My mom got pregnant with me in high school. My biological father bailed the same day she told him. No calls. No help. Nothing. She missed her prom, traded her glittery dress for diapers and double shifts, and studied for her GED while I slept. So when my own prom came around this year, I told her:
The entire internet worked together and still couldn’t figure out what it was. I wasn’t sure either, and neither were most people. Nearly ninety percent of those who saw it for the first time had no idea what they were looking at. The mysterious object that sparked so much curiosity turned out to be something many adults once knew well, but many younger people had never encountered. The answer was Clackers.
Clackers, sometimes called Lik Klaks, were among the most popular toys of the early 1970s and remain a beloved piece of nostalgia for vintage toy collectors today. At first glance, the toy looks simple, even ordinary. It consists of two hard plastic balls attached to the ends of a string, with a small ring or handle in the center. The fun comes from swinging the toy up and down so the balls repeatedly strike each other, creating a loud, rhythmic clacking sound that could be heard from across the street.
The toy was invented in 1969 by the well-known toy company Wham-O. This same company created some of the most iconic toys of the twentieth century, including the Hula Hoop, the Frisbee, and the Superball. When Clackers were released, their popularity exploded almost instantly. Children everywhere begged their parents for a pair, and playgrounds soon filled with the unmistakable clack-clack sound echoing through the air. In the first year alone, Wham-O sold more than ten million Clackers, making it one of the most successful toy launches of its time.
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