3 years.

Dear Jack,

I have opened and assembled some interesting toys for you in the past year or so, but one of your 3rd birthday gifts just really takes the birthday cake.

It wins the prize for not only “Just Plain Bizzare,” but also…

“Clearly Not An American Product!”

This Tomica car playset, which I hinted to Nonna to buy for you as a birthday gift when we were at TJ Maxx with her and Papa a few months ago, is labled as “Hypercity Rescue Gas Station Fire.”

As I was unboxing it for you, I took a picture so you could see how weird it was.

It reminds me of the very memorable and always hilarious “freak gasoline fight accident” scene on the movie, Zoolander:

I like how on the cover of the box there is a nerdy guy having to run away from his extremely cool sports car convertible, and how the fireman is instantly on the scene, putting out the fire.

Clearly, there are no injuries. The fireman saves the day and the man who drives the red convertible runs out of the way just in time. It is assumed the insurance company covers the expenses lost in the explosion of the building. Happy ending every time.

Again though, clearly not an American product.

I think it’s safe to say Hot Wheels would never create something this weird.

Granted, they make a car playset where cars drive up a ramp in order to jump into a live T-Rex’s mouth, which Mommy and I bought for your birthday… but that’s nothing compared to “Hypercity Rescue Gas Station Fire.”

Not to mention, this set comes with a lot (!) of stickers to apply and no instructions.

Just the good ole fashioned, “Figure it out yourself!” deal.

From what I could understand, the set is designed to be easily wrecked, so the “on fire” stickers can be revealed when the assumed 3 year-old boy who is playing with the set decides to blow it up every 45 seconds.

You wanted a gas station playset for all your cars. Well, you got it.

I think.

Love,

Daddy