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[handygal2]

This article reminisces about the various toys that were wildly popular during Christmas seasons past. Beginning way back in 1903 with the Lionel electric locomotive, through the 50s and 60s with hula hoops and Etch a Sketch, respectively. Then later on, Cabbage Patch Kids, Beanie Babies, Furbies... It's a fun and nostalgic read.

Here's the article:

LIFESTYLE/FAMILY
Toy crazes through the years
By Newsday.com Staff
Updated December 20, 2017 6:14 AM

While Fingerlings have parents scrambling this holiday season, it's certainly not the first toy to send shoppers into a frenzy. We've reached out to the Toy Industry Association and to toy experts Laurie Schacht from The Toy Insider and Richard Gottlieb, founder of the Manhattan-based toy consulting company Global Toy Experts to find the hottest toy crazes through the years.

1903: No. 5 Electric Locomotive

Photo Credit: Lionel
In 1903, the Lionel No. 5 Electric Locomotive train hit shelves. According to the Toy Industry Association, the locomotive was a steel reproduction of an 1800 Horsepower Baltimore and Ohio R.R. Prototype was difficult to keep in stock.

1923: No. 4 Liberty Coaster

Photo Credit: Radio Flyer
The No. 4 Liberty Coaster from Radio Flyer was handcrafted by wood and sold directly to stores by the company's founder Antonio Pasin. The demand for the Liberty Coaster continued to rise despite the beginning of the Great Depression as parents dreamed of a better future for their children, according to the Toy Industry Association.

1935: Monopoly

Photo Credit: Parker Brothers
Monopoly was compelling during the Depression and was an instant hit, said the Toy Industry Association, because millions of people who were barely getting by could dream of cornering the real estate market in Atlantic City.

1950: Silly Putty

Photo Credit: Toy Industry Association
According to the Toy Industry Association, Silly Putty, which became one of the biggest sellers of the 20th century, was discovered by accident. When there was a shortage of rubber in World War II, a member of the GE research team accidentally created the solid liquid. Within three years, more than 300 million eggs of Silly Putty were sold.

1950s - Hula Hoops

Photo Credit: Newsday / Nightengale
"The Hula Hoop craze of the late 50s can be traced to Australia, where children twirled hoops made out of bamboo," according to the website hulahooping.com. Toltoys stepped in to make hoops out of plastic when the production of bamboo hoops could not meet the demand. They sold 400,000 hoops in 1957. Pictured, Marlene Alter, 10, of Roslyn, working four Hula Hoops at the same time.

1959: Trolls

Photo Credit: Wishnik
In the early 1960s, Trolls were a must-have collectible for boys and girls. Part of their appeal was their wrinkled faces, big ears and messy hair, making them unlike any other dolls on the market. There was a Troll for every occasion.

1960: Etch A Sketch

Photo Credit: The Ohio Art Company
The Etch A Sketch made its debut on shelves on July 12, 1960. Since then over 175 million units have been sold worldwide. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association added it to their "Century of Toys" list. It has appeared in several movies and TV shows, such as "Toy Story" since its launch.

1970s - 'Star Wars' action figures

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images/DON EMMERT
The most coveted toys in the 1970s featured C-3PO, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.

1983 - Cabbage Patch Kids

Photo Credit: AP
These dolls with "adoption certificates" were created by Xavier Roberts and sold 2.5 million units (1 billion in CBK and CBK-licensed products in 1984 alone). This toy of the year in 1983 caused near-riots at some stores that were short on inventory. The Babyland General Hospital, a 70,000-square-foot building in Cleveland, houses a history of Cabbage Patch Kids since 2007. More than 115 million Kids have been sold to date.

1984: Go Bots

Photo Credit: Tonka
These smaller Transformer-like toys were stars in a cartoon series in the mid-1980s. According to the Toy Insider, Transformers were the undisputed champion, but in 1984 it was neck-and-neck, with both companies claiming $100 million in orders by the summer. 


1988: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Photo Credit: Playmates Toys
The first collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles included Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, April O'Neil, Bebop, Foot Soldier, Rock Steady, Shredder, and Splinter.

1989: Game Boy

Photo Credit: Nintendo
In 1989 Nintendo released the Game Boy, a gray-and-white handheld video game device that outslugged its much more graphically enhanced competitors to eventually become the top-selling game of all time, with more than 100 million units sold by 2000, according to the Toy Insider. 


1993 - Beanie Babies

Photo Credit: AP/MICHAEL S. GREEN
Ty Warner Inc., the company behind the popular Beanie Babies, strategically turned Beanie Babies from fad to a collector's item. Between 1993 and 1996, there were 100 million units of Beanie Babies sold.

1994: Pogs

Photo Credit: Pogs
This schoolyard game used caps from POG brand juice and became a hot collectible toy in the mid-1990s. According to the Toy Insider, it was those same schoolyards that led to the downfall of Pogs, as kids couldn't handle losing their expensive Pogs. "We hear kids say, 'He took my Pogs,' and we go, 'God, those Pogs again," one school principal in upstate New York told the Albany Times Union in 1995. There were about 350 million units sold.

1996 - Tickle Me Elmo

Photo Credit: Newsday / Ken Spencer
Tyco's Tickle Me Elmo, a stuffed animal with interactive tickle spots that, when stimulated, would cause him to laugh hysterically, caused mass chaos when it was released in 1996. Due to unexpected demand, the toy, which had a retail price of $28.99, was in short supply, resulting in parent-on-parent showdowns at various toy stores, and people asking for as much as $1,500 for the coveted doll on the internet. One million units were sold.

1997 - Tamagotchi

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images/YOSHIKAZU TSUNO
This handheld digital pet, created in Japan by Bandai, comes housed in a keychain-size, egg-shape computer equipped with a three-button interface. As soon as the tag was removed, an egg would appear, hatch and then the owner would have to care for their brand-new virtual pet -- feeding and entertaining it, as well as cleaning up after him/her. If the pet was left unattended for about five or six hours, it died. This toy had $150 million in sales.

2001: Bratz Dolls

Photo Credit: MGA Entertainment
In 2001, MGA Entertainment released four multi-ethnic teenage fashion dolls with large heads, skinny bodies, almond eyes, revealing clothing and a lot of makeup. According to the Toy Insider, what followed was an empire that included a Hollywood movie, a TV series, video games, music albums and more. By 2005, global sales of Bratz branded products were $2 billion and by 2006 Bratz had about 40 percent of the fashion-doll market.

1998 - Furby

Photo Credit: AFP / Getty Images / YOSHIKAZU TSUNO
With its big owl-like eyes and 5-inch-tall hamster-esque body, this robotic pet became the must-have toy after its release during the holiday season of 1998, according to The Toy Insider. The animatronic toy would first speak "Furbish" -- an invented language concocted from Japanese, Thai, Hebrew and Mandarin Chinese, and gradually learn to speak English as it became exposed to the language. About 1.8 million Furbies were sold during the holiday season of 1998, followed by another 14 million in 1999.

2012 - Rainbow Loom

Photo Credit: Choon’s Design LLC
This plastic tool is used to weave colorful rubber and plastic bands into bracelets and charms. The set comes with two plastic template boards, a hook, 24 plastic clips and 600 multicolored mini rubber bands to make 24 bracelets. More than one million sets have been sold to date.

2016 - Hatchimals

Photo Credit: Spin Master
Kids take care of the Hatchimals egg and small, interactive creatures hatch themselves. Teach them to walk, talk, play games and more. Who's inside? It's a surprise.

2017 - Fingerlings

Photo Credit: WowWee
Fingerlings Baby Monkeys hang onto your finger and know when they're being touched and spoken to, and even hung upside down. They come to life with 40 ways to play and 50 sounds to let you know how they are feeling. They make realistic monkey sounds and have blinking eyes and a curly hanging tail. Six different Fingerlings to share and collect. $14.99. More information: fingerlings.wowwee.com.

[OKPrincess]

I had the silly putty, hula hoops, monopoly game as a child. I'm surprised Barbie wasn't listed. My daughter got the first cabbage patch baby and my son got the first ninja turtles. If we'd only known to hang onto the boxes.

[q-girl]

@handygal2. . . . I was unable to read the article. . .how do you bring the entire article up once you click on the link? I am only able to read the first paragraph before it asks me to sign in. I would really love to read this. What am I missing? Thanks much for any help you can offer.

Holiday Hugs. . .

[handygal2]

@q-girl: I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize, but you probably need to have a digital subscription to Newsday (which l do) in order to read the article.   l will try to copy and paste it.

ETA: Done-- enjoy!

[Laura14]

I may have some Cabbage Patch Kids in my house as I type.     They just don't make real dolls anymore and I still love my dolls.   

Never had any of the rest. 

I was always good with whatever Santa brought me.  I had to be because I grew up in a Roman Catholic household and ungrateful children disappeared and were replaced with younger siblings all the time.      

[aggravated]

I remember some of these from my childhood - etch-a-sketch being one.  I also remember my missions as the aunt searching for the Furby (which is now quite valuable I believe) as well as the latest Barbie horse or dream house.  Golf clubs for one nephew one year.  All time consuming and expensive.  None of the same nieces or nephews are now in touch with us.  

[faeriemoon]

Surprised the Easy Bake Oven didn't make the article.  Always wanted one, never got one.

[morganjen]

 I loved my Etch-A-Sketch growing up!

[BirdieGal]

OMG FURBY! 

I had to lock both of ours in a closet because they would never shut up!

One was my sons and DH put one in my stocking. The two talked to each other but never stopped.

[Spurt]

@handygal2

What a fun post thank you for sharing......some of them sure brought back memories.....Monopoly remained popular for a long time...I remember playing it for hours with friends......Also the Etch A Sketch and Silly Putty...........