Editorial Review

Ever wish you could see into the future? If you answered"without a doubt" or "signs point to yes," you are in luck. It is easyto get a sneak preview into the future with Mattel's Magic 8 Ball. Takeall the guesswork out of finding the answers to life's more perplexingquestions. Yes, this is the same Magic 8 Ball you remember from thepast, and it is just as reliable as ever. If you don't get the resultsyou are after, you can always "ask again later!" --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A toy that uses the imagination
The Magic 8 Ball is a great toy for kids who have a good imagination. Sometimes when I'd see one of them in a store when I was a kid, I'd pick it up for a minute and asks questions and shake it up to see what it would say. Now my little sister got one and plays with it all the time. She'll ask something like "Is it going to rain today?" or "Is my brother stupid?" and then she'll shake it up and laugh at the answers that come up. All you do is ask a question out loud or in your mind, then shake the Magic 8 Ball and a prism shaped object will float to the top of the water inside it, revealing an answer such as "My guess is no" or "Can't decide, ask me later."

So pretty much, the Magic 8 Ball isn't a game you play or anything like that, it's just something that kids can use their wild imaginations with and actually have a little fun while they're doing it. The Magic 8 Ball doesn't really have much educational value, but it is durable. You don't have to worry about it tearing up after somebody drops it or if it falls on the floor or anything. I recommend the Magic 8 Ball to anyone who has any kids in their family that have good imaginations.

A way better friend than miss cleo! Especially for singles!
I have never seen an oracle more accurate than this toy! I mean I trust this toy with all my intimate questions I would never ask or tell anyone else. For example when I was 12 I would ask if so & so liked me as a friend or more only to find out the accuracy of this ball is 93% true, (for me at least) sometimes I would ask the same question twice if I got an undesired answer, to me, this means a maybe or it could go either way type of thing. But still trust us reviewers on the accuracy. I recommend this ball for personal questions, everyday questions, etc. But as for business which I rarely used it for, I hope your a careful desicion maker. You know, don't gamble your stocks or anything on this ball! If you want, I hear there is a financial 8-ball from the reviewer below.

A great & honest companion recommended for people Age 12 and up!!

The best of the best!
I love magic 8 balls! I can sit for hours asking ridiculous questions! I'm telling you, this is definitely something you want to look into! Also, it's not tiny,like most. 4 inches is huge for an 8 ball!

Withstood the Test of Time!
I loved this toy as a kid back in the 60's and my daughter loves it just as fondly in the new millenium.Great toys never go out of style.Ask questions and find out what's on the mind of someone close to you.Use it as a mediator when you can't all decide what to eat for dinner.Just don't shake it before you ask it!

So Much Fun
Hi, I am 11 years old. My friend has one of these, and he let me try it and i asked some questions on it and they were true! I would say that the magic 8 ball is 90% correct! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The colorful Hoberman Mini Sphere comes out of the box looking like a futuristic Christmas-tree ornament. It's a cross between a ball and a star, and measures 5.5 inches across. But pick it up by any one of its dozens of plastic points and this amazing little feat of engineering, or imagineering, expands neatly into a lattice-like globe that's 12 inches in diameter. The inventor calls it a trapezoidal icosatetrahedron; you could also call it aBucky Ball, but either way, it's a fascinating exercise in complex simplicity. The structure is rigid enough to roll and throw, yet if touched in the right way, it will suddenly collapse again, curling in on itself like a defensive hedgehog. An enclosed pamphlet describes various tricks you can do--if you're prepared to practice. And it's so aesthetically pleasing that Mom or Dad may swipe it for a desk ornament. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Not really that interesting
After all of the things I had heard about this, and other reviews, I expected a really great office toy. But it's not. Ok, that it expands is cool -- but it doesn't expand very much, so there is no real "Wow!" kind of surprise. There is some fun in opening and closing it -- but no more (and maybe a bit less) than with a Slinky(tm).

So, it's a bit of fun but not a whole lot. Best as a decoration that you will rarely pick up and use.

Simply Amazing!
After seeing this toy in the mall, I just had to order it from Amazon for my daughter. It's like a toy you can't put down and figuer out. It's simply amazing how he designed and fit all the pieces together. An architects dream, a childs wonder! After 6 months, we still enjoy picking it up, rolling it and watching it collaps and expand.

Not strong enough for my house
We have 4 kids in our house and every time we saw this in a toy store, they played with it. I gave it to them on a Friday and by Monday night, it wouldn't collapse any more. They did have fun pulling on it and rolling it around, but it is not made to handle the tug of war games my 3 and 4 year olds put it through. It's fairly expensive for a toy that just opens and closes and isn't very durable. I don't see how people can say it's educational except to teach colors. It's like saying a ball or a slinky is educational. I wouldn't recommend this toy to a family with active children.

A generational toy - with improvements
As a kid I had a metal collapsable ball with foldable edges and plastic beads, which could be compressed into an amazing assortment of shapes, also into a ball of about 12" in diameter, or, for that matter, a 12" pancake. It was one of my favorites, and I wanted to find something similar for my children. I missed out on them, but was delighted to find the Hoberman toys for my grandkids. The larger ones (and obviously the most fun) are far beyond my budget, but this mini is perfect for my 11 year old. Thanks, Hoberman, you have saved the day, and given me something to swipe on occasion.
Judy Gilson, Boise, Idaho (overgrown child, or compulsive Peter Pan Complex)

Not good to play with!!
My sister got this toy for her birthday and she really doesn't like it. I think the same way. All this thing does, is open and close. The design is nice but we didn't feel like looking at it all day. We tried to play catch with it but the thing just broke apart. We put it back together and tried to do different things with it, but it just kept coming apart. Now it is sitting in our closet and hasn't been touched since. If you want this toy just for it to sit there, then I guess you could buy it. If you expect to play with it at all, DON'T BUY IT. IT WILL JUST BE A WASTE OF MONEY!!! ... Read more