[trebleshot]

There's already a thread for missed buying opportunities regarding toys:

I can't believe I didn't buy it!!! - Toy Discussion at Toyark.com

But as far as dumb things I've done regarding toys, I used to put firecrackers in Hot Wheels cars to turn them into convertibles. Also I tended to partially bury my Joes a lot (they always seemed to get trapped in a bunker or foxhole for some reason).

And then there was this:

WARNING: Do not attempt what you are about to read. Ever. The stunt was performed by an idiot who was too young and gullible to realize that he was doing something incredibly stupid and was damn lucky he didn't get hurt any more than he did.

I had a "Cherry Bomb" toy that was basically a two-piece plastic ball (sort of like an Easter egg) with a hole at one end. The idea was you put a small firecracker inside the ball with the fuse sticking out. Then you lit it and ran away. When the firework went off, it would make a thundering CRACK! instead of the weak pop it normally did and the ball would be split in two, ready to go again.

The stupid part came when my "friends" dared me to light the firecracker and wait until the fuse was almost inside the ball, then throw it straight up so it would pop in mid-air.

It got about 3 feet above me before it popped.

I couldn't hear anything at first and my ears were ringing for about 15 minutes afterward. I thankfully didn't do it a second time.