It seems like every year there’s a new fad toy that’s come to market just in time for Christmas and with high demand and limited stock, the shops are full of parents fighting to get the last one off the shelf.
Over the last decades, there’s almost always been a range of popular toys that have been as much torment to parents as they have been a joy to the children.
The happiness that comes when that present is taken from under the tree and unwrapped is undeniable, but the hassle of getting it there might have broken more than a bank account.
Join us as we take a tour back through the last four decades to show you the most popular toys for the Christmas period.
1977 - Star Wars Toys
Over 100 of these Star Wars toys were made between 1977 and 1985, but in the first year of release, they were flying off the shelves.
41 years ago this year, with the release of the original Star Wars film, came a wave of merchandising that included these Kennar action figures.
Over 100 of these Star Wars toys were made between 1977 and 1985, but in the first year of release, they were flying off the shelves. Action figures are known for their popularity and untouched boxed models have fetched insane prices at auction since.
1978 - simon
This will game was inspired by the children’s game “Simon Says” and had a simple premise - each of the four coloured buttons needed to be hit in sequence.
In 1967,the first prototypefor a multiplayer, multiprogram video games system was developed by Ralph Baer and his colleagues at Sanders Associates Inc. 11 years later, that same inventor would go on to create one of the most popular children’s games of the time - “Simon” was the result.
This will game was inspired by the children’s game “Simon Says” and had a simple premise - each of the four coloured buttons needed to be hit in sequence to match the tune played by Simon. Get it wrong and you lose. In 1978, this simple game took the world by storm.
1979 - Atari VCS
The Christmas of 1979 saw this console selling like hotcakes thanks to its exclusive content and that year it sold one million units.
Although originally released in 1977, it wasn’t until two years later that the Atari Video Computer System (later known as the Atari 2600) began to prove popular.
Popularity continued to grow in the years that followed too, with this Atari console selling 10 million copies by 1982.
1980 - Rubicks Cube
By 1983 it is estimated that 200 million Rubik’s Cubes were sold worldwide.
In 1974, a Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor by the name of Ernő Rubik invented a 3D puzzle that would eventually become known as the Rubik’s Cube.
This humble little toy proved insanely popular in 1980 when it began being marketed in earnest. By 1983 it is estimated that 200 million Rubik’s Cubes were sold worldwide.
Interestingly, the original Rubik’s Cubes had 11 edges that could be flipped independently, resulting in 43 quintillion possible combinations. In 2007, University researchers found a way to solve the puzzle in just 26 moves - an impressive feat.
1981 - Smurfs
It was the television shows that began the merchandising barrage in earnest and Smurf toys were high on Christmas lists across the world in 1981.
The Smurfs were smart little blue creatures who lived in wild mushrooms in the forest.
The Smurfs began life in 1958 and originally appeared in comic books, but later made their way on TV and into video games, dolls and more. It was the television shows that began the merchandising barrage in earnest and Smurf toys were high on Christmas lists across the world in 1981.
1982 - Bmx
BMX was a fad that started in the early 1970s when children began racing their bikes in a style inspired by motocross sports stars of the time.
The phenomenon of BMX racing was born and the BMX bike grew and grew in popularity.
1983 - Cabbage Patch Kid
Cabbage Patch Kids were the must-have kids toy of 1983. Incredibly hard to get hold of too.
Cabbage Patch Kids were the must-have kids toy of 1983 and perhaps the first toy on this list to result in several fights breaking out in stores across the United States.
The Cabbage Patch Kids had humble beginnings at the hands of Xavier Roberts, a 21-year-old art student who started hand-stitching these dolls in 1978.
Originally, the dolls weren’t sold, they were “adopted” with their own names and birth certificates to boot.
1984 - Transformers
In 1984, Hasbro toys started a venture with Takara of Japan to create toys and merchandise for the Transformers animated series. You know what happened next.
In 1984, Hasbro toys started a venture with Takara of Japan to create toys and merchandise for the Transformers animated series.
This mission to create a line of toys for the robots in disguise, essentially resulted in the longest-running and most popular toy franchises of all time - at least for these two companies. Initial sales proved a massive success and these Transformer toys were highly sought after around Christmas time.
They improved with each coming year that followed with bigger, bolder designs and improved transforming abilities.
1985 - Carebears
The Care Bears Movie in 1985 helped these plush teddies to begin selling like crazy.
Care Bears began their life on greeting cards but proved so popular that they were eventually turned into toys, TV programs and more.
In the 1980s a number of TV shows pushed the popularity of Care Bears into the mainstream, but with The Care Bears Movie in 1985, these plush teddies began selling like crazy. Care Bears were top of the pile on many a Christmas wishlist across the world.
1986 - Teddy Ruxpin
Teddy Ruxpin was one of the first talking teddy bears and the Grandfather of hundreds if not thousands of similar toys since.
This little bear had a cassette tape attached to its back that allowed him to tell stories with mouth and eye movements that were synchronised to the audio.
