Tigrett , 1952
United States

The Jet Zoom features a stunning design that makes use of negative space to define the toy's shape. It's a surrealist sculpture, a retro-modern collision of form and function that defies logic—but inspires the imagination. One of Doc's favorites.

The gun works like an automatic Chinese yo-yo. The white piece pulls back the mechanism, which then launches forward at the pull of the trigger, throwing the paper yo-yo forward. With a flick of the wrist, it then returns to the toy's barrel.

The Jet Zoom also came in yellow—much rarer—and some examples have a black cocking mechanism. The toy's fairly uncommon, and when it does come up, it's often missing the paper role.