Before Safety Warnings, There Were Jarts

Banned but not forgotten, a circa 1980s mint-in-box set of Regent Jarts recently sold for $523 at Esquis Auctions in Chicago. Popular for decades, lawn darts were notoriously dangerous, so much so that the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the sale of lawn darts in the U.S. in 1988. The ban was reissued in 1997, and people were asked to destroy the game. The heavy, pointed, metal-tipped toy was responsible for the deaths of at least three children and thousands of injuries. Original lawn darts are often included near the top of anyone’s list of most dangerous toys ever produced, a touch of infamy attractive to some collectors.

The World's Most Dangerous Toy

Atom Jet Racer Zips Past $25K During Auction of Elmer’s Auto & Toy Museum Collection

Masters of the Universe, Lite-Brite, and Spinning Top Join Toy Hall of Fame