AIBU?
Could ELC Fuzzy Felt be any shitter?
ellifino · 12/05/2011 12:35
They have taken a brilliant concept and worked really hard to make it as shit as possible.
- Remove all elements of imaginative play: Sell in themed sets so the 'Home' set contains ready made beds, tables, shelves of books, side lamps. It's really just an assembly task.
2. Splodge horrid thick paint all over the felt so it doesn't stick and you can't layer it. It doesn't even lie flat. Do it shitly so you can't tell what half of the things are (is it a telephone? Is it a poodle? No! It's a pair of slippers!)
3. Package it in a flimsy box with a narrow end opening so children can't tidy it away. Make the plastic insert the wrong shape for the boards.
4. Be sure to theme your sets by gender. Remember: girls like princesses and boys like pirates. Make the girl set contain absolutely nothing but princesses and clothing. Shit clothing.
5. Make the whole thing cheap and nasty and, well, shit.
TOP TIP: Buy some cheap sheets of felt from a pound shop. Cut a strip off each and cut it in to lots of different shapes. My kids have had loads of fun making birds and houses and fish and cars and gardens and all sorts for a couple of quid. Much better than the ELC boxes of rubbish.
I know I am ranting, but FFS! Fuzzy Felt is a brilliant game that I remember playing a lot as a kid. Why would a children's toy shop go out of their way to make it so shit? Why??
PurveyorOfBaloney · 12/05/2011 12:41
I agree, DD got given some and I was so disappointed we didn't even open it and it got 're-gifted' 
It did awaken a hankering in me for real fuzzy felt, so we traken down this set, which is very much like the original and has as many pieces as you could ever possibly wish for. DD (and I) love to play with it!
MumblingRagDoll · 12/05/2011 12:43
YANBU! I loved the original stuff. ELC has gone right downhill.
<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=farm1.static.flickr.com/165/436858052_4a0c878d86.jpg&imgrefurl=www.flickr.com/photos/linzie/436858052/&usg=__IFATCCyjrqY6DPV1l4UU1vQ0ib8=&h=500&w=309&sz=192&hl=en&start=1&sig2=9m-u03fVv7qFKNZJ7NuvVg&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=r54KR7Jk6Z__IM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=80&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dvintage%2Bfuzzy%2Bfelt%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1G1ACAW_ENUK385%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D540%26tbm%3Disch&ei=esfLTfmrEJKr8APDo_igBA" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Gah! Bunny's Party and Others!
I loved Bunny's Party!
Nixea · 12/05/2011 12:43
Totally agree. Although the retro anniversary edition really bought back memories!!
www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3945674.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:11527|cc:|prd:3945674|cat:toys+and+games+%2F+creative+and+discovery+toys+%2F+other+creative+toys+%2F
bossyboop · 12/05/2011 12:58
fuzzy felts WERE amazing, great idea about making your own shapes!
ELC spiral art thingy is awful, the bits dont fit together properly so you cant make proper patterns as the circles with the holes in slide about and so does the outer frame which is meant to sit over the jagged edge frames which are also in 2 pieces WHY WHY WHY, utter crap!
PorkChopSter · 12/05/2011 13:05
Where is CalamityKate 
She's got a lovely tale about shitty fuzzy felt 
ELC standards have gone downhill. If anyone can keep the doors on the Happyland Castle for more than 5 seconds, please let me know. I'm about to glue them permanently shut.
And that spiral art is crap, so is the sand art (and what a great idea 
)
peeriebear · 12/05/2011 13:20
aw I am in the process of helping my sister clear out our childhood crap toys from my dad's spare room. I fould about five boxes of fuzzy felt :D When I was a kid my favourite one EVER was Woodland Story. The rowing boat... The flower bushes... The moon! I have it upstairs in my bedroom on the bookcase and don't let my children play with it anymore, since I found a bit of it in the hoover cylinder!
bossyboop · 12/05/2011 13:39
I had a great spirograph type plastic thingy as a child easier for younger children as it's in one piece with shapes cut out of it like a stencil but spins in a circle, couldn't remember what it was called other than starting with a 'C' had a browse on ebay and got one for £5.24 with p&p but heres what im on about, its called cyclograph will keep me entertained never mind dd, relive my youth
sims2fan · 12/05/2011 14:11
I once sent a fairly long letter to ELC complaining about their efforts to market toys as suitable for boys or girls - not both. I explained that while I had no problem with boys playing with pink toys, a lot of adults do, and by only selling pink dolls highchairs, toy car seats, bath sets etc, they were encouraging people to think these toys were only meant to be played with by girls.
I also pointed out that in a catalogue from a couple of years ago, the photos of children in 'job' dressing up costumes were predominantly boys. Boy police officer, boy fireman, boy doctor. The only girl on the page was in a nurse's outfit. I again pointed out that they were encouraging ignorant people's views that only boys should do certain jobs.
I never received a reply of any kind.
Happyhippychick · 12/05/2011 14:20
sims I totally agree with you, when ds1 was little he loved pushing teddies around in a buggy so I bought him one from ELC. They only had pink ones, which I bought for him but my dh wasn't very impressed with it! They should definately have a gender neutral colour as well as (or instead of) pink.
moondog · 12/05/2011 14:24
h, my bugbear this, appalling quality of FF.
It used to be wonderful. Big thick simple shapes that you used your imagination with not as they are now.
I bought a big set and kids have never played with it, which reminds me to take it to charity collection in school tomorrow. Very dsad.
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