Released by Wham-O in 1964, Monster Magnet is one of the many zany toys that were key to Wham-O’s success in the 1960s.
Standing over 8-inches tall and over 8-inches wide, the horseshoe-shaped toy contained two “life-time magnets” inside its fists, capable of lifting up to 20 lbs of steel. Wham-O’s sensational advertising campaigns touted the toy’s “giant strength” and “amazingly powerful” magnetism.
The Monster Magnet was fabricated out of red plastic sculpted to look like a menacing genie with a sinister-looking mouth, over-sized fists, and branded armbands. The mouth doubled as a handle.
After the Monster Magnet disappeared from store shelves, Wham-O rebooted it in the form of the Super Gorilla Magnet in the 1990s. While the form factor and colour remained the same, the monster component of the toy was updated to a ferocious-looking primate.
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