Spacewarp Toys

Spacewarp toys are an example of an enduring toy that has survived a gap in production of almost twenty years. Sometimes a toy catches the popular imagination in a way that surpasses the expectations of everyone involved with it and reemerges in new generations.

What are Spacewarp toys?

First produced in the 1980s by Bandai, Spacewarp is a line of toy roller ball "roller coasters" of the build-it-yourself variety. With Spacewarp toys, users cut lengths of plastic tubing to desired lengths and shape it into curves and loops to form the track, which is then attached to vertical metal rods. Steel balls roll around the track. Then a Screw conveyor, powered by batteries, cranks the balls back up to the top to start their winding path back down again.

What is the history of Spacewarp toys?

Bandai ceased production of Spacewarp toys around 1988, but continued to sell replacement parts until 1995. In 2005, Bandai redesigned Spacewarp toys for the Japanese market and began production again after a gap of approximately 18 years. Although many features of the new Spacewarp toys remain the same as those of the old Spacewarp toys, some parts were redesigned to make them less likely to break. Although the sets produced since 2005 are marketed and sold only in Japan, they are available online through various auction sites and web stores that sell directly from Japan. Furthermore, ThinkGeek has been marketing the 5000 Spacewarp set as an import to the United States since late 2008.

What is the appeal of Spacewarp toys?

No one can account for the undying popularity of Spacewarp toys. Some speculate it lies in the perpetual motion of the steel balls as they mesmerizingly travel through the loops and curves of the roller coaster track. Others speculate it is the challenge individuals find in painstakingly creating the roller coaster of loops and curves to attain the perfect track for the balls to travel upon without leaving the track.

With Spacewarp toys, create a track that is limited only by the laws of physics and your own imagination. It is in the fascination held in this endeavor that the longevity of Spacewarp toys is found.