You may know Herman Miller as a chair and furniture maker, but the company also makes items for the home. As people buy less products made in America, I think that Herman Miller takes prides in the fact that it is an American company, and enjoys releasing uniquely American products. Another side of Herman Miller you may not be familiar with is Herman Miller Select. The point of Select is to align with important designers and create one special product at a time. The first Herman Miller Select product was an Eames inspired chair, and now it is a set of toy tops.

The set of three tops was designed by New York city based design firm Klein Reid. If you are familiar with their work, you'll see the similarity in these tops. The design is inspired by famous designers Charles and Ray Eames (think, the Eames chair). The Eameses themselves looked to toys for inspiration in their work. Herman Miller currently produces Eames designed furniture, so it makes sense for them to offer these limited edition tops.

Made of high-quality turned solid Walnut wood, to me the tops each represent different periods of American design aesthetic - from ornate decoration to stark modernism. The tops arrive together as a set and are each between about 4 - 4.75 inches in size. They work too, but you have to use two hands to spin them. The look of wood and soft edges make the tops attractive pieces of decorative art, evoking imagery of toys from a simpler time as well as pure Americana. A good gift idea. Production is limited and will cease forever in April 2010. Price is $199 per set and available at select Herman Miller dealers and retailers. You'll need to locate a Herman Miller dealer or retailer here if you want to get a set.

Mercedes-Benz makes holiday gifts for the whole family.

New this year, Mercedes-Benz has released a new gift collection in Brilliant White, with many items perfect for kids.

This little car will make any rugrat smile as he or she scoots around the brick driveway in style. Brand loyalty starts in the cradle, as they say, and this is a smart move for Mercedes-Benz.

"The high-profile whisper wheels fitted as standard on genuine Mercedes-Benz multi-spoke rims minimize the noise level."

The Brilliant White collection also features bicycles, hats, clothing, and a really great sled. See the gallery below for Luxist's favorite items from the new collection.

[via eMercedesBenz]

Kids are notoriously rough on their toys and sometimes it's worth it to spend a little extra to get something that can stand up to the abuse. Outdoor toys like bikes not only take a beating from your kids but from the weather also, which is why some parents might opt to splurge on this titanium tricycle. Not only does it have a nearly indestructible and rust-proof titanium frame, but it also looks classy with its carbon seat and white leather saddle, plus bright white wheel rims.

Although I still prefer the traditional red tricycle this one does look pretty snazzy. $2,500

Cute? Yes. Cuddly? Yes. A little bizarre and screwy looking? Yes.

That's how I describe these stuffed animals from Donna Wilson, the collection being called simply "Donna Wilson Creatures." And 'creatures' is really the only way to describe this eclectic mix of plush creations which includes a snail named Stick, a dog named Oscar, and several mystery creatures named things like Stripey Head, Peeping Tom, and Angry Ginger. They look hand-drawn and unique, which I love, but most of them also have eyes that sit way too far apart, which I don't like (makes them look like they're missing a chromosome or something). Prices range from $84 to $164 each.

Baller Toys is a new website designed to bring you the very best in glamorous home entertainment--and we're not talking TVs and stereos!

Above is the Climatech 1001 Climate Controlled Cabinet Humidor. At $4,695.00, it is the least expensive of the four humidors available from Baller Toys.

Some exclusive items from the luxury website include:

• Mars Made and MartinBauer custom billiards tables ($35,000-$100,000)
  

• Teckell crystal foosball tables ($7,500-$10,000, other designer foosball tables up to $27,000)
  

• The International Dance Party, one-of-a-kind party machine ($67,000)

• VirtualGT Racing Simulators ($18,995+)

Keep an eye on Baller Toys for great things now and in the future. We love their motto: "Nothing is too extravagant."

One of the interesting things about charity auctions is seeing what lots are the most popular and which ones languish at the bottom (I always feel a little bad for the lots with low bids). Variety is doing an auction with Charity Folks to benefit St. Jude children's hospital. The auction includes walk-on roles on hot TV shows like Shark and Mad Men (and set visit to Heroes) and tickets to events like the Survivor finale and the Grammys. One of the hottest lots though is one for the kiddies, or perhaps the kid in all of us. It's a late night party at FAO Schwarz toy store for 12 guests (just like Tom Cruise did for Katie Holmes). The private party lasts from 9PM-3AM with activities including dancing on the Big Piano, a scavenger hunt, face painting and entertainment by costumed characters. The next bid on this prize is $10,000. And if you are looking for a low bid auction you could always bid on the memorabilia from Corbin Bleu, most famous for his role as "Chad" in Disney's High School musical...

Holiday shopping guide season already? Early birds are already getting the jump on the season. Recently we saw the Neiman Marcus Fantasy List but if you are looking for something a little less pricey and a whole lot geekier, Think Geek has unveiled their list which is an answer to the Neiman's list. Instead of the $75,000 Swami conversational robot, you can spend $349.99 on Pleo, the robotic dinosaur, instead of the Online Media Wall, you can opt for a wi-fi enabled photo frame. Other fun gadgets include the mobile surveillance robot which looks like a Mars rover and has a mini video camera, the MySky GPS star tracker, which eliminates messing around with star maps to understand the constellations,iPod video goggles and the LED art fan which not only cools you off but also provides a complete light show. Details and prices in the gallery.

I'm not a bug enthusiast by any means, but there's something appealing about these bamboo insects. Maybe it's because they bring back memories from childhood (some good, some bad!), or it could just be that bugs are so inherently "creepy" and it's a rare occasion to get so close to one and see this kind of detail. Individually hand carved from "tiger print" bamboo they're each amazingly lifelike and detailed, and there's even a bamboo cage available if you're worried they might spark to life and fly away. Ranging in size from 2" (the cricket) to 7" (the praying mantis), there are 5 different designs available and prices range from $55-$65 each.

The story of Noah's Ark is a timeless one that lends itself easily to children's toys and imagination with all the animals and the big boat (all kids love boats!). This collectible Noah's Ark from Links of London is hand crafted of mahogany and maple with sterling silver accents, and comes complete with a name plate that be engraved to truly personalize it. The Ark itself costs $880, with Noah and all the animal pairs available separately in sterling silver for $65 - $220 each. Whether you decide this is for play or for display is up to you, but it looks like fun either way.

I remember the Slinky as being really fun and really frustrating at the same time -- you only got to play with it for a day or two before it got hopelessly tangled or the metal loops got bent and kinked. But, kind of like Play Doh, the Slinky is one of those toys that has been around forever and practically every kid remembers having one.

But the Slinky fun doesn't have to be over just because you've grown up. If you're still a kid at heart, or know someone who is, this 14 karat gold plated Slinky is the perfect gift and conversation piece. Comes with it's own wooden box for safe storage, $69.

I do a lot of talking about personal flight options in the form of private jets and flying cars and the like but this takes personal flight to the extreme. For $250,000 you can get yourself a rocket belt. That's right, a Jetson-style jet pack custom-made for your weight and size. The service includes a fully-tested custom rocket belt, a machine to help you make your own rocket fuel, hands-on training including 10 flights in your own rocket belt and expert support. You probably can't use this to commute to work but you could always rent yourself out for promotional gigs and it is definitely a toy that all your friends won't have.

It's a little bit late to start shopping for Christmas decorations for Monday, but this Santa On Rocking Horse is a beautiful decorative item with the look of an heirloom toy. Designed and handmade by artist Karen Didion, Santa is 25-in. high and is dressed in a plush outfit trimmed with real fur. This isn't the sort of thing that you want to give a child to play with, but it is something that you could get them as an "heirloom for future generations." Price: $1,600.

While only a few of the items are of note for their luxe status, it's a pretty good list none-the-less. Uberreview.com has posted a list of the "11 Coolest Toys on the Planet." Among them are a temporary tattoo gun, a remote-control flying Superman, and my favorite, Frigits. It's like Marble Madness for your fridge. The upper end of the price spectrum is reserved for Laser Bowling, a home arcade machine, and a pretty cool DNA kit (complete with hilarious caption), but The Blue Car appears nowhere on it.. I'll trade you three super high end scrabble pieces for some Frigits. Seriously.

It's no wonder that the Playsam Streamliner is one of the most classic toy car designs. It's about as simple as you can get, which just means that so much more is left up to the imagination during play. But, perhaps to prove that imagination is not just the realm of children, the owners of the Los Angeles Fitzsu Society asked over 30 designers - including Michael Graves, Karin Rashid and Yves Behar - to put their own take onto the Streamliner. Each unique car is now being auctioned off (via eBay), in what has been dubbed the Fitzsu Grand Prix, to benefit the World Childhood Foundation.

[via boing boing]