Home Alone 2: Lost In New York is among the best Christmas movies out there, and that was evident not long after it was released in theaters. I recently learned the holiday movie, now available to watch with a Disney+ subscription, was the cause of a big toy craze a year after its release in 1993. While the toy becoming such a hit, like the movie, wasn't too surprising, the story behind the Talkboy and how it became a hot holiday item is.
Anyone who watched Home Alone 2 as a child no doubt felt a bit jealous of Kevin McCallister's Talkboy and how he could masterfully utilize it to trick adults into giving him a hotel room and all sorts of other things. What's most interesting is how it came together and ultimately became one of the hottest toys on the market in Christmas 1993.
The Tiger Talkboy Wasn't Real Until After Home Alone 2: Lost In New York
I'd always assumed the Talkboy was a toy that existed in some form before Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, but that's not the case. Vanity Fair reported that producer-screenwriter John Hughes dreamt up the device in the script for the movie. He needed a way for Kevin to reliably trick adults and gain access to locations he wouldn't typically be able to because he's a child, and the solution was this toy.
After an original toy and merchandising deal with Mattel fell through, Tiger Electronics negotiated with the production and heard Hughes' pitch for Kevin's electronic device. They then worked out a general design for what the screenwriter had in mind. With only two weeks to go before filming, they managed to deliver a prototype for Macaulay Culkin's character to use in the movie.
The Toy Was For Sale In 1992, But Exploded In Popularity In 1993
As a merchandising partner of Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, Tiger Electronics had the license to produce toys featured in the movie for the holiday season. This included the Talkboy, which retailed for $29.99 when it hit store shelves in 1992.
The toy reportedly sold moderately well, but there were complaints. For one, it couldn't do the things Kevin McCallister did in the movie, and a number of parents complained that their toy contained several swear words upon opening. This was allegedly caused by people using the "try me" feature on the box and recording expletives that would later be heard on Christmas by young, unassuming children.
In 1993, the game changed. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York arrived on VHS, and it sold like hotcakes. In addition, each VHS was packaged with a coupon that touted the Deluxe Talkboy, which did everything the product in the movie did. This created a storm of demand ahead of the holiday shopping season of 1993, which had people around the United States searching feverishly for the hottest toy on the market.
Unfortunately, Tiger Electronics hadn't predicted that the immense popularity of the VHS would result in a surge of interest in the toy, which led to a wild disparity in stock vs. customer demand. According to an interview in the Washington Post, a Tiger representative said the company sold "hundreds of thousands" of the Talkboy Deluxe that holiday season, but demand was closer to about 2 million. Suffice it to say, many disappointed children didn't get a Talkboy that Christmas.
The Talkboy remained a popular Christmas gift for a couple of years beyond 1993, and it has a legacy as one of the most notable toys to appear in a Christmas movie. That's pretty impressive, given there are top-tier movies like Jingle All The Way, which revolve around a toy, yet didn't see a huge demand from consumers for toys like Turbo Man. In fairness, you can't commit identity fraud with Turbo Man.
Buying A Talkboy Now Isn't Impossible, But It Also Isn't Cheap
The Talkboy trademark lapsed in 1999, and you won't find a new one to use if you want to record dialogue from flicks on the 2023 Christmas movie schedule.
A quick search of Talkboys on eBay revealed people are willing to part with their once-beloved holiday toy, but it's well above the original asking price of $29.99. It seems that ones with parts missing will run anywhere from $90 to $120, but an actual working model with limited flaws will be closer to about $200. Those looking for one still in the box will pay a much higher premium, assuming they can find one for sale. It's a small price to pay for a piece of movie merchandising history and a cool toy from Macaulay Culkin's second favorite Home Alone movie.
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York is available to stream this holiday season on Disney+, and it is one of many Christmas movies that are great for families to watch in December. Check it out, and maybe keep an eye peeled on online shopping places for someone willing to cut a deal on a Talkboy for me.
