Every Xmas there is one "must
have" toy for all the baby grumplings. Soon it will be broken and unwanted but
no matter, it's what commercial Xmas is all about. The British Association of
Toy Retailers report the following Xmas bestsellers from 1970 onwards: (before
this children got only an Orange for Xmas).
- 1970: Sindy Doll
- 1971: Space Hopper
- 1972: Plasticraft
- 1973: Mastermind
- 1974: Lego
- 1975: Wombles
- 1976: Skateboard
- 1977: Slime
- 1978: Star Wars
- 1979: Gonks
- 1980: Rubik's Cube
- 1981: Rubik's Cube (again)
- 1982: Star Wars (again)
- 1983: My Little Pony/Masters of the Universe
- 1984: Care Bear/Cabbage Patch Doll
- 1985: Transformers
- 1986: Blockbuster Game
- 1987: Sylvanian Families
- 1988: Ghostbusters
- 1989: Nintendo
- 1990: Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
- 1991: Nintendo Game Boy
- 1992: Thunderbirds Tracy Island/WWF Wrestlers
- 1993: Barbie/Action Man
- 1994: Power Rangers
- 1995: Pogs
- 1996: Buzz Lightyear
- 1997: Teletubbies
- 1998: Furby/Yo-yo
- 1999: Star Wars Light Sabre
- 2000: Candle/Tin of Cat Food (to survive when Y2K bug destroys all computers)
- 2001: Bionicle/Pogo Stick
But what was voted the "Toy of the 20th Century"?
The winner was Lego. Game of the Century was Monopoly and Craze of the Century was the YoYo.
Shortlisted entries included Action Man, Barbie, the Teddy bear, Meccano, Scrabble,
Mastermind and Trivial Pursuits. The Orange came nowhere.
![[Merry Xmas!]](xmaspres.gif)