OK, This might be it for the elaborate wooden toys for a while. I don't know how I can surpass the Naef Gloggomobil. It's a totally programmable barrel organ, a giant, wooden version of that little metal cylinder that drives a music box. You--or your child 2 years or older, or more likely, the two of you together--compose your songs by placing pegs in the rotating wheel, which triggers the little mallets to strike the xylophone. You can play the xylophone by itself, too. The whole rig's 13x14x7, about the size of a toaster oven or that stack of catalogues that needs culling.
From what I understand, Naef only makes 100 of these Gloggomobils every two years. And there's at least one available on this Swiss toy store's page, with a note that it was added to the inventory on Jan. 26, 2005. Which means during this 2-year cycle, there are not yet a hundred people in the world who've dropped $930 on a Gloggomobil with hopes of nurturing their childrens' musical composition abilities.
Naef Gloggomobil by Herbert Bachli, 980 Swiss Francs [spielzueg.ch]
SeeTouchThink had the Gloggomobil for sale at one point for $US930, but their site's all wack at the moment. [seetouchthink.com]
Oh, man! They had me sold until I got to the price... maybe I can hack together something from a toy xylophone and an old coffee can...
Or just teach my daughter how to use Garageband.
It's also at zebrahall [and only $825! -ed.]
Cool. At the Boston Children's Museum there is currently an exhibit featuring noise-making sculptures and contraptions, and one is a very similar device, except huge -- a much bigger keyboard, and a 3'-diameter rotating drum.
Oh, also: "Lacquering: Without poison, resistant to saliva". Whew.
For who is really interested in "Gloggomobil": CHF 980 is aproximateli only $ 790.-! There are, additional costs for delivery. But then, you will get it from Switzerland directly!