The Fad Toy Everyone Wanted the Year You Were Born
I won't lie, a game of Hungry, Hungry Hippo would heal me right now.
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It feels like yesterday that I was begging my mom for a Furbie—yes, the "talking" creature that could open and close its mouth and allegedly learn to speak more and more English as it spent more time with you. It sounds terrifying now, but back then, there was nothing like getting the hottest toy in town (especially before all of your friends). The only thing that comes mildly close to it is the sheer rush that came from seeing a commercial for a toy that you just had to have. I wish we had the foresight to bottle some of the joy for adulthood.
While that isn't an option, what we can do is take a trip down memory lane to hopefully invoke similar feelings. Which is where this here list of the most popular toys for the last 75 years comes in. That's right, Seventy. Five. Years. Some toys on this list were short-lived trends that caused near-riots in toy stores, but the majority of these became instant hits and have stayed popular over the decades. You'll see some classics that have withstood the test of time (hey, Connect Four and Barbie!), some that have evolved and are for sale today as updated versions, and others that will forever remains relics of our memory. From Gameboys to Squishmallows to Labubus, here's the fad toy that everyone was obsessed with the year you were born.
1950: Little People
Little People was formed by Fisher-Price in the early '50s for kids ranging from six months to three years. The first Little People toy, "Looky Fire Truck," was introduced in 1950, and it sold so well, the company introduced the "Super-Jet" and "Racing Rowboat."
1951: Magic 8-Ball
This toy is a fortune teller's dream come true! The Magic 8-ball was developed in 1950 and manufactured by Mattel. It's still one of the more accurate ways to find out if your crush actually likes you back. Facts.
1952: Slinky
If you haven't watched a Slinky go down a flight of stairs, are you truly living? This pre-compressed spring was invented in the '40s, but it didn't gain worldwide popularity until the early '50s.
1953: Matchbox Cars
Even though they were, in fact, matchbox-sized, these cars rivaled their life-size models in style.
1954: Candy Land
Eleanor Abbott designed the Hasbro game while recovering from polio in 1945. Years later, it was still making a sweet statement—and still does to this day.
1955: Colorforms
Before color TV, there were Colorforms. This toy was like a coloring book with training wheels, using peel-on vinyl stickers to help you stay inside the lines.
1956: Mr. Potato Head
Before making his acting debut in Toy Story, Mr. Potato Head was a popular toy spud with a variety of plastic facial attachments.
1957: Play-Doh
Who knew that flour, water, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil would make such an iconic concoction? More than 100 million cans of Play-Doh are sold every year.
1958: View-Master
These firetruck-red stereoscopes were the ultimate way to go somewhere else—without going anywhere at all—with just one simple click.
1959: Barbie
This plastic princess has dominated the toy scene since her 1959 creation. It's estimated that more than a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide, with Mattel claiming that one hundred are sold every minute.
1960: Silly Putty
This Flubber-like toy was created during WWII when the U.S. was researching possible rubber substitutes for use. Silly Putty can bounce, flow like liquid, and break if pulled apart the right way—like a character straight out of a Marvel movie.
1961: Ken
Barbie existed for two years before her companion Ken hit the scene. He's great at doing stuff, and he was Kenough to be the most popular toy of the year.
1962: Etch A Sketch
This temporary drawing board was introduced in 1960 and became one of the best-known toys of its time. After all, a blank canvas is exciting, but an erasable one is even better.
1963: Easy-Bake Oven
The cooking game changed in 1963 when kids had the power to make baked goods of their own. The mini oven comes with cake mix packets and tiny round pans that, together, make a delectable treat—thanks to two 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. And yes, it's evolved over the years and is still popular today!
1964: The Beatles Flip Your Wig Game
This limited-edition Beatles-themed board game is all about getting your designated Beatle (Paul, John, George, or Ringo) a hit record—as if the real Beatles had to even try!
1965: Chatty Cathy Doll
This talking doll may look creepy AF today, but Chatty Cathy was the second-most popular doll after Barbie in the '60s. Cathy had some big tiny shoes to fill.
1966: Spirograph
This geometric drawing toy was developed by British engineer Denys Fisher and first sold in 1965. The trippy shapes made it the perfect toy for the swinging '60s.
1967: Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots
This two-player action game features two robots in a boxing match. It was revamped in the 2000s with smaller robots.
1968: Monopoly
This popular board game, created by the Parker Brothers (which was acquired by General Mills in 1968) has been around since the '30s— but it's had several resurgences over the years.
1969: Mouse Trap
This multiplayer board game involves creating an elaborate trap to catch your opponents' plastic mouse piece.
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