It is just under 3 weeks till Christmas! Are you ready? You will either be in the super organised camp and bought all your presents long ago; or you are just about to do a mad dash of online or high street shopping!
As the big day gets closer, we have been looking back at our favourite Christmas presents. Here’s our countdown of 10 classic Xmas toys.
1. LEGO
LEGO is timeless. It began in Denmark in 1932 and continues its mass appeal in to the present day – now being sold in 140 countries.
LEGO has evolved from simple construction blocks to themed sets, movies and now augmented reality! These small plastic bricks have captured the imagination of children for years.
2. Monopoly
Monopoly is a true classic – no wonder it is the best-selling board game ever. It was released back in 1935 and it has evolved over the years to a reportedly 1000+ editions! Variants include cities, themes, junior and anniversary editions.
3. Barbie
No classic toy list would be complete without a Barbie! She was introduced in 1959 after the maker saw a gap in the market for an ‘adult’ doll, and she has remained a Christmas gift winner ever since
Barbie has evolved over the years – reacting to criticism about her original body shape – she is now released in different body types, skin tones, eye colours and hairstyles.
4. BMX bike
The BMX phenomenon was born in the mid-70’s. Everyone wanted one. Inspired by motocross – little kids were racing their BMX bikes on the streets and feeling very cool. And you’re still hip if you own one today.
5. Rubik’s Cube
This tricky puzzle toy was hugely popular in the 80’s! Created by a Hungarian sculptor and architect it baffled millions as they tried to twiddle the rows to complete the colour blocks on each side. By 1983 200 million had been sold. Do you have one somewhere?
6. Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Dolls are soft sculptured dolls that can be ‘adopted’ from Babyland General Hospital.
The dolls were branded by many as ugly. Yet, their release in 1983 caused such a frenzy that people camped outside shopping centres – and fights broke out inside – just to get their hands on the latest doll. According to sales data from Debenhams they are the best-selling toy of all time!
You call still adopt one today…
7. Transformers
In 1984 Hasbro launched Transformer toys from the animated series. These awesome toys turned from miniature vehicles into action figures. Robots in disguise!
They were an instant Christmas must-have, leaving parents scouring the shelves to find the in-demand toy of the moment.
8. Gameboy
The Gameboy was one of the first handheld consoles to be released – paving the way for the future of gaming-on-the-go.
On its first release day in the US it sold 40,000 units. In 1989 it was the most popular toy around. Pretty cool for something that has 2D visuals, with a display of only 4 colours of grey!
9. Beanie Babies
Beanie Babies are little soft toys filled with plastic beans rather than traditional stuffing. This ‘understuffing’ gives them a unique feel, and allows them to be posed into different positions.
In the late 90’s Beanie Babies fever was at its peak. Kids went wild for these little stuffed toys and, with each style only sold in limited supply, it caused a frenzy of demand which also saw prices sky rocket. Some Beanie Babies were sold for £1000’s as they were considered ‘rare’.
10. Tamagotchi
Tamagotchi is a digital handheld pet, that kids had to feed, wash and generally look after. It demanded such attention and was truly considered ‘alive’ that parents gave them to kids as a test for getting a real pet!
Tamagotchi sales exploded in the late 90’s, and was considered so iconic that it was included in the Blue Peter time capsule.
What is your favourite classic Xmas toy? Let us know in the comments below!
Leave a Reply