Automoblox MinisAutomoblox have taken over more than a few toy chests in the last few years, and it’s not surprising – these modular, creativity-inspiring toys cars and trucks inspire imaginations, while still delivering the joy of vrooming a car around the living room floor and terrifying the pets. We like them so much, we even featured them in our 2008 Safer Toy Guide.

But excellent design and heirloom quality construction don’t come cheap. Each car runs around $36, while the limited edition Automoblox like the T9-SE can cost as much as $45. So the company did the smart thing and created a series of palm-sized Automoblox Minis that make dandy stocking stuffers or small gifts at $10-12.

Because half the fun is going all Dr. Frankenstein on the cars with the interchangable parts, hook up a favorite kid with the $30 3-pack which offers lots of mix and match options right off the bat. My 2.5 year-old is an addict, no joke. –Liz

Find Automoblox toy cars and the new Automoblox Minis from ton of cool toy shops or at Automoblox.com