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Post by retrobear on Jan 15, 2019 19:27:03 GMT -7
I like to watch tape talker videos on YouTube. I just finished watching a video of Cricket doll, and I noticed something interesting. I didn't get to grow up with Teddy and only got to hear a little bit of him as a kid. I didn't really get into his stories until 2012 at age 25, but his stories and music are enjoyable even for an adult who isn't looking at them with nostalgia goggles. I've been able to hear some of the other WOW toys and they seemed like they had interesting stories, and I'd probably get a kick out of the ALF talker. Cricket, or at least the vids I've been able to see, is a different story. I have a Cricket but no tapes, and I really don't think I'd ever play them if I had them except to see if she worked and possibly to make a YouTube video of her playing. I love the doll, but the tape, although cute, didn't seem like something you could enjoy past the age of six unless you grew up with them and they brought back memories. I've noticed this with other tape talkers as well, particularly the knockoffs of Teddy Ruxpin that came out. This is why most of my tape talkers will probably never have their tapes and will only be allowed to play my music tapes.
The exception is 2-XL, who is the greatest tape talker besides Teddy. That toy brought me so much joy, and I really need to get some tapes for mine. What do you guys think of this? Are there any other tape talkers who have cool stories or do cool games, or should I just give them all cassette adapters and let them play music from my phone?
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Post by sparkpikachu on Jan 19, 2019 15:14:23 GMT -7
The Spinoza tapes are cute. They also have strong messages that are good for any age. One tape, which I've heard on youtube, involves a simple meditation for unwinding at the end of the day. This can be used by anybody. My only complaint, though that might be too strong of a word, is that there aren't really adventure elements and the stories are quite short. The exception is "The Legend of Spinoza," which is about half an hour long. The other tape I have for him also loops every 5 minutes or so. That does get boring quickly. Over all, they are worth a listen.
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Post by retrobear on Jan 19, 2019 16:16:40 GMT -7
I'll have to check that out. I've heard some of the music and didn't like it as much as I like Teddy, but positive messages are always good, particularly considering the purpose behind him.
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Post by sparkpikachu on Jan 19, 2019 16:56:14 GMT -7
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Post by kaylathehedgehog on Jan 20, 2019 17:52:33 GMT -7
The Spinoza tapes are cute. They also have strong messages that are good for any age. One tape, which I've heard on youtube, involves a simple meditation for unwinding at the end of the day. This can be used by anybody. My only complaint, though that might be too strong of a word, is that there aren't really adventure elements and the stories are quite short. The exception is "The Legend of Spinoza," which is about half an hour long. The other tape I have for him also loops every 5 minutes or so. That does get boring quickly. Over all, they are worth a listen. The repetition kind of makes sense when you think of the original purpose of Spinoza. From everything I've read about him, he was designed to be a therapy toy for children who were sick or grieving. Like the tape "Hold on to Me" was intended to help children to cope with grief and loss. There were even a pair of tapes that were designed for asthma sufferers.
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Post by retrobear on Jan 20, 2019 19:30:26 GMT -7
I did like that particular tape. I listened to several Spinoza tapes that are on YouTube and I really like the idea of what he is. I'm going to college this Fall to study music therapy and that is an extremely cool idea. I actually like some of his slower songs. However, I don't think I could see myself going back to them after hearing them once unless they just happened to pop up on a playlist or something. They still don't have the same magic for me that Teddy has. There are some of his songs that I listen to and play on the piano probably as much as I would play any other song that I like, and occasionally I go back and listen to some of his stories again, particularly when there is a lot of stuff going on and I need to relax. I haven't found that with any other talker I've heard. I guess there is just something about Teddy that is special, lol. I do want a Spinoza bear though. How does he do with regular tapes?
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Post by sparkpikachu on Jan 20, 2019 21:27:48 GMT -7
Spinoza is able to play regular tapes just fine. He's a regular teddy bear with a tape player inside him. I think that's a part of why I wasn't interested in him when I was little. He doesn't move or anything, unlike Teddy. Personally, I prefer Teddy's more lifelike ways but Spinoza is still good. The tapes don't have animation coding either, meaning they will work in any tape player. I guess that's good, considering his purpose. The point was to make a therapy bear that couldn't be broken easily. A while ago, I found a documentary about Spinoza online. It explained a lot about him and his impact on people, not just kids. Google it if you want to hear the story. It made me wonder why they aren't making Spinoza today. With the technology today, the stories could all be digital and he could be a lot more portable.
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Post by illiopmom on Jan 20, 2019 21:57:56 GMT -7
Spinoza is able to play regular tapes just fine. He's a regular teddy bear with a tape player inside him. I think that's a part of why I wasn't interested in him when I was little. He doesn't move or anything, unlike Teddy. Personally, I prefer Teddy's more lifelike ways but Spinoza is still good. The tapes don't have animation coding either, meaning they will work in any tape player. I guess that's good, considering his purpose. The point was to make a therapy bear that couldn't be broken easily. A while ago, I found a documentary about Spinoza online. It explained a lot about him and his impact on people, not just kids. Google it if you want to hear the story. It made me wonder why they aren't making Spinoza today. With the technology today, the stories could all be digital and he could be a lot more portable. The most similar thing I've been able to find these days is a little animatronic therapy duck from Aflac. aflacchildhoodcancer.org/learn-more
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Post by retrobear on Jan 21, 2019 8:19:09 GMT -7
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Post by illiopmom on Jan 21, 2019 8:37:45 GMT -7
Yeah, unfortunately he just sort of quacks.
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Post by sparkpikachu on Jan 21, 2019 11:21:30 GMT -7
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Post by sparkpikachu on Jan 21, 2019 11:37:43 GMT -7
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Post by illiopmom on Sept 8, 2019 18:05:24 GMT -7
Gabby Bear is, while not the best looking talking toy, a pretty neat little character with some interesting backstory and tape series. We're in the process of archiving two of the books, but have yet to get any tapes. There was a copy of the basic story on YT a few years ago, but it has seemingly disappeared.
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