Looking for a totally random item

[El Chuxter]

I have no idea where to stick this thread, so here goes:

When I was young (late 70s/early 80s), my dad had one of those little figurines thingies that were so popular at the time, which were cartoonish people about 4"-6" tall, with clever (or stupid) sayings on the base, and which appeared to be made out of clay or ceramic. This particular one was a totally forlorn-looking guy, with the caption, "Look alive. You can be replaced by a computor." (Yes, "computer" was misspelled, leading me to believe it was made in the 70s, before computers were widely available.)

For some reason the other day, I was reminded of that stupid figurine and thought it'd be cool to have it (or one like it) standing on my computer desk. Of course, it being a stupid novelty from the 1970s, it was long ago sold at a yard sale or chucked in the garbage.

I have no idea where to look for such a thing. I know the basic style of the figures was widespread (often with corny sayings like "I wuv you this much"), so I'm assuming they were manufactured on a large scale. Searches on eBay for "computor" (the only word I can think of that should actually pull up results for this thing, if there were any, without every other figure imaginable) only yield auctions from various flornbis who haven't mastered basic spelling yet.

I know it sounds stupid, but does anyone even know what these things were called? Or where to find one? I'd post a picture, but, well, if I could find a picture, then I'd know what the hell it was.

"Any hep here'd be hot."

[Kidhuman]

try one of those retro vintage style toy pages. Try this, it has a place to email the guy with a description on it...


http://www.inthe70s.com/generated/toys.shtml

[mabudonicus]

I know the things well, Chux, they were made of bone-coloured plastic and filled with sand and usually had a little velvet "scratch protector" on the bottoms of 'em
I have one around here somehwere but I forget the expression on it.
I'll poke around at some yardsales for ya, as we often go out on weekends to check out junk like that. Our town is "old" enough that I would think the chances of finding such a thing would be pretty damn good


My fave "novelty item" was a little plastic coffin which tou had to fill up with water... when you opened the coffin, a little skeleton would sorta sit up and take a leak right in yer face, it was CLASSIC but it was deemed "too adult" for me and I don't know what became of it :beard:

[Ji'dai]

I remember those figurines too. I guess they were common enough that everyone probably came into contact with one at some point back then. Alas, I haven't the foggiest what they were called.

I recall something like mabs mentioned. When I was a kid, I found a little plastic coffin-shaped cigarette dispenser in my grandma's storage room. I can't remember how it worked exactly, but a cigarette came out of a hole on one end.

[maatu]

i actually have the one that was given to my dad. he didn't want it anymore and i was not going to throw it away. It's a lawyer and it says sue the bastards. i looked at it to find out who the manufacturer was. but there is no marking on it like that.

[DarthQuack]

Any luck yet El Chux?