[78-L] Talking string

[Michael Biel]

The "string" is actually a plastic strip, and one of the flat sides
contains a vertically modulated recording.  You can see the undulations.
 The one I have came as an advertising item from Sutherland Lumber in
Columbia Missouri.  It says "Sutherland Lumber" in a woman's voice. 
There was a woman's face printed on a card and the red strip is passed
thru a little slit in the lips.  It looks like a
looooooooooooonnnnnngggggg tongue.  She'd be great at catching flies.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com  




Bud Black wrote:
> In the admittedly dark ages when I was a child, I can remember an
> interesting toy that could be purchased at the local five and dime.
> It was a small, round box with a long piece of string running through
> it, and if you pulled the string though the box while pressing it to
> anything servicing as a soundboard (your school desk was perfect) it
> would speak a popular phrase of the day. Mine said, "Hello,
> sweetheart." My pal had one that said "Wanna Buy A Duck?" My
> question is....was the sound on the string, or did the string turn a
> miniature phonograph inside the unit? Has anyone ever heard of this
> forgotten toy?


From: Glen Richards <glenster at 2multiples.com>
FWIW, I remember large balloons with a plastic "string" that had a 
spoken phrase molded into it like speed bumps or "wake up strips" on the

road. You'd run your thumb nail down the "string" at an appropriate 
speed and you'd hear the phrase - the balloon acted as a resonator! Have

you seen the car ad on TV where the guys are driving on the warning 
strips, listening to a recognizable tune played by the tires? Yeah, 
something like that... :)  Glen