Christmas toys through the decades: The big hitters from the 70s to the 00s

From Hungry Hippos to Strawberry Shortcake, from Care Bears to the Ghostbusters car and from Furbys to Buzz Lightyear, here we take a look at some of the most popular toys of past decades.

How many of these must-have gifts do you remember from your childhood? And do you still have some of these treasures tucked away in your loft?

1972 – Mastermind board game

This puzzle game proved a runaway success when it was launched. Despite the name, it had nothing to do with the television quiz show. Players had to crack the code by matching four different coloured plastic pins set in a brown plastic board.

On eBay, a vintage game from the 1970s can fetch between £15 and £35, depending on the condition.

1973 – Shrinky Dinks

This clever invention allowed children to turn their artwork into toys, keyrings and magnets. They would draw on flexible sheets of plastic that, when popped in the oven, would shrink down to approximately 1/3 their original size.

They proved popular again in the 90s and can still be found in different formats today.

If you did happen to have an unused set of 1970s Shrinky Dinks in the loft, they could sell for around £20.

1976 – Magna Doodle

Forget Etch-A-Sketch, the Magna Doodle was the arty present everyone wanted in 1976. This magnetic drawing board and magnetic stylus was both fun and creative. It’s been played with by generations of children and fans of television sitcom Friends will remember the one hanging up in Chandler and Joey’s apartment.

The oldest Magna Doodle we could find on eBay dated back to 1986. Still in working condition, it was for sale for £14.

1978 - Hungry Hungry Hippos

This is a fast-paced game that pits family members against each other to see who can make their brightly coloured hippo eat the most marbles.

Players press down on a lever on the back of the hippo, which extends the hippo’s head and opens its mouth, allowing it to capture marbles.

The game has been entertaining children for more than four decades and remains a popular choice with families today.

A used, original game from 1978 is selling for around £15 on eBay.

1979 – Strawberry Shortcake

Many women who grew up in the late 1970s will remember Strawberry Shortcake as both a cartoon and a doll.

The ginger-haired character first appeared on greetings cards but has since appeared on children’s toys, stationery and in TV programmes.

In 1979, toy manufacturer Kenner Products released the first Strawberry Shortcake doll. She resembled a typical rag doll, complete with freckles, curly hair, and a bonnet with a strawberry print on it.

Prices vary on eBay depending on the age and condition of the dolls.

1980 – The Rubik’s Cube

It was one of the trickiest toys around and has continued to challenge players ever since.

It was originally called the Magic Cube but was renamed in 1980 after the man who invented it, Erno Rubik.

The game has squares of different colours on each side and the idea is to move it around until each side has only one colour on it.

It is really hard to do unless you know how but it can be solved in as few as 20 moves.

The Rubik’s Cube became very popular between 1980 and 1983, with around 200 million Rubik’s Cubes were sold worldwide.

We found an original 1980s Rubik’s Cube on sale for £29.99.

1982 – BMX bike

This bike appeared on many children’s Christmas lists, inspired by the release of Steven Spielberg’s film ET and the scene where Elliott and friends ride around on their bikes in a bid to help their new friend “go home”.

BMX bikes were quite different from anything ever seen before. They only had one gear so how fast you went was directly related to how hard you pedalled. There are many old bikes for sale on eBay including a 1980 Kuwahara Nova, which is advertised at £875.

1983 – Cabbage Patch Kids

If you grew up in the 1980s, then one of these dolls, with their signature rosy cheeks, may have been on your wish list.

The dolls, which came with a birth certificate and adoption papers, first became popular in America whether there were riots outside some shops as parents tried to get their hands on one of the coveted toys.

By 1983, the craze had travelled across the Atlantic and British children were falling for their charms.

Almost three million Cabbage Patch Kids were sold around the world by the end of the year.

They have since come back into fashion and were among the most popular Christmas toys of 2012.

1985 – Care Bears

This was another toy phenomenon to travel across from the US. Care Bears originally started as characters drawn on greetings cards and by 1983 had been transformed into soft toys.

More than 40 million Care Bears toys sold between 1983 and 1987 alone.

By the mid ‘80s, they had their own television series - with three Care Bear movies released throughout the decade. Each bear was a different colour, with a picture on its stomach that represented its personality.

The 10 original bears were Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, Grumpy Bear, Love-a-lot Bear, Tenderheart Bear, and Wish Bear.

As well as soft toys, there were a range of plastic toys based on the characters.

We found a 1984 Bedtime Bear, with the original box, on sale for £152.14.

1988 – Ghostbusters toys

When the first Ghostbusters film was released in 1984, it became a massive success so it’s hardly surprising that the toy range that followed later was also a huge hit.

The first to be released were models of the four main characters along with Slimer the green ghost and Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Toys based on the vehicles used by the Ghostbusters such as the Ectomobile (also known as the Ecto-1) soon followed.

An original Ghostbusters house, car and figures were selling on eBay for a total of £120.

1991 – Game Boy

The hand-held gaming machine that started it all, the original Nintendo Game Boy broke the mould when it launched over thirty years ago.

While later versions such as the Pocket and Color became more streamlined, the OG Game Boy was almost the size of a video cassette, and needed a bank of AA batteries in its back to function.

At the time of course, people couldn’t believe this incredible bit of kit that allowed gamers to play on the move, and in 1991 it was the must-have gadget on every Christmas list.

Depending on condition, today’s eBay value can be up to £250.

1992 – Thunderbirds Tracy Island

The quintessential ‘coveted toy’ that parents, children and Blue Peter fans of the day will never forget.

Tracy Island was the home and headquarters of Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds, and alongside a range of Matchbox toys that brought the Tracy family’s iconic rescue machines to life, their legendary base was set to cause a stir with children everywhere.

In 1992, parents queued for hours in the hope of bagging a Tracy Island for their little ones, and demand was so high that Blue Peter famously ran a make-your-own tutorial for those who weren’t lucky enough to get their hands on one.

On eBay today an original Matchbox Tracy Island can fetch £250.

1995 – Pogs

Back in the mid-nineties, these ultra-collectable card disks were the mainstay of many a playground.

With this, it was only a matter of time until they were to dominate the Christmas buzz – and 1995 was their year.

The game involved the stacking and flipping of the Pogs, but for most, the game was very much secondary to the collecting.

Collections are listed on eBay for varying amounts from £4 to £50.

1996 – Buzz Lightyear

Second only to Tracy Island, this one was at the heart of a near-unprecedented phenomenon.

The release of Toy Story’s original Space Ranger as an action figure sent children into overdrive, and parents into a maniacal frenzy trying to track one down.

Toy Story was released in March 1996 in the UK and was an instant hit with kids and grown-ups.

And later that year, the toy was the most sought-after product for Christmas, with kids keen to get their hands on futuristic space man Buzz Lightyear.

Indisputedly the must-have toy for Christmas 1996, the Buzz Lightyear doll sold out so rapidly – and with such high demand – that emergency stock was shipped to the UK, arriving with selected retailers just in time for Christmas Eve. Many of these reportedly sold out within 20 minutes of opening on December 24. To infinity, and beyond...

Boxed Buzzes have been known to be listed on eBay for £500.

1998 – Furby

These interactive plastic pets were a massive Christmas hit for 1998, despite only launching in the October.

The oddly clever Furby began life speaking its own language, Furbish, and gradually picked up English over time. 1.8 million of the toys were sold during their release year, with another 14 million in 1999.

Strangely for a toy that was a festive flavour-of-the-year over two decades ago, the Furby is still a popular toy today, albeit a much more advanced version complete with its own mobile app. Standard.

Originals can be found listed on eBay for over £80.

2000 – Razor Scooter

With the turn of the new millennium, Razor Scooters were on the lips of all parents looking to get their little ‘uns that must-have prezzie for Christmas 2000.

Taking its name from the closing motion of a cut-throat razor, the folding Razor Scooter became many children’s favourite mode of transport, and was in fact named Toy of The Year the following year in 2001.

On eBay, originals have fetched £25.

2003 – Beyblade

A game where players pulled plastic cords and launched spinning tops into a battleground, Beyblade crashed into the toy scene and was all the kids could talk about.

Although it had existed in Japan for a couple of years already, Beyblade was launched internationally by Hasbro in 2002, and it soared to the top of the Christmas bestseller lists for 2003.

Various Beyblade products can be found listed on eBay at various prices.

2004 – Robosapien

An endearing robotic toy that had been released in the spring, by Christmas 2004 Robosapien had sold 1.5 million units.

Responding to sound and touch and with 21 control buttons on its remote, Robosapien had been deliberately designed to be easily modified by those with the right programming skills.

In Germany, two teams of three Robosapiens were reportedly modified to play each other in a world-first game of humanoid robot football.

Robosapien can fetch £100 on eBay.

2006 – Nintendo Wii

The creators of the Game Boy were back to take the Christmas market by storm once again.

Nintendo’s Wii console had the USP of a motion-sensitive controller, allowing players to play by physically imitating the in-game action required. It meant that to bowl, you bowled; to play tennis, you served; and to box, you boxed.

As a result, the Wii became super popular in terms of group gaming, and therefore rose to the top of Santa lists across the land for 2006.

Nintendo Wii products are listed on eBay at various amounts, yet some consoles alone are listed at £30.

2009 – Go Go Pets’ Hamsters

The successor to the Furby’s robo-pet crown, Go Go Pets’ hamsters came along to be the word on every child’s lips for Christmas 2009.

Simulating the noises and scurrying of real hamsters, they were popular with kids (and parents) who thought a real pet might be a hassle.

They have been listed on eBay for as high as £17.