Mass Produced

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This toy probably has the most sentimental value to me of all my toys. I got it in 2013 after getting out of a toxic relationship where I was shamed and criticized for my interests. Since 2013 this Black Intex Whale has been an amazing toy. The only issues I have had were a small hole in a seam on the tail, and a broken valve; both of which have been repaired. It was getting a little stiff, so i bought some ATBC and have tried giving it back some of its life. I will update this page more once I’ve had a chance to try it out. Furthermore, this toy is amazing for solo and couple use. It is very very strong, and can quite easily hold the shifting weight of 2 adults, not to mention that the angles are amazing for fostering creativity. Another thing to note is that the handles are very strong, and work very well for tying things to… take that information as you want.

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This is a toy I’ve been in love with since I was first getting into the inflatable scene. I loved the look of it, and the absence of a dorsal fin is a nice touch. I didn’t know how much I would love this toy though until I finally got one. First of all, my favorite part is the vinyl itself. It is such a soft, bouncy, rubbery, textured vinyl that I can’t believe the toy was made way back in 1996. I’ve never sunk into a toy quite the same as I do this one. The shape is also very comfortable to ride and lay on, since it has a nice gradual upwards curve and it gets considerably larger at the head. The tail is a very nice touch as well, the two part tail isn’t something I’ve seen on any other toys and it’s something I would love to see more of. My final note on this toy is the patch kit that it came with. Instead of the cheap stickers that accompany modern toys, it came with two pieces of black vinyl and a little tube of glue.

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This is a Swimline sea lion that I got from a customer when I was working renovations. It is quite old, so the plastic is very stiff but that seems to be the extent of the issues barring a few holes that it had when I got it. It hasn’t been used much by me due to the stiffness, but I’m going to try softening it when I get a chance to. Overall it is a very cute toy, and not very big. The curve of its body could be very useful for certain activities, but likely wouldn’t work well for multiple people.

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This is my Intex Realistic Whale. This toy is overall very sturdy. The seams have been very strong so far in my “testing” which isn’t surprising coming from intex. The toy has a nice rebound when being ridden, and is about the same size as a standard Intex black whale. This toy has some special meaning to me as my girlfriend bought it for me while she was visiting family in Colombia last year. It has served me well and I will be holding onto it for a long time.

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Here is one of my two 2009 Intex Puppy Ride ons. The toy shown in these pictures I picked up used fairly recently, but the other one has some very special meaning to me. The other toy I got many years ago in British Columbia on a vacation to visit my grandparents. It was my very first inflatable, and what started my switch from balloons over to inflatables. Unfortunately, due to young me getting too excited with a compressor, it suffered from a massive seam failure under the chin, splitting from the mouth all the way down to the bottom of the neck. It took many failed attempts with duct tape, marine goop, and a few other glues that I was able to find here and there, but using some strips of vinyl and glue from a pool liner repair kit, it has been completely airtight since about 2014. These toys aren’t great for much other than looking at if you’re on the taller side like me. It’s a little bit too skinny to be comfortable to ride, and the seams on the front and back of the neck are extremely weak. Nonetheless, it is definitely one of the cutest toys I’ve ever seen.