RC toys typically have a small handheld device that includes some type of controls and the radio transmitter. The transmitter sends a signal over a frequency to the receiver in the toy. The transmitter has a power source, usually a 9-volt battery, that provides the power for the controls and transmission of the signal. The key difference between radio controlled and remote controlled toys is that remote controlled toys have a wire connecting the controller and the toy, while radio control is always wireless.

Most RC toys operate at either 27 MHz or 49 MHz. This pair of frequencies has been allocated by the FCC for basic consumer items, such as garage door openers, walkie-talkies and RC toys. Advanced RC models, such as the more sophisticated RC airplanes, use 72-MHz or 75-MHz frequencies.

The majority of RC toys are labeled with the frequency range they operate in. For example, the RC truck below has a label designating it as a 27-MHz model.

Most RC toy manufacturers make versions of each model for both frequency ranges (27 MHz and 49 MHz). That way, you can operate two of the same model simultaneously, for racing or playing together, without having to deal with interference between the two transmitters. Some manufacturers also provide more specific information about the exact portion of the frequency band that the toy operates in. A good example is Nikko of America, who offers the option to create racing sets of up to six toys with each model tuned to a different part of the 27-MHz frequency range.

Transmitters range from single-function simple controllers to full-function controllers with a wide range of options. An example of a single-function controller is one that makes the toy go forward when the

Inflation, the curse of our pocketbooks and the Federal Reserve, has hit almost every good in the U.S. But the price of a beloved toy has managed to hover around $1 — for more than 50 years.

Hot Wheels are a retail oddity. They remain one of the most affordable toys in the country at a time when inflation is chipping away at savings accounts and compounding credit card debt for many Americans, experts like James Zahn told NPR.

Zahn is the editor-in-chief of The Toy Book, a trade publication that has covered the toy industry in North America since 1984. Inflation and other supply chain-related factors have boosted prices this year in a few toy categories, most notably action figures, dolls and electronic toys, Zahn said.

On average, The Toy Book has recorded a 15% jump in manufacturers’ suggested prices for a lot of toys this season; many products that would’ve been $19.99 a year or two ago are coming in at $22.99 to $24.99, he added.

“It is exceptionally rare to find a toy that maintains its price for a few years, let alone more than five decades,” Zahn said. “Hot Wheels are an anomaly in that the continued sales volume and razor-sharp production pipeline manage to keep

Having become a parent relatively recently myself, I’m quickly becoming accustomed to the deluge of brightly colored objects that are filling our once minimalist living quarters. Toys are, of course, amongst the worst offenders—many kind and well-meaning family and friends delivering new garish, throw-away plastic play-things with almost conveyor-belt levels of efficiency.

It’s little wonder then, perhaps, that I swooned a little on first glance of ‘First Gear’—a range of remote control toys developed by London-based V2 Studio. Not only is the range delightfully understated, but these cork-based little beauties also have a sustainable edge that makes me a little more hopeful for the future of the planet.

From a nifty F1 car to a stylish speedboat, graceful sailboat and beyond, the First Gear range of vehicles and vessels are made primarily from Portuguese cork. The soft, lightweight material makes a perfect impact resistant car body and buoyant boat hull, but also has great CO2 offsetting abilities—the seven million acres of cork forest around the Mediterranean apparently offsetting 20 million tons of CO2 each year.

If that wasn’t sufficient sustainability credentials, the entire range is designed with longevity in mind. The remote control for the toys—a simple half-moon wheel, with a couple of buttons—comes equipped with dynamic control settings that give children different steering sensitivity and speeds (and thus control challenge) as they grow, hopefully meaning these toys will stay relevant for longer.

Naturally, we enquired with V2 Studio as to whether these little beauties were available for purchase but, alas, you won’t be seeing them in toy stores just yet. Apparently, the range was the outcome of a self-initiated project of the studio—the firm having spent many a year developing toys for