Hit Clips by Tiger Electronics (A Review and a Giveaway)

The Hit Clips brand was launched by Tiger Electronics at the start of the New Millennium. This line of digital music players and song cartridges was meant to be an alternative to the bulky MP3 players of the day. Hit Clips were specifically geared towards kids and teens, and they became extremely popular for a time. However, the line was also short lived due to rapidly improving technology in the field of digital music players. The release of Apple’s iPod, with its sleek design and superior hard drive in comparison to its competitors, is credited as being the death blow to the Hit Clips craze.

I was aware of Hit Clips when they were at their peak of popularity. The line sort of reminded me of the Pocket Rockers mini cassette players that Fisher-Price put out in the late 1980s. However, I bought my Hit Clips player secondhand, after the initial fad had passed but before the nostalgia factor could kick in. My particular music player has the Boombox shape, but Hit Clips also produced an MP3 player shape. Some of the song cartridges that I own came bagged with the Boombox player when I bought it, while others came from a second bag lot that I picked up from a flea market.

At least one of the past owners of these cartridges must’ve been a big fan of boy bands, because one of the lots contained a Backstreet Boys song cartridge, a song cartridge by O-Town, and four NSYNC cartridges. I also ended up with two Britney Spears song cartridges, because odds are that any early 2000s music collection will include some songs by Britney Spears. In addition, I later bought a sealed “Madonna Hit Pack” from the thrift store that contained a set of three cartridges. What can I say, I’m a bit of an 80s girl.

What I find really fun about these song cartridges is that each one features miniature album cover art on the front. Plus, each cartridge comes with a metal clip very similar to the ones that Basic Fun Inc. used for their later keychains. So technically, each song cartridge could sort of qualify as a keychain.

Since I own an actual Hit Clips music player along with the song cartridges, I thought it would be fun to take a little trip down music memory lane by testing out the cartridges and player. I’ll start by sharing some general observations I made about the Hit Clips technology and how it worked. Then I’ll move on to some short, personal notes that I made about each of the songs.

Hit Clips Music Player and Cartridges:

My particular Hit Clips player required 3 triple A batteries to run, and the back panel had to be unscrewed to put the batteries in. I did have a little trouble getting some of the song cartridges to play. Odds are that either the batteries I put in weren’t as fresh as I thought, or that the contacts inside the player or on some of the cartridges need cleaning. The volume on the player wasn’t adjustable, but it was factory set to a decent level. However, the tracks did have a fuzzy sound quality, some more so than others. Maybe the cartridges haven’t aged well, materials-wise. Or maybe, as I suggested before, the contact points need to be cleaned.

The Songs:

This I Promise You by NSYNC:

The song sampling used for this track came across as a decent length, but very repetitive. As an aside, any differences that I noted in the lengths of the tracks turned out to be solely a matter of perception, since all of the Hit Clips song cartridges were produced to be one minute long.

Its Gonna Be Me by NSYNC:

I personally felt that this track had a more fun tempo going for it than the previous one.

Girlfriend by NSYNC:

The song clip selection used for this one gives listeners more of a full play experience, in my opinion.

Bringin’ Da Noise by NSYNC:

In Hit Clips format, the background instrumentation on this track seemed to blend together into an indistinct, hissy drone.

Larger Than Life by Backstreet Boys:

This song still has an infectious beat after all these years. I couldn’t help bobbing my head along to the music.

All Or Nothing by O-Town:

This particular track seemed to have a clearer sound quality than the previous ones. Maybe the actual cartridge just aged better.

I’m a Believer by Smash Mouth:

In my opinion, the fuzziness of the sound quality was compensated for by the strength of Smash Mouth’s rendition on the song. There’s a reason why this cover was such a big hit back in the day. However, the Hit Clips version did feature some odd editing towards the end of the track.

Mirror/Mirror by M2M:

I’ll admit, I wasn’t at all familiar with M2M before preparing for this post idea. Apparently, they were or are a Norwegian, two person pop group. However, when I listened to the song cartridge for Mirror/Mirror I thought it sounded ‘very Radio Disney’, with a stereotypical pre-teen pop sound. As it turned out, M2M did perform the song for a concert at Epcot in Walt Disney World, so I guess I wasn’t too far off. The group also performed the song on television episodes for the Nickelodeon channel.

Overprotected, Darkchild Remix by Britney Spears:

Coming to this song from an outside perspective, as someone who didn't remember it from back in the day, I found the subheading of “Darkchild” appropriate. The track comes across as very angry sounding, especially the opening. However, the overall presentation still has a touch of what I’d call ‘a Disney Channel hangover’, which does make some sense when considering that Britney Spears was a cast member on the early 1990s reboot of The Mickey Mouse Club.

Stronger by Britney Spears:

Aside from the music having a slightly brighter mood, this track was a little hard for me to distinguish from the previous Britney Spears song. The Hit Clips rendition of Stronger also suffered from repetitive editing.

Material Girl by Madonna

This song is a straight-up classic by this point, and the Hit Clips format mostly did it justice. However, the fuzziness of the sound quality seemed harder to ignore on this track, possibly because the song itself is so iconic.

Cherish by Madonna

I was already familiar with this song, although it had been a while since I’d heard it. But I don’t remember the opening sounding like some sitcom theme song the way it does here.

Lucky Star by Madonna

The opening notes sort of sound like classic Whitney Houston or Gloria Estefan to my ears. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is a matter of personal preference.

I will conclude my Hit Clips review as follows.

Good Points:

Hit Clips are a true product of their time. And despite the technology being outdated, the music selection, product designs, and even just the concept in general dial the nostalgia factor up to 11. Also, the song cartridges, with their clear CD jewel case look and small-scaled album covers, will have a lot of appeal for fans of doll-sized miniatures.

Bad Points:

The sound quality is not the greatest, though whether this is due to an inherent flaw in the technology or aging of the components I’m not sure. I also find it a bit inconvenient that the player requires 3 batteries, when most handheld electronics I’ve encountered use only 2 batteries at the most.

Final Verdict:

Since the player and the song cartridges are going into my keychain collection, I probably won’t be using them to play music that frequently. So, the fact that the technology is a bit sub-par by today’s standards shouldn’t be as much of an issue. And I just love the look of these products, from both a nostalgia standpoint and as someone who appreciates detailed miniatures.

The Giveaway:

Now comes the fun part. I happen to have an extra Hit Clips song cartridge of NSYNC’s Bringin’ Da Noise. Heathersmoo on Livejournal suggested having a giveaway here on the blog. And since November 3^rd marks the 6th blogiversary for Grab The Brass Keyring, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. If you don’t happen to have a Hit Clips digital music player of your own, the cartridge can also be used as a keychain or purse charm, or hung on your Christmas tree. Or the clip and the strap can be removed and the cartridge can be used as a fashion doll-sized CD case. You could even put the cartridge on a necklace as a nostalgic, or ironic, fashion accessory. The possibilities are out there.

Here are the rules for the giveaway. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this blog post with whatever name you would like to be publicly known as if you win, as well as an email address where I can contact you if you are chosen as the winner. All of the comments on this blog are sent to me for approval, rather than being automatically posted, so no one but me will see your contact information. The entry period extends through the month of November, beginning now and ending on November 30^th, a Thursday. One the following Friday, December 1^st, I will randomly choose a winner. The winner’s entry name will be posted on the blog, and I will also personally contact them using the email address that they provided with their giveaway entry. The winner will then have 2 weeks to email me with arrangements to send me a mailing address, so that I can mail them their prize. If I receive no contact from the winner after 2 weeks, another winner will be chosen.

Feel free to spread the word about this giveaway to anyone that you think might be interested. I look forward to receiving your entries.

Signed, Treesa

Pound Puppies Clip-Ons (A Keychain Sighting And Review)

 

First off, I know that in general I tend to shy away from clip-ons. But just look at those big eyes and those droopy, furry ears! How could I not cave and buy one, especially being an 80s child who loved the original Pound Puppies?

To start at the beginning, just before the extended Fourth Of July weekend I was running some errands at the shopping mall near where I live when I decided that, since I was there anyway, I might as well stop in at Five Below and look around. For anyone who doesn't know, Five Below is a discount store chain that primarily features items priced at five dollars or less. Anyway, when I first saw the little cutie pictured above, I had to get him. He's just too adorable! I also have a lot of nostalgia for the Pound Puppies brand. Like a lot of kids in the 1980s, I had some Pound Puppies, and Pound Purries, plush toys, back in the day.

The $3.99 price sticker didn't hurt either. To my eyes, $3.99 seems like a great deal for something that's officially licensed, and it states on the backing card that this clip-on was actually licensed by Hasbro. It was also produced by Basic Fun, which is now a subdivision of Good Stuff, LLC. Anyone who reads this blog regularly will probably remember my fondness for the original Basic Fun products line.

According to my online research, there were 4 different Puppies to collect in this series release. The Five Below near me had more than one style in stock the last time I visited, so I could theoretically pick up one or two more if I wanted to, and if the stores in my area haven't already sold out.

Let's start the actual review with the packaging. I love the graphics used on the backing card, very retro and nostalgic. The Pound Puppy itself is attached to the card with little, plastic 'anchors' that pass through two of the paws, and also through the tail area. These 'anchors' will need to be snipped, and depending on how tight they are that could be a little tricky.

Thankfully, there was enough slack in the 'anchors' that I was able to cut them without too much difficulty, and the Pound Puppy's 'fur' is plush enough that I'm not noticing any really obvious holes left behind by the 'anchors'. The plush also feels very soft, almost velvety. The furry ears are quite soft as well. The stuffing is packed firmly and holds the Puppy's shape without being floppy. So if you prefer your plush toys on the floppy side, keep this in mind. Personally, I think that the firm stuffing works better in this small scale, especially considering how this little cutie is meant to be clipped onto something and carried around.

I was impressed that the eyes appear to be stitched on, rather than being hard plastic or worse, printed decals. The heart-shaped, Pound Puppies logo is even stitched on the Puppy's side, like it would've been on a 1980s Pound Puppy.

I'll sum up this review as follows.

Good Points:

Where do I start? From the retro packaging to the stitched logo, this clip-on pushes all the right nostalgia buttons with nice attention to detail. It also has the look and feel of a good quality, well made product.

Bad Points:

This is a minor quibble, but to my eyes the Puppy seems just a little too big to be practical for daily use, even as a clip-on and not a keychain. But then again, I've certainly seen larger clip-ons.

Final Verdict:

Overall, I'm really pleased with my purchase, even though it is a clip-on and not a traditional keychain. I'll most likely be adding a split ring to it at some point.

Signed, Treesa

P.S. I want to apologize for how late this post is. I intended to post it sooner, but family obligations over the extended Fourth Of July weekend got in the way.

World's Smallest Hot Wheels Keychain blind box (A Review)

Let me start by saying that this review might be a little dated. While I'd seen other World's Smallest Hot Wheels products in stores before, I'd never seen the Hot Wheels blind box keychains until recently, when I spotted a case of them on a shelf at a Target store in Delaware. However, I'm not actually sure when these keychains hit the market. The copyright date on the blind box is 2018, so it's highly possible that these keychains were actually released last year, and that I just never saw them in my area before. Whatever the case, I'm going to post this review in the hopes that it's still relevant to somebody.

I love the World's Smallest line of products, and I wish more of them were available in keychain form. They remind me of the old Basic Fun keychains, with their miniature representations of classic toys. So when I saw a case of World's Smallest Hot Wheels blind box keychains at Target, I was thrilled. I know I've stated in a past post that I usually have bad luck with blind box items. However, in this case the blind box factor wasn't something I was that concerned about, since it didn't really matter to me which of the mini diecast Hot Wheels cars I ended up with. What really piqued my interest was the retro, replica packaging that made up the bulk of the keychain.

Here's a photo of the blind box itself. A sample keychain is pictured on the box, as well as a photo of one of the mini diecast cars sitting on a stack of coins to show the scale.

And here's a picture of the actual keychain I received. In my opinion, the retro packaging is what really makes this keychain. It just looks cool. However, I get the impression that this keychain was designed more as a collector's item than as a functional keychain, since the details on the front and back are printed on stickers. Stickers don't tend to hold up well over time, especially if they're subjected to heavy wear and tear.

The main problem I have with this keychain however, is the small access panel in the back that is supposed to open so you can remove the car. I had a lot of trouble getting that panel open. I ended up having to use a lot more force than I was comfortable with, and during the process I was worried the plastic hinge was going to snap. Once I had it open, I decided to just leave the car in there, rather than trying to pry out the small plastic shell that was holding it in place. But when I tried to close the panel again, I had some trouble getting it to go back in and stay closed. As you can see in the photo below, the black plastic at the corners is sort of ragged looking.

The whole access panel feature seems poorly designed to me. As a side note, the keyring part of this keychain isn't like any keychain 'finding' I've previously seen. It's round, like a split ring. But it actually functions like a carabiner. I've never seen a circular carabiner before. Also, there was something else in the box that sent my nostalgia through the roof.

It's a mini product catalog, just like the ones Basic Fun used to put out back in the day! Unfortunately for me, most of the products shown in this catalog aren't keychains. But on the plus side, the catalog was a lot less tricky to refold than the old Basic Fun product catalogs.

Below is a list of what I see as the good points and the bad points about the World's Smallest Hot Wheels blind box keychain, along with my final verdict.

Good Points:
If you miss the old Basic Fun keychains as much as I do, then these World's Smallest Hot Wheels keychains should be right up your alley. For once, the blind box aspect wasn't an issue for me. Although it could still easily be a problem for people who are planning to buy more than one keychain.

Bad Points:
While using stickers for the details was probably the easiest and most cost-effective option, it might take away from the long-term durability of the keychain. Also, the access panel in the back was poorly designed and is difficult to use, in my opinion.

Final Verdict:
Although there were a few issues with this keychain that disappointed me, these issues didn't completely detract from my overall enjoyment of the product. However, the fact that I bought the keychain as a collectible and not to use as a keychain makes it easier to overlook certain things. It probably also helps that the price was what I consider reasonable.

Signed, Treesa

Midway Classic Arcade Collectors Keyring blind bag (A Review)

I'm hoping that the following post will serve as a lesson to other collectors to always be sure what you're buying. I purchased this keychain thinking it was somehow connected to the World's Smallest Tiny Arcade product line. It turned out this was not the case. The World's Smallest line is put out by a company called Super Impulse, or SI for short. The Classic Arcade Keyring I'm about to show you is a product of Monogram International Inc., the same company known for their blind bag Figural Keyrings.

I've never been a gamer. But when I first discovered the World's Smallest Tiny Arcade keychains in stores, I thought they were really cool. I have a strong sense of nostalgia for the old Basic Fun Inc keychains, many of which were based on classic games and toys. I was thrilled when the World's Smallest line premiered and proceeded to bring back the concept of mini versions of classic toys. Although I wish that more of the World's Smallest products were available in keychain form.

The prices being charged for the Tiny Arcade line were, unfortunately, more than I could justify spending on something that size with my current budget. Then, on a trip to the local mall, I decided to stop by a store that I hadn't been to in a while called Claire's. Claire's specializes in jewelry and accessories for young people, and I blew quite a lot of money there in my younger days on their "ten items for ten dollars" clearance sales. While I've mostly outgrown the types of merchandise offered at Claire's, every now and then I'll stop in to check the clearance racks for inexpensive jewelry items that I can take apart for other projects. That day, I happened to notice a bin of the Midway Classic Arcade Collectors Keyrings near the register.

The price was quite a bit lower than the Tiny Arcade keychains I'd previously seen at Walmart. This should have tipped me off that they were, in fact, completely different products. But I just assumed that the Midway Classic Arcade Keyrings were cheaper because they were blind bag items, and maybe had fewer features than the keychains at Walmart. I ended up buying one blind bag, which I opened as soon as I got home.

When I took the keychain out of the bag, I immediately noticed two things. One: the 'sign' at the top of my keychain was severely askew.

And two: this keychain didn't have any battery-operated features the way the Tiny Arcade line did. It was basically just a heavy lump of dense, rubbery plastic. It still looked sort of cool, but not what I was expecting. To be fair, the packaging said nothing about potential light up or sound or game play features. On the other hand, I also saw no signs of a standard warning disclaimer stating that the keychain didn't actually function.

So hopefully, from now on I'll know. Try researching an unfamiliar product first 'before' I buy it. While it would be unfair for me to judge this keychain based on what I thought it was, as opposed to what it actually is, there are definitely some quality control issues with this product that I think Monogram International Inc. needs to address. For starters, the 'sign' at the top is so far out of alignment that it's pushing out one of the side walls.

Also, the keychain is way too heavy to be used either for storing keys or to accessorize a backpack or purse. It's a good thing that I bought it as a collectible, and not to put to use. It's another good thing that I didn't pay more for it than I did. But as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

I will attempt to be as unbiased as possible while presenting my final thoughts for this review.

Good Points:

I do really like the concept of miniature, keychain versions of arcade game machines, or cabinets as they’re called. And this keychain still looks kind of cool visually. However, it would undoubtedly look cooler if it had been assembled properly.

Bad Points:

Along with the glaring quality control errors messing with the overall structure, this keychain also has the disadvantage of being too heavy to be of any practical use, except maybe as an emergency fishing weight for someone stranded on a deserted island. It makes me think of how some Hallmark Christmas ornaments are impressive to look at but are too big and heavy to actually hang on a tree. You can still display them in a curio, but what’s the point of them being ornaments then?

Final Verdict:

Even if I had known more about this product before purchasing it, I think I still would have been disappointed by the slipshod assembly and the impractical weight.

This concludes today’s lesson on the pitfalls of impulse shopping.

Signed, Treesa

Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychain blind box (A Review)

This post should have been up on the blog a lot sooner, but thanks to the holiday rush it sort of got lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately, this review is no longer very relevant, since the keychain in question is now sold out on the shopdisney website and is only available on the secondary market. I scanned Ebay to get an idea how easy these keychains would be to find, and while the supply online seems plentiful at the moment most of them also have a list price that is over twice the original retail price. In spite of this, I've decided to post my review anyway, just in case there are keychain collectors out there who are still curious about the product.

I first found out about the Disney Mystery VHS Keychains in an email my family received from the shopdisney website, advertising new products. The keychains were part of a '90s Flashback Collection that Disney launched, and some of the other items in the collection like journals and clutch bags also used the VHS case motif. I tend to refer to keychains modeled after 'old school' technology like VHS tapes as "retro tech". Naturally, it was the keychains in this collection that really got my attention, partially because I collect keychains, but also because I have a thing for miniatures. This might trace back to my days collecting Basic Fun's mini board game keychains. Or it might be because I'm also a doll collector who knows the value of nice, doll-sized props. Whatever the case, when pictures of the Disney VHS Keychains appeared in my family's inbox, it was love at first sight. So, I clicked on the link to the website for more information.

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed when I found out the keychains were a blind box item. I don't usually have very good luck with blind boxes. However, of the six different keychains that were available in the assortment, all four of the ones pictured on the website would've been welcomed in my collection. The other two keychains were 'mystery chasers', and they were supposed to be a surprise. However, by comparing the four known keychains to the full list of other merchandise that was available in the collection, and by using process of elimination, I was able to make an educated guess what those 'mystery chasers' were. With the odds of getting something I liked in my favor I decided it would be worth taking a chance. The $5.00 retail price also seemed very reasonable for an official Disney product. So, at the next available opportunity, I took a trip to the nearest Disney Store.

The store had stocked a nice assortment of merchandise from the '90s Flashback Collection. However, I didn't see any sign of the keychains. I wondered if the store had already sold out, so I asked an employee for help. It turned out the store hadn't even gotten in any of the Mystery VHS Keychains. I was annoyed when I realized that the only way I was going to get my hands on one was if I ordered it online, because that meant there would be shipping and handling charges. In my opinion, online shipping often seems unnecessarily high. There are times when it costs more to ship an item than you paid for the item in the first place. But lucky for me, the shopdisney website held one of their holiday free shipping promotions, so I was able to place an order for one keychain. The website's review section was already packed with complaints from people who'd ordered multiple keychains at once and received all duplicates.

When my package arrived, the brown cardboard shipping box was much bigger than it needed to be for a single keychain. I understand that there should be some extra room in a shipping box for packing material, but this box could have easily fit the full assortment of keychains and then some. The blind box itself is pictured below.

And here's a picture of the keychain I received.

As you can see, I ended up with The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, which was one of the 'mystery chasers'. I'm not sure if this actually means it's any rarer than the other keychains. There seem to be a large number of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame VHS keychains on Ebay. But I'm not sure if this means it's not rare, or if it's just not as desirable, or both. Even though The Hunchback Of Notre Dame isn't one of my favorite Disney films, I don't mind having it in keychain form.

In my opinion, the coolest thing about these keychains is that they really open, and each one has a pretend VHS tape of the movie inside.

However, the first time I tried to open mine I needed to use more force than I was comfortable with. I was actually worried I was going to break the keychain. Also, the plastic seems a bit thin, especially in the hinge area. I can't help worrying that repeatedly opening and closing the case will put stress on that area, and that over time the plastic might crack. Not to mention, the sticker labels on the outside of the case seem like they would be very vulnerable to scratches and other wear and tear. For these reasons, I don't think I'll be handling this keychain much.

I'll wrap up this review with a summary of what I feel are the good points and bad points about this product.

Good Points:
In my opinion, the Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychains are a fun idea. I love the '90s nostalgia factor, and also the fact that the keychains are miniature replicas of full-size items. The retail price was also reasonable, especially considering how much Disney often charges for authorized merchandise.

Bad Points:
The Disney company lost some points with me for making these keychains a blind box item. I never fully embraced the blind box craze. While I appreciate that blind boxes are small and usually reasonably priced, the mystery factor drives me crazy. I like to know what I'm buying, and several times that I've caved and bought a blind box on clearance I ended up with something I didn't really want. I feel sorry for all those customers who posted reviews online after placing an order for more than one keychain and receiving all duplicates. I'm also annoyed that the Mystery VHS Keychains weren't available in store. Not to mention, I do have some concerns about the long-term durability of these items.

Final Verdict:
While I don't regret buying a Disney Mystery VHS Keychain at retail price, I also don't think it would be worthwhile to go scouring the secondary market for the rest of the assortment. Not at the current market prices at least.

I hope that you enjoyed this review, even if it is late.

Signed, Treesa