'Whimsical' Music Box puzzles a tuneful addition to Toy Fair

Music Box display at Toy Fair

88 Unlimited has linked the do-it-yourself ethos with music by way of its Music Box line of 3D wooden puzzles, which it displayed last week at Toy Fair.

Each of the 10 mechanical puzzles available so far consists of laser-cut punch-out wooden pieces, a music box with wind-up key, screwdriver, glue and detailed instructions. When completed—typically in half an hour—the music boxes play such standards as "You Are My Sunshine" (the Merry-Go-Round puzzle) and "The Impossible Dream" (Summer's Day).

"They're fun and whimsical," said 88 Unlimited's president Kean Chan, citing the Romantic Eiffel Eiffel Tower puzzle that is tilted—and plays "Moon River"—and the Machinarium model ("Over the Rainbow"), featuring a robot with a flower.

"It's about having fun with life and not taking things too seriously," he stated.

Noting it's "educational as well as fun component," Chan said that the company will likely add 10 more Music Boxes to the original 10.

"We didn't want to start with too much too soon, because then people can't decide which one to buy!" he said.

The Music Box puzzles fit in with 88 Unlimited's other toy lines: Perfect Petzzz, LOZ building blocks and Cubic Fun.

"Our theme is education and fun," underscored Chan. "But you need to develop and maintain certain skill sets that if you don't use, you lose!"