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Author Topic: [ID: Pocket Critters] Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside  (Read 63965 times)

Offline EdenEye

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Does anyone remember a series of keychains that:

Had a small polly-pocket type locket attached that opened up. (My locket was hot pink more egg shaped and it might have said I LOVE MY CAT on the outside).
By opening it, it automatically wound something up that caused movement of what was inside.
Mine had a cat playing with yarn inside.

Anyone remember these. I know they were made with several different things/animals moving inside.

It was possible to remove the keychain part so you may have seen it and not known it was originally a keychain.

This was late 80's to mid 90's.

I can picture it clearly in my mind and it's driving me crazy that I can't find any pictures online.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
« Last Edit: Sunday 09 May 2010, 03:42 pm by Ghost Of The Doll »

Offline zuse

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 05:21 am »
I remember those were always for sale at beach shops. I had some from a thrift store (rabbits, sea turtles, etc.) awhile back but the mechanism was shot. I tried to open them and fix it but I don't think it's possible. :(

I'll try to find a pic, but there were all sorts of animals. I can't remember what the brand was. I think I remember looking it up and not finding much.

They're a pretty typical tourist souvenir thing.
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Offline BattySparkles

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 05:21 am »
I do remember these but I don't have any info. Sorry I can't help!

Offline EmBee

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 05:22 am »
I do remember that, I think.  It's kind of gnawing at my brain visually.  And I think I remember how it felt to close one.  :)

Are you sure they weren't the Polly Pocket necklaces?

-Em
;)

Offline EricaVee

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 05:24 am »
I remember these too! I'm fairly sure there were versions marketed as toys and not just souvenirs, but I don't remember anything specific enough to point to a line or brand.
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Offline EdenEye

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 05:57 am »
They were definetly not polly pocket. But really cool. I hope we can find a picture soon! :)

Offline LeahLPS

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 06:18 am »
Ooh, I might actually be able to help with this. :) I have a pretty big collection of these keychains around here somewhere, so I'll try to locate them and dig them out so that I can get some pics of them for you.  Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure Takara is one of the main companies that makes them.

Offline EricaVee

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 06:34 am »
Oooh thanks Leah, here are the Takara ones:

http://www.javys.com/takara/pocket.htm

The pink one looks like the cat one you were describing, EdenEye!

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Offline EmBee

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 06:39 am »
AHH thanks Leah and EricaVee!!!!

Those are EXACTLY it for me.  :D!!!!!!
-Em
« Last Edit: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 07:01 am by Em »
;)

Offline EdenEye

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #9 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 07:10 am »
That's Great!!! I had been remembering and then forgotting those for so long. I was starting to think they were a dream! I wonder if they can still be ordered. I'd love my kitty one back. :) I'd still love to see some pictures of your collection LeahLPS. :)

Offline LeahLPS

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #10 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 07:19 am »
  Glad I could be a little help.  And that's a great site for them, EricaVee...definitely bookmarking that one. :)

  I do have at least 2 keychains that I didn't see on there.  There's a single gray kitty in a pink egg with a yarn ball just like the one you describe, EdenEye...it's very similar to the twin kittens one pictured on the site.  I have it somewhere, but at the moment, can't recall where I put the majority of my collection.  I was able to locate these 2, which include a yellow egg with 2 pups inside that I didn't see pictured on the site, and the pink egg with bunnies that was pictured on there (sorry about the glare):



  I'll keep looking around, and I can definitely get some better photos of mine when I find them all. :)

Offline EdenEye

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #11 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 07:34 am »
HI Leah, thanks for the pics! It looks like the yellow one has st.bernards in it? WOW.....that are my favorite breed of dog! Exciting :) And yes I believe that mine had only one kitty and yarn. I'd love to see more pics whenever you get a chance. :) I know I have a basement full of boxes and it's hard to find anything. Do you remember where you got these?

Offline EdenEye

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 07:39 am »
Look what I found, you can still buy them.

http://www.zwindups.com/store/z-pocket-critters.html

Offline LeahLPS

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #13 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 08:21 am »
That's really neat that they have a newer style of these keychains for sale...so very tempting to me. :)

Yeah, I've got a rather small house, so a lot of my toy collections are packed away in storage totes, and unfortunately I don't know exactly where everything's at.  I thought my keychains were in a duffel bag with the rest of my keychain collection, but when I checked, they weren't there.  I do vaguely remember moving them to someplace where I thought they'd be more safe.  My reasoning was that the wind-up mechanism seems to break easier if they're left closed (presumably because of the tension), so I opened all of my working ones up, but then I was afraid they would get broken easier in the duffel bag, so I moved them all someplace safer.  Now I just have to remember where that's at, lol.

  Anyway, I'm not sure if the pups in my yellow egg are supposed to be St. Bernards or not...they're marked similarly, but the face shape doesn't seem quite right and gives me the impression they're probably a smaller breed, like perhaps a Jack Russel Terrier.  Oh, and I believe I got the majority of my keychains from Claire's and Spencer's back in the mid-90s, though a couple were yard sale finds. :)

Offline mouse

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Re: Windup toy keychain with moving animals inside
« Reply #14 on: Wednesday 05 May 2010, 12:55 pm »
I think I remember wanting these but never getting them!