flavored lollipop. “Compared to competition, the Carousel Reindeer Lollipop is entirely unique,” Ford Gum & Machine Company Director of Marketing David Plotnick told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2008.

he 2-3/4” Christmas ornament is filled with holiday treats and plays assorted Christmas carols at the push of a button. “Compared to competition, the Carousel Musical Christmas Ornament is the best value item like it,” Ford Gum & Machine Company Director of Marketing David Plotnick told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2008.

The toy dispenses Au'some candy rolls and Smarties bubble gum. “It has the cool factor as well as a refillable item for future use,” Au’some Candies Vice President of Operations Rose Downey told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 1, 2008.