# Anyone Know Where to get Complex Liquid Motion Toys?



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I've been able to find tiny ones, but they're just not what I'm looking for. These are basically plastic or glass containers with alcohol and some sort of oil that allows the oil to bead and fall through the other liquid. Most have colored oil but others also have colored alcohol. I used to have one when I was a kid that was almost as big as a Kindle DX and about the same width. The "water" was red and the oil was blue and there was a complex series of bottlenecks and ramps that made the oil fall slowly through this maze. Some dripping points would also drip over a triangle beneath them which would split the oil beads in half. You could really just sit and stare at it for hours mesmerized.

Everywhere I look I can't find one that complex at all. I'm not even sure that "liquid motion toy" is the best way to describe it, but I have no other leads and "oil and water" just doesn't bring any results at all. I have a picture of one of the smaller ones I've been able to find so you can have a better idea what I'm talking about.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

That's the kind of thing I expect to find in all its overpriced but fun glory at "The Sharper Image", but I don't see anything on their website.

They aren't liquid, but some spiritually similar playthings are here:

http://www.kleargear.com/desktoppers.html?page=0&sf=&sd=a#sortblock

Added later....This isn't exactly what you're talking about, but is similar:

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fascinations/natures_fire_volcano.cfm

Note that they insist this is not a lava lamp. I assume it uses oil similar to what you describe.


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## Dana (Dec 4, 2009)

You could build your own, but..... OY! 

http://www.braindex.com/custom-bulk-pdf-download-for-dual-motion-liquid-filled-amusement-device-025428112


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## Dana (Dec 4, 2009)

This one is sort of DX shaped, but not as complex as you described....

http://cgi.ebay.com/COLORS-IN-MOTION-VERY-ACTIVE-COLOR-DROPS-F-13_W0QQitemZ330382260516QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4cec513924


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## 908tracy (Dec 15, 2009)

I found this site....

http://www.officeplayground.com/Liquid-Motion-C23.aspx

Not seeing a DX size one, but there are quite a few others there.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Thanks all, and yeah... looking more and more like I'd just have to build it myself... which I'm not doing.  The ones they have now are okay but nowhere near what this one had.  They all seem to just have ramps or wheels, while this one had those plus the sharp angles that cut the drops and made them even smaller and all sorts of stuff.  I wonder if my grandmother might still have it in her attic, but I'm guessing it just broke or got thrown away at some point.  My quest continues!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> I wonder if my grandmother might still have it in her attic, but I'm guessing it just broke or got thrown away at some point.


I had one of these (with a really cool spinning waterwheel and a mixture of colored oil and water) for years and eventually the colored oil separated into two portions, which looked goofy and didn't work as smoothly. My memory is that by shaking things thoroughly I could make the two layers mix for awhile, but it didn't last long. So I wouldn't count on your golden oldy rescuing you. If you do find a source for these, please come post it here!


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## 908tracy (Dec 15, 2009)

Not sure how old this toy is, but the childhood toys thread got me to searching, and I found this really cool site. You could try there? Or maybe email them?

It is time warp toys dot com. 

I got lost in that site for days!!!! =) Talk about a balst from the past!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I'll definitely try there.  I'm pretty sure it was around before I was, or I remember it being around since the beginning anyway, so I would say this one was sold in the 70s... MAYBE (but probably not) the 60s.  My grandparents moved to Virginia in the early 70s and I'm guessing something like that may not have made the cut, but could be wrong.  So I'm going to say it was from the 70s and my mom says she -thinks- they sold them in Leggett's.  My biggest issue finding the thing is not even knowing what it was called.  I'm sure the "Liquid Motion/Density Toy" thing is a newish term for them.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I don't know what you'd use for a generic term for the "liquid motion toys".  I'd call the general class of stuff "executive toys" or "desktop toys".  Had some success googling for similar items using that term.


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## zipman14 (Dec 13, 2011)

I know exactly what you are talking about.    I used to have one and it's probably in the basement somewhere.  It was about 11" x 8".  It had a little plastic stand you put it in and when you turned it over, it did a bunch of other things.  I remember the knife that split the oil drops but you had to slightly angle it in the base to do it reliably.  We have a bunch of stuff in storage so it may be there.  Might have a manufacurer on it.  Will update if I ever get into our deep storage.  Seems like a wily headshop would have the sense to sell this.


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## Kid toy (Apr 28, 2012)

It was the 70's because I had one and LOVED it. Never took my eyes off of it. I lost the stand so I had to hold it. But it was the size of a sheet of paper. Mine had blue liquid and the oil was red. Mine also was probably thrown out with one of the toy purges. It had steps, I remember the cone that the liquid would drip out of and when you turned it over the liquid would split on that v. Definitely more complex then anything I have seen on the web. Will keep you posted if I find anything.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

It was in the_ late_ 70s, because my mom had one on her office desk, and she didn't go back to office work until I was out of high school (1977). And we had a couple at home too. As I recall, we got at least some of them at a museum gift shop. It's possible that one of the Smithsonian gift shops still carries something like that now.


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## Kid toy (Apr 28, 2012)

I found what it was called as we were kids. At least this is the one I had....

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-wham-fluid-fantasy-motion-toy-173180683


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

You are amazing.  That is exactly it!  Now I at least know what to look for.


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