Star Trek Interactive Tribbles

Quite possibly the geekiest toy we've ever featured on this site - Star Trek Interactive Tribbles.

What's a Tribble you ask? Well, if you've ever seen the original 1960s Star trek episode 'The Trouble With Tribbles', you'll know exactly what they are. For the uninitiated, the Tribble is a cute furry creature that squeaks and has the power to calm down the average human. But there's a drawback - they multiply constantly, so your average spaceship will be full of them in days.

These battery-powered replicas don't multiply, but they do squeak and shake like the originals when 'disturbed', with a beneficial effect on your nerves likely too. They come in two sizes (small and large) and various colours, with prices starting at $14.99 (around £9.25). If you want to see them in the original TV show, see over the page for a clip.

Find out more at the Thinkgeek website

Slinky light shade

Were it not for it's name, the Slinky light might be able to disguise its origins. Though it looks like some older constructivist-style design, it's made out of a favourite retro toy, the Slinky. The light fitting is made by Georgiosi by simply bonding the toy at either end to fit round an upside down uplighter bulb. 

The metal coil adapts itself well to its new use with a result that's more sophisticated than its simple origins. The price is a lot more sophisticated too, at £60. 

Buy it online

Cath Kidston Box Floral Kite

The sun is out, the sky is blue, so why not indulge in that suitably old school pastime of flying a kite with this Cath Kidston Box Floral Kite.

Yes, every bit the kite you remember as a child, only this one comes in Kidston's signature floral print for a slightly more 'girlie' feel than your average blokey kite.

Complete with red ribbon tail, you can pick one up at the Cath Kidston site, priced at just £10.

Find out more at the Cath Kidston website

Vintage Games

If you miss the innocent world of your childhood or want your children to experience the simple delights you did, then the selection of  vintage games from the Dotcom Gift Shop might be of interest.

Newly in stock are a snakes and ladders set, pack of snap cards (pictured), heads and tails game and vintage seaside jigsaw puzzles. They are all decorated with beautiful vintage-style illustrations.

Prices range from under £2 for the snap cards, up to just under £9 for the board game and jigsaws, making them a cheap gift, although your children may not appreciate receiving these instead of the latest game console.

Buy online at the Dotcom Gift Shop.

Marilyn Neuhart T&O dolls

Marilyn Neuhart was a designer and writer who worked closely alongside Charles and Ray Eames and also Alexander Girard, at whose Textiles & Objects shop these embroidered T&O dolls were originally sold. They've now become collector's items and have been reintroduced by MaXimo Design in various guises. 

The cheapest option is the printed dolls which sell for between roughly $75 and $140. The original dolls were embroidered by Neuhart: these are instead hand sewn by a women's collective in New Mexico. The step up from this is a selection of dolls sewn, embroidered and named by the artist herself, which includes 'Amy Sue', pictured above and who sells for $800. Finally, for collectors, there's a selection of the original vintage dolls available which command even more impressive prices. They are bright and attractive looking objects, however, at these kind of prices they are definitely toys for adults, rather than kids!

You can find out more online

Sega Mega Drive console returns

It's not exactly cutting edge these days, but if you happen to be up for some old school gaming during a particularly empty weekend, the newly-returned Sega Mega Drive console will offer that and gameplay galore.

Slightly smaller than the original, the new Mega Drive comes with two controllers and 15 licensed Sega classics pre-loaded. And when you get bored of those, head off down to your local car boot sale, as this console also has a slot for any original cartridges you can find too.

If you fancy a break from the Wii for some 'proper' gaming, it's available now, priced at £37.95.

Find out more at the Cute Bitz website

Retro Candy Grabber

Retro sweets aren’t too difficult to buy with lots of retailers cashing in on our love of nostalgic treats, but this Retro Candy Grabber makes eating them a little more interesting (and challenging).

Recreating the old-fashioned arcade game, the machine is filled with candy and you then have to use skill and dexterity to lower the crane and grab some goodies. It can be filled up with anything you like but it comes with a free bag of popular 70s retro sweets including Love Hearts, Refreshers and Parma Violets.

It costs £19.95 and can be ordered from Firebox.

Frank Lloyd Wright architecture Lego sets

I'll be honest, I've not played with Lego blocks since I was 9 or 10, but I might just be tempted back into it when these Frank Lloyd Wright architecture Lego sets land.

Two sets are incoming, the The Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater, the first of those dating from the mid-1950s and the second one being the stunning 1930s residence that the architect designed for businessman Edgar Kaufmann Sr. Both sets will also include glossy booklets that feature traditional building instructions along with exclusive archival historical material and photographs of each building.

See over for another image of the new sets. No news of a shelf date or indeed price as yet, we'll let you know as soon as we track them down.

Lego website

Via Prairie Mod

8 Ball and Mustang 69 bean bags

Love pool and and other ball games? Love bean bags? Then this pair of, slightly mad, 8 Ball and Mustang 69 bean bags will surely fill a gap in your life. Styled to look like old fashioned leather balls (though these are faux leather), they unzip to reveal colourful interiors with embroidered details that are inspired by classic sporting motifs. 

They're made by a company called LoJo who have a whole range of bean bags along these lines. The idea is that whilst you could have them as regular bean bags or footstools, the unzipped interior allows you to use them as lounge chairs. Whether you want your lounge chairs to look ball-like is another question! The bean bags cost £192 for the pair. 

Buy them online

Blumenau model train set in a briefcase at Paul Smith

What do you get the man who has everything? Well, if he likes toys, you get the Blumenau model train set in a briefcase.

This German-made model is almost a work of art, a lockable aluminium briefcase that opens up to expose a summer landscape, including hills, trees and a nice lake in the background. Not just a pretty face either, with the train and two carriages controlled by an integrated 9 volt battery holder and throttle controller, so you can 'play trains' no matter where you are.

Every executive should have one - and at £1,000 each, you'll need an executive salary to afford one.

Find out more at the Paul Smith website