Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...
- The history and traditions of the holiday.
- The décor that filled our homes.
- The toys that defined each decade.
- The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
- The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).
Happy Sunday! At least for another hour or so. We are 145 days from Christmas 2026. I am in full "can't wait for fall" mode, which means the holidays aren't far behind.
For Journey through Christmases Past, I thought it would be neat to talk about some of the toy crazes from years past.
1960s
G. I. Joe - If you wonder where the term "action figure" came from, you can look right to the G.I. Joe franchise and Hasbro. Fearing boys wouldn't play with dolls, they marketed G.I. Joe as a movable fighting man. The original figures represented four branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Check out some neat images and more information at Welcome to the Sixties by clicking here.
1970s
Speaking of action figures, did you know that George Lucas reduced his director's salary in exchange for retaining all merchandising and sequel rights? I didn't until today, because in searching for toy crazes from the 1970s, this one popped up. Lucas's move is said to have transformed movie merchandising. Check out The Toy Collectors Guide for Star Wars figures from 1977 - 1985 here. There was such a demand for these action figures that Kenner sold empty boxes with an I.O.U. for the action figures to be delivered later. Check out this article from Braithwaite here.
1980s
This is the first toy craze I remember, because I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll. I was lucky enough to get one, though I still don't know how Aunt Jean pulled it off. These dolls were gone in minutes as soon as they hit the store. History shared an article about the craze here. This frenzy over these dolls is said to have been the first time a toy sparked violent riots and brawls. If you check YouTube, there are some videos. I guess nothing says Merry Christmas like getting into a fight over a toy.
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) also came out in the 1980s. Known for saving and redefining the gaming industry, this was a must-have for every video game lover. By the early 1990s, when the NES II came out, my son sure wanted one. Check out this article from SyFy about NES here.
1990s
There are two popular toys I recall from the 1990s: Tickle Me Elmo and the oddly shaped, colorful Furby. Of course, only one of them got temporarily banned by the NSA.
As someone who was never an Elmo fan, it blew my mind that his first appearance on Sesame Street was in 1985. He has been annoying people for over 40 years now! I was still partially working in retail when Tickle Me Elmo came out, but I don't recall our store ever getting such popular toys in. Check out this YouTube video about people trying to hunt down Tickle Me Elmo in 1996.
Though Furbies were not on my radar in the late 90s, these somewhat adorable toys with their pointy ears were designed to make them seem like actual pets. They spoke their own language, and they interacted with their owners. In this November 1998 article from the Los Angeles Times, they captured some of the tense interactions between shoppers. Not only was this toy banned by the NSA in certain places, but some parents feared the Furby was teaching their kids to swear. Does Santa need to put the Furby on the naughty list?
What were some of your favorite toys during these decades? Do you recall any toy crazes of your younger years?
