“An Art Linkletter Activity Toy.”
Hasbro’s Magi-Cutter Craft Sets allowed children to carve Styrofoam into one of six specified historical and modern vehicles.
The centrepiece of each set was Hasbro’s patented Magi-Cutter. Operating on two D-batteries, the device “cut Styrofoam like cheese,” according to advertising at the time.
Once in place, the batteries heated a small wire secured between the cutter’s plastic base and a c-shaped metal bracket. Hasbro calibrated the heat so that it was warm enough to slice through sheets of Styrofoam without burning fingers. A unique feature of the cutter was that it operated with no moving parts.
Each kit included a series of pre-formed sheets of Styrofoam, a tube of cement, special plastic paint, and two brushes. Printed instructions provided junior artisans with a recommended cutting sequence mapped to part numbers in an accompanying illustration. Once all the pieces were cut out, they could be joined together and painted.
Hasbro offered six Magi-Cutter Craft Sets, including the 999 Locomotive, Jet Plane, Antique Car, Fire Engine, “Santa Maria” Boat, and Stagecoach. The sets were endorsed by radio and television personality Art Linkletter, host of the comedy series Kids Say the Darndest Things.
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