Nerds Republic

For the past 12 years, IKEA has used their Soft Toys For Education campaign to raise awareness and funds for children in need around the world. For each toy they’ve sold as part of the project, they’ve donated one dollar to UNICEF and Save The Children.

This year, however, the company decided to get some extra help in designing toys. Kids around the world submitted their unique drawings for a chance to have them transformed into actual stuffed animals. Children helping peers with their own special talents — what could be more adorable and heartwarming than that?

Koen, ten years old, from the Netherlands.

Ikea

Karla, ten years old, from Croatia.

Ikea

Stella, six years old, from Cyprus.

Ikea

Thymeo, four years old, from Belgium.

Ikea

Terrence, six years old, from Malaysia.

Ikea

Albert, seven years old, from Romania.

Ikea

You-Chen Wu, six years old from Taiwan.

Ikea

Maja, eight years old, and John, five years old, from Norway.

Ikea

(via Bored Panda)

You can see the other winners and buy one or two for your kiddos over on their website. You’ll be putting a smile on more than just one child’s face with each purchase.

Mass-marketed dolls for kids, usually girls, are often subject to criticism. Detractors say that they set an unrealistic and unhealthy standard for young, impressionable girls. In the meantime, though, mainstream media is seriously lacking in the representation of intelligent, thoughtful female role models.

So who can little girls (and boys, because this is the 21st century) look up to during playtime?

That was something artist Wendy Tsao was thinking about when she decided to create a more positive line of dolls for kids to play with.

Wendy Tsao

This doll was made over to resemble Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian female astronaut. Tsao’s collection of dolls modeled after famous women is known as Mighty Dolls.

Jane Goodall, primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace.

Wendy Tsao

Tsao took some used Bratz dolls (which have been famously used by others for makeunders) and transformed them into women she admires. The women include artists, writers, scientists, and activists, and they all reflect different time periods, heritages, and skills.

She wants kids — girls and boys — to see that women, too, have worked to change the world.

Waris Dirie, model, author, and social activist.

Wendy Tsao

And no, being a model isn’t grounds for role-model disqualification.

J.K. Rowling, novelist, best known for the Harry Potter series.

Wendy Tsao

Malala Yousafzai, activist and world’s youngest Nobel Peace laureate.

Wendy Tsao

Frida Kahlo, painter.

Wendy Tsao

(via My Modern Met)

Tsao credits her inspiration to Tree Change Dolls, who we covered earlier this year. She’s also created other dolls that offer a more realistic and nuanced approach to childhood. Tsao plans on auctioning her Mighty Dolls on eBay in the near future. Check out her website for more information.

If you ever collected trading cards or toys, you remember what its like to take special care of them. After all, mom told you that they’d be worth something one day. You didn’t quite understand that when you were a kid, but as it turns out, she was right about some of them.

Make sure you check your attic to see if you still have any of these things. They could be worth a ton.

1. Mario Kart 64

VG Box Art

A staple of the N64 gaming system, Mario Kart 64 can now be sold for around $500.

2. Easy-Bake Ovens

eBay

Remember these little ovens that helped you make special treats? Apparently, they are worth around $300 today.

3. Power Rangers Action Figures

eBay

If you own this Power Rangers Megazord, it’s worth a pretty penny. A mint condition version of the Shogun Megazord sold on eBay for around $550.

4. 1st Edition Charizard Pokemon Card

eBay

Recently, this holographic, first-edition Charizard Pokemon card sold on eBay for over $5,000!

5. Sega Genesis 2

Wikipedia

Your favorite gaming system has a ton of value these days. They’ve been selling for about $1,000, so you’ll have to save up in order to get this retro piece.

6. Teddy Ruxpin

eBay

Teddy Ruxpin dolls have been selling on eBay for over $200. Good thing you loved him with all of your heart, right?

7. Cabbage Patch Dolls

SheKnows

If you are the owner of some original Cabbage Patch Dolls and you need money fast, you can sell them for upwards of $1,000.

8. Furbies

Official Furby

These toys were all the rage back in the day, and if you managed to keep yours in good condition, you could get quite a bit of money for it. Furbies in mint condition are being sold for around $900.

9. Polly Pocket & Lucy Locket Dream Home

eBay

This oddly named toy has quite some value these days. They’ve been selling online for around $600.

10. Princess Diana Beanie Baby

Flickr / munna-shiv nagar

While a lot of TY Beanie Babies didn’t increase in value like we were told they would, these versions are worth quite a lot of money. How much? A mint condition Princess Diana Beanie Baby recently sold for $652,000 on eBay. Let that sink in.

(via All Day)

You better look through your toy chest and see if you still have any of these things, because you could be sitting on a goldmine. Now all you have to do is decide whether you want to keep them in the family, or sell them while they’re hot.

The Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 when I was about a year old. I have no memory of what it was like for our country to be staring down the contentiousness of the Cold War, nor do I have any idea what it was like to live under Soviet rule.

But based on these pictures of what appear to be homemade toys, I can imagine that things weren’t exactly splendid. If you need further evidence, check out these super-depressing Russian toys made out of potatoes!

Potato car sold separately.

Togdazine

Walking the potato dog, while reading about the laziness of American workers in the Potato Press.

Togdazine

Potato dog’s owner was used to make a tasteless stew.

Togdazine

This potato horse was made by candlelight. The candle was…also a potato.

Togdazine

Soviet children would have their potato men engage in fantastical adventures, like playing on a see-saw…or playing with anything that wasn’t a potato, really.

Togdazine

This potato strong-man will have no problem defeating the lazy, fat Americans in hand-to-hand combat.

Togdazine

Because it has so many hands.

Any potato fish this potato man catches will be shared with the potato community.

Togdazine

This potato man has found a mushroom in the meadow where he buried his starving family.

Togdazine

Again, I have absolutely know idea why these sad toys were produced, but let’s all be thankful that we at least had Hot Wheels and Legos.

In her endearingly awkward and strange photo series Life Is Not Fair, photographer Bettina Guber uses small plastic animals, miniature props, and human-sized food to illustrate some of the small, hilarious unfairnesses of life. The series imagines the animals living a surreal life among outsized food, humans, and all the unfairness that might come along with that. While unfairness might sound like a depressing topic, the series stays lighthearted and amusing.

“If you love weight training, but your arms are too short.”

Bettina Guber

“If your mom always has this sixth sense.”

Bettina Guber

“If you are abused for bagel-long-throw just because you have this long neck.”

Bettina Guber

“If you have four legs, but you can’t run fast.”

Bettina Guber

“If you are a bird, but you can’t fly.”

Bettina Guber

While having four legs and being a bird are pretty animal-specific to non-humans, the sense of getting the proverbial short end of the stick in certain circumstances is something that can resonate with just about anyone. This is especially true when it comes to physicality.

Not all of Guber’s photos have captions, but their sense of life’s mild annoyances comes through anyway.

Bettina Guber

Bettina Guber

Bettina Guber

Bettina Guber

Bettina Guber

Bettina Guber

Bettina Guber

Guber’s fascination with miniature plastic animals started in a previous series called Pets, which saw the toys navigating household items and food the way a typical pet would.

Bettina Guber

This series is a continuation, but with more emphasis on the animals’ personalities and experiences in their strange habitats.

Bettina Guber

For all its unfairness, though, Guber reminds us that “life is beautiful if you have friends!”

Bettina Guber

You can see more of Guber’s photography on her Behance page. When you’re feeling down, remember that you could be a tiny plastic animal, so your life probably isn’t too bad.

There are all kinds of strange worlds created by artists and photographers. Here are a few more:

We’ve all had our low points, those times where the going gets tough. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you get the help you need!

Take, for example, that friend that collects little trinkets or keeps all the matchboxes from every restaurant they’ve been to. And while it’s usually pretty endearing, it can border hoarding real fast. These pets all have what might be the beginnings of some serious hoarding issues, and most of them don’t seem to feel one bit bad about it! (Let your freak flag wave, I guess?)

1. “Hello, my name is Bud, and I have a problem with tennis balls.”

Reddit / cheese_pizza_

2. That’s okay. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

Instagram / jessyyylives

3. I know there have to be more…somewhere.

Instagram / therobwirtz

4. Question: how many stuffed animals does one actually need for nap time?

Reddit / voteforbear

5. Do we need to get you guys into some sort of group?

Reddit / trstmeimadoctor

6. That’s it, I’m calling TLC. It’s time for an intervention.

Reddit / suplawrin

7. Garbage belongs in the wastebasket, not in a secret stash behind my headboard.

Reddit / DeedTheInky

8. The organized hoarder is even spookier than the disorganized hoarder.

Instagram / aklsfc33

9. Aw, c’mon, did you have to take my pillows, too? You have your own!

Instagram / wendyfc79

10. Care to explain why all of your toys were jammed underneath the La-Z-Boy?

Instagram / kellyrose425

11. If you’re ever curious where your cat is hoarding your things, always check under the couch.

Reddit / Ral3013

12. You know, I’m gonna go ahead and be an enabler for this one. Too cute and happy.

Reddit / _Hank-Hill_

13. “What are you talking about…there are three of us here, sharing all these toys.”

Instagram / mayorofcreepsville

14. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you don’t need the shoes, too…

Reddit / Orillious

15. “Oh, you wanted to sleep on this bed? Tough luck.”

Instagram / susiearmstrong

16. The worst part is that smug grin on her face.

Instagram / kdolan97

17. Get ahold of yourself, kitten!

Instagram / sheilajaneteaching

18. Fluffy’s first mistake was leaving a trail.

Instagram / lehamby

19. “I just really like left shoes — they’re good luck, right?”

Instagram / katy688

20. “It ain’t my stash, I sweah! I’ve been framed!”

Instagram / loren3lizabeth

21. “…What? This is totally normal.”

Reddit / meimaj

I guess it could be worse. At least no one’s getting hurt! Plus, look at their sweet faces. I mean, I can always just go out and buy new shoes…

Guilty pets are the best, so here are a few more!