Godzilland (1990s) In a strange tonal shift, Japan produced a series of educational toys and videos called "Godzilland." It featured Godzilla—the city-destroying King of the Monsters—redesigned as a cute, pastel-colored cartoon character who taught children the alphabet and how to count. Seeing the legendary destroyer eating cakes and playing with friends remains one of the weirdest rebrandings in toy history. Have you ever seen this toy?

Kookie Spook (1960s) This was a DIY mask-making kit that allowed kids to create "scary" faces using liquid plastic and molds. The results were often grotesque and ill-fitting, looking less like a fun costume and more like something out of a low-budget horror film. Like many "Thingmaker" style toys of the era, it involved high heat and messy chemicals. (The photo may not be correct. I could not find one that seemed like it would be the right one.) How familiar are you with this?

Jalopy the Mechanical Walking Man (1950s) This tin toy featured a gentleman who appeared to be "walking" his car—or perhaps the car was walking him. The jerky, mechanical movement of the figure, combined with his wide-eyed, slightly frantic expression, makes it one of the more unsettling wind-up toys from the mid-century era. Have you heard about him?

Victorian Drinking Bear Automaton (Late 1800s) In the 19th century, clockwork automatons were the height of luxury toys. One popular (and strange) version was a fur-covered bear that would lift a cup to its mouth and "drink" while its eyes rolled and its head moved. The mechanical clicking and the realistic fur made these incredibly lifelike and, to many modern eyes, quite creepy. Have you had the pleasure of knowing him?