(STACKER) — Do you remember any holiday gift crazes from when you were a kid? This list of some of the most popular toys from 1965 to 1980 might jog your memory.
1965: Tonka Truck Dump Truck
Tonka Trucks were invented by three people in Minnesota who originally wanted to make garden tools but started making toy trucks after receiving a toy steam shovel. The dump truck was released in 1965 and became an instant bestseller, where it remained for the next 35 years.
1966: Troll Dolls
The original troll dolls, invented by Danish woodworker Thomas Dam, were much creepier. They were made of wood and had wool hair and glass eyes. By 1959, the dolls were produced in a small factory using PVC plastic. The trolls gained popularity and held onto it throughout the next decade, with teens collecting them and hosting “bring your own troll” parties.
1967: Barrel of Monkeys
Barrel of Monkeys, the game of linking red, S-shaped plastic monkeys into a long chain, originated when Leonard Marks was waiting at a shop counter, playing with snow tire replacement chain links. By 1967, Barrel of Monkeys was #2 on the hit toys charts.
1968: Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels was one of Matchbox’s direct competitors, though Matchbox focused on size and Hot Wheels tricked out its cars. The first line released in 1968, The Sweet 16, instantly overtook all the competition in the die-cast car industry.
1969: Flatsy
If you combine a paper doll and a Barbie, you get Flatsy, a flat doll with hair, changeable clothes, and accessories. Ideal Toy Company released them in 1969, and they were immediately popular. Flatsy dolls became collector’s items the very next year.
1970: NERF
By 1970, Parker Brothers knew kids everywhere were tired of being told they couldn’t play ball in the house. So the company released a ball specifically to be played inside—NERF, a soft foam ball that wouldn’t hurt a thing if it smashed into it. By the end of the first year, more than 4 million were sold.
1971: Weebles
We all know the tagline: “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down!” The little wobbling egg-shaped people were introduced in 1971, based on the Punching Clown from the show “Romper Room.” The dolls gained immediate success.
1972: Polaroid Camera
Polaroid, an already established company, took a giant leap forward in 1972 when it released the Polaroid instant camera. Legend says the co-founder’s daughter was the inspiration; she wondered why she couldn’t see vacation photos immediately after they were snapped. The camera was the cover story for Life magazine just before Christmas that year, boosting sales.
1973: Baby Alive
1973 was a huge year for lifelike dolls. That year, Baby Alive was introduced and dominated the market. It had a mechanical mouth that chewed up food from packets, which it then “disposed of” in its diaper.
1974: Magna Doodle
In 1974, a new type of chalkboard was invented, one without chalk and without dust: the Magna Doodle. It was very similar to the Etch-A-Sketch—just newer—and sold millions since its introduction.
1975: Pet Rock
The Pet Rock was originally meant as a joke, a “pet” that didn’t need any care, which seemed to resonate incredibly well with the ethos of the self-indulgent mid-’70s. It cost $3.95 in 1975 and took over the country that year, with more than a million units sold.
1976: Paddington Bear
“A Bear Called Paddington” was first introduced to the world in 1958 through a children’s book. The bear himself, in a stuffed animal version, followed in 1972, and in 1975, the toy was given the green light in the U.S. market. It took off and spawned a television series in 1976.
1977: Slime
First introduced in 1976, squishy and oozy Slime came packaged in a plastic garbage can and became a bestseller right away. 1977 saw a new, wildly popular way to play with Slime: the Slime Monster Game, where players try to slime their opponents.
1978: Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos was released in 1978 to high acclaim. Basically, you play as a plastic hippo and try to eat as many marbles as possible as fast as possible. Kids born in the early ’80s remember the game well; it has been a staple in the family game room since its launch.
1979: Atari
The ’70s started the video game craze, with Atari first reaching homes in 1975. And though 150,000 were sold that first year, it only took off once the inventor sold the system to Warner Communications. By the end of 1979, sales topped $415 million.
1980: Rubik’s Cube
The Rubik’s Cube was invented in 1974 by a professor in his mother’s Budapest apartment. The twisty-turny puzzle cube became really popular in 1980 when it debuted at the New York toy fair. The toy was immediately popular, and about 100 million cubes were sold in the next three years.
Additional writing by Jaimie Etkin. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
