Best Gift Ideas - Toys Under $50 - Talking Stinky The Garbage Truck by Matchbox - Big Rig

With a name like Stinky the Garbage Truck, you have to wonder.  Who names a toy Stinky, and what kind of a toy would have a name like that? 

Apparently, a great company like Matchbox would name a toy Stinky.  And the toy?  He's super cool with tons of garbage truck personality!

Stinky is the newest offering in the Big Rig Buddies lineup, and he's a kid's best friend. He's brass, low class, and full of gas… only we're not talking about fuel to run the engine here.

Part of his charm is the potty humor, which goes over big with the kids in his age group (recommended 3 years and up.) He's got an in-your-face attitude, and pulls no punches.  Sublety is definitely NOT his strong point.

Matchbox really found a winner with Stinky the Garbage Truck ;  he's so fun and enthusiastic, you can't help liking him.  Even though it's kind of embarassing to admit, he's fun to be around.  Stinky is interactive to a large degree.  He talks, tells jokes, exercises, and knows a song or two.  You can feed Matchbox (or Hot Wheels) cars to him, or anything similar in size. 

Stinky is a working-class kind of guy.  He loves to get the job done, but enjoys playing around with his buddies.  He's articulated to an amazing degree; Stinky will stand up and wave his front wheels around like arms.  Sometimes he'll call for a high five.  His cab turns like a head, and his fender moves up and down like a mouth when he talks.  Other times, he'll rear up, open his mouth, and demand to be fed.  No, I mean REALLY demand to be fed.  When Stinky hollers out "Feed me!", he gets quite excitable about it.  You can put small objects in his mouth, or drop items into his storage compartment from the top.  Either way, when you want them back, pull on his smoke stack and he dumps the garbage out the back.

He's got over 90 phrases and songs, plus lots of big bold movement to keep things lively.  Plenty of action and movement are part of the charm that gives him his personality.  There's always something different coming up next.  While many of his moves are 'guided' by the actions you take, there's still a random element involved.  So you may know what KIND of response you're going to get, but not EXACTLY which response. 

You can turn Stinky off for manual play, but his best features are the different interactive styles he's programmed with.  Push him back and forth like a truck, and his head turns side to side while he flashes his headlights.  If you push or pull the smokestack, open the back hatch, or push his tummy, he'll react in different ways to each.  Sometimes his humor is a bit… earthy. The kind that kids find hilarious because they know it's not polite.  When Stinky has gas, it's more methane than octane, if you know what I mean :^)

To get a song from Stinky, push the smoke stack button several times.  He'll stand up, and rock out a cool ditty.  Ignore him at your own risk.  Left to his own devices for too long, he'll fall asleep, and his snoring will shake the rafters.  He's serious about his sleep!  To wake him back up, just push the smoke stack.

With so many different actions and reactions in his repertoire, Stinky the Garbage Truck will have lots of staying power for the kids.  When I was younger, the closest thing we had was a Tonka truck.  Or maybe Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel, Mary Anne.  Stinky may be a bit rowdier than Mary Anne, but I can't help thinking that elegant lady would have liked him.

Stinky the Garbage Truck requires 4 C batteries to run.  The package claims 4 C batteries are included, and technically, that's correct.  In practical terms, though, the included batteries are for demo purposes only, and won't have enough oomph to power Stinky through all his paces.  Best thing would be to buy a few spares when you're getting Stinky. 

Stinky also comes with the Matchbox Big Rig Buddies DVD. It has two stories featuring Stinky, a kid named Felix, and the whole Big Rig Crew.

In the two adventures, Stinky and friends experience challenge, adventure, and lots of fun, while learning lessons about teamwork, friendship, and courage. Pretty good messages.

There are two issues of note; neither one is a deal-breaker, but be aware, Stinky is loud.  That's part of his charm.  He's just that kind of a guy.  Also, because he has electronics, microprocessors, motors and moving parts, his instruction manual suggests that Stinky should NOT be played outside.  If he gets clogged up with junk, his working parts are going to quit working. 

When you think about it, there's some irony in the thought that a garbage truck has to be kept away from dirt and grit.

The bottom line?  Matchbox has a class act on their hands.  Stinky may not be up to high society standards, but he's a good guy who stands by his friends.  Aimed at young children, mainly boys, I think he's right on target.

 A loveable goof with a big mouth and a big heart, Stinky is a winner in my book.