Thumb Chucks want to be the new yo-yo and that’s just not going to happen

I received both an email pitch and physical delivery of Thumb Chucks yesterday. What are Thumb Chucks, you ask? It’s a new toy that is essentially two rubber light-up balls connected by a thick ribbon. See here:

The idea is that you do tricks with these balls, like the person above. Apparently it was inspired by a rosary that Greek kids carry around? I read the press materials that accompanied the Thumb Chucks once, and that was what it said. Maybe I hallucinated it? But I’m pretty sure.

It’s clear that Thumb Chucks wants to be the next yo-yo, or Devil Sticks, or Hacky Sack. It’s cheap, too, at $9.99. But I can’t imagine it becoming a viral sensation like any of those things. When I held it in my hands, my first thought was, “I don’t get it.” I realize I’m not a kid with an endless amount of time on my hands to learn a new skill, but still, I don’t get it. Maybe this would be cool for club kids? Club kids like strobe lights, so this seems like a natural fit.

I will say, though, that our video team here at The Verge happens to love yo-yos. I asked out motion graphics director, William Joel, for his thoughts, and he had this to say: “It’s not a yo-yo, it’s not a nunchaku. It fits awkwardly in my hands, and I’m not a child. But they are fun to throw around.”

So there you have it: Thumb Chucks. Will they be the next yo-yo? Probably not, but kids are unpredictable and highly susceptible to marketing, so maybe we have a hit on our hands.