Dart Guns & Soft Darts

NERF (or sometimes Nerf) is a type of toy, created for safe indoor play, that either shoots or is made of foam-like material. more...

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Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, but there were also several different types of NERF toys, such as balls for sports like football, basketball, and others. The most famous of the toys are the "dart guns" (also known as blasters) that shoot projectiles made from NERF foam. Since many such items were released throughout the 1980s, they often featured bright neon colors and soft textures similar to the flagship NERF ball. The product slogan frequently used in advertising was "It's NERF or nothing!"

Origin of the term

It has been mentioned that NERF stands for "non-expanding recreational foam", but it has not been verified.

The Oxford English Dictionary states that the word is "apparently an arbitrary formation", but adds that it may be derived from the verb "nerf", referring to the practice of bumping another vehicle in racing, which dates to no later than 1953.

NERF material

NERF is made from a solid, spongy cellular material produced by the reaction of polyester with a diisocyanate while carbon dioxide is liberated by the reaction of a carboxyl with the isocyanate. Polyester resin reacts with a compound while CO₂ is simultaneously released by another reaction. It is this gas that creates open pockets within the polyurethane that, in turn, makes the material soft and light.

History

Parker Brothers originally developed NERF, beginning with a four-inch (102 mm) polyurethane foam ball. In 1969, a games inventor came to the company with a volleyball game that was safe for indoor play. After studying the game carefully, Parker Brothers decided to eliminate everything but the foam ball. In 1970, the NERF ball was introduced as the "world's first official indoor ball". Marketed that one can "Throw it indoors; you can't damage lamps or break windows. You can't hurt babies or old people." The ball filled a strong consumer need and by the year's end more than four million NERF balls had been sold. The four-inch (102 mm) ball was followed closely by a large version called "Super NERF Ball". Shortly after, in 1972, a basketball game called "NERFoop" and the NERF football joined the family. The football fast became the most popular NERF ball.

Read more at Wikipedia.org