Children's Toys 1960s-1970s

08.10.2010

Top 10 Children’s Toys 1960-1970:[1]

Hot Wheels – Barbie’s creator’s husband, Elliot Handler, invented Hot Wheels while experimenting with free-rolling wheels in 1968. The cars became revolutionary because of their speed and tricks. Artist, Rick Irons, who worked for Mattel at the time created the car’s logo.

LEGO – Originally a Danish toy, they were brought to the US in 1962. But it’s history starts in 1932 when a carpenter in Billund, Denmark set up a business that manufactured wooden toys. He named his company LEGO using the letters in the Danish word that means “play well” (leggodt).

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" house in Bear Run, PA is one of the most popular LEGO products and retails on Amazon for $70 (it usually goes for about $100).

G.I Joe – There isn’t a clear story as to this toy’s origin. The G.I. Joe figure was designed by Walter Hansen and Phil Kraczkowski and sold in 1964 with uniforms of all four branches of the US military. In order to market it to boys, the words “action figure” was used instead of “doll” because boys didn’t play with dolls.

Easy Bake Oven – Introduced in 1963 by Kenner Products, now a division of Hasbro, it was originally turquoise in color and had a fake stove top with a lightbulb heating the oven. In 1968, General Mills began their Betty Crocker line for children to use in the ovens. Today, children can cook food on low settings.

Back then.

Today (more or less).

Etch-a-Sketch – Invented in Germany by Arthur Granjean in the 1950s, it wasn’t until 1960 that the company Ohio Art mass-produced it for people in the US.

Super Ball – Distributed by Wham-O in the summer of 1965, these balls could bounce over buildings making them instantly popular.

The Game of Life – Lithographer Milton Bradley made his fortune by selling portraits of Abraham Lincoln; however, when Lincoln grew a beard, no one wanted his paintings anymore. Bradley went nearly bankrupt until he began selling copies of a game he designed called The Checkered Game of Life. Milton Bradley, the company, was born! The Game of Life was released in 1960 to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Milton Bradley.

Sea Monkeys – This is weird. Harold von Braunhut noticed that sea monkeys have a natural form of suspended animation when removed from water and began marketing them as pets. I always thought Sea Monkeys were a made-up toy but apparently they’re really a creature whose official name is Artema nyos and they are related to the bryn shrimp. Huh, learn something new every day.

Barrel of Monkeys – Introduced in 1966 by Lakeside Toys as S-shaped hooks, they were changed into monkeys with S-shaped arms. In 1968, the cardboard tube used to store the monkeys was changed into a plastic barrel. Today, Milton Bradley owns the game.

Operation – And who said school as a waste of time? In 1962, college student, John Spinello, created a toy with metal holes and lines drilled through the top. It came with a metal rod intended for players to put it in between the openings without touching the sides. If it touched the side, a bell would sound. Spinello sold the game to his godfather and it eventually made its way to Milton Bradley where the game was redesigned to become what we know today as Operation.

The buzz used to always scare the crap out of me.

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[1] http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/461495/top_ten_toys_of_yesterday_1960s.html?cat=25

Children's Toys 1950s-1960s

08.09.2010

Top 10 Children’s Toys 1950-1960:[1]

1. Barbie – She debuted in 1959 invented by Ruth Handler and supposedly based on her daughter. Ruth is co-founder of Mattel and Barbie put them on the map as toy makers.

This is what Barbie looked like when she debuted.

2. Play-Doh – Created by Noah and Joseph McVicker as a non-toxic reusable wallpaper cleaner in 1955. A schoolteacher inquired about a safe modeling clay substitute and Joseph sent her some of their wallpaper cleaner, and the kids loved it. The brothers created Rainbow Crafts Company and renamed their product Play-Doh.

3. Frisbee – 2 ideas created this product. The first, a Connecticut pie baker, William Russel Frisbie, came up with a marketing plan in 1870 to sell his pies. He impressed his name on the bottom of reusable tin plates that his company sold their pies in with the intention that housewives would take the plate to bake a pie, see his name, and think about how much easier it’d be to just buy one. His business boomed and in the 1940s, students at Yale used the tins to throw them to each other and catch them. The second idea came about in the 1950s when Walter Frederick Morrison designed a saucer disc and sold his idea of playing catch with them to Wham-O. While the president of Wham-O toured college campuses across the country he noticed what the students at Yale were doing with the tins. Coming back to CA, he renamed the saucer disc after Frisbie only changing the “i” to another “e” to avoid legal issues.

What Frisbie's pie tin looked like.

4. Tonka Trucks – After failing at making and selling garden tools, a group of teachers turned that failure into success by taking the left over materials to make toys. The toy truck they created was named after the lake Minnetonka.

5. Matchbox Cars – Creator Jack Odell made a miniature brass model of a car for his daughter to take to school for Show and Tell. To help her carry it, he placed the car inside a matchbox making the toy a huge hit.

6. Yahtzee – A wealthy Canadian couple approached Edwin Lowe, a toymaker, to make copies of a game they created. He loved it and bought the rights. It was originally called The Yacht Game created for people to enjoy the game while cruising on the ocean.

7. Skateboards – Wow, I had no idea this actually dates back to the 1930s! It wasn’t until 1958 that the skateboard was manufactured as we know it today.

8. Hula Hoops – These have apparently been around for thousands years. The modern form of it was born out of a trip to Australia by a friend of the company Wham-O who saw children twirl bamboo hoops around their waist for exercise during school.

9. Mr. Potato Head – Creator George Lerner initially designed and produced this for kids to take and use face pieces as push pins for them to push into fruits and veggies. Companies declined to market it saying they didn’t think parents would want to waste food. In 1952, Mr. Potato Head debuted through television advertising where kids would use real potatoes to make countless faces. In 1960, plastic pieces were used instead.

10. PEZ – Originally created as a mint dispenser in 1927 by Edward Haas, an employee of PEZ, Oskar Uxa, eventually changed the design of the dispenser so that it would look more like a cigarette lighter. In 1955, the company decided to place heads on the dispensers in order to market them to children.

What PEZ must've originally looked like.

A vintage PEZ with Olive Oil's face (from Popeye).

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[1] http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/460516/top_ten_toys_of_yesterday_the_1950s_pg2.html?cat=25

All images are found on Google Images by typing in the product name and "1950s."

Children's Toys 1930s-1940s

08.08.2010

Top 10 Children’s Toys 1930-1940:[1]

1. Scrabble – Originally named Criss Cross Words, the creator, Alfred Butts, an architect, didn’t do anything more than give a few games to family and friends. Its popularity among them was so high, that it was the fans of the game that pushed the marketing and distribution. Today, it is the second best-selling game surpassed by Monopoly.

2. COOTIE – Created in 1948, Herb Schaper, a letter carrier and creator of this toy, carved the first forty thousand out of wood by hand. How's that for dedication?

3. Model Airplanes – Initially coming in kits where consumers had to cut pieces of wood themselves, model airplanes were made to help sell airplanes to the military. Once plastic was widely used, creating kits was easily mass-produced.

4. Silly Putty – This is a great story. James Wright created this synthetic, pliable rubber to be used in WWII for caulking and molding. After the war, no one had any use for it and he had a huge amount of leftovers. He sold it to a store owner in CT, Peter Hodgson, who repackaged it by placing some in a plastic egg and labeling it Silly Putty. The rest is, as they say, history!

5. Slinky – Richard James, a navy engineer, was trying to figure out a suspension device when he knocked over a torsion spring and watched it walk. His wife named it.

6. Candy Land – Developed for children with polio, the creator, Eleanor Abbott, developed it while recovering from polio herself.

7. Clue – Probably one of my favorite board games. It was known as Cluedo in England and was bought in 1949 by Parker Bros bringing it to the US.

8. Bubbles – Apparently children were blowing bubbles for centuries but it wasn’t until the ‘40s when someone decided to create a bubble blowing solution, package it, and sell it. Bubbles is the best selling toy in the entire world. And I love them.

I couldn't find an image for Bubbles from the 1940s so I thought this was kind of cool. Besides, I think we all know what "bubbles" look like.

9. Paper Dolls – The need for weapons during WWII stopped production for consumer products. Toys from paper products became an inexpensive way to make toys for kids.

(Notice how stereotypical this is and how it's only white people.)

10. Magic 8 Ball – I had no idea this dated back to the ‘40s! Invented in 1946 by Abe Bookman it’s apparently a slumber party favorite and comes in a variety of colors and designs.

An actual image from a 1940s ad.

What it typically looks like today. Who's asked it a question about someone you liked and shook it until an acceptable answer was given only to act relieved that even the Magic 8 Ball thought that person liked you? Yes, I have conducted myself that foolishly. Now, where is that darned thing? I need to ask it if I should have kids...

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[1] http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/460372/top_ten_toys_of_yesterday_1940s.html?cat=46

Children's Toys 1920s-1930s

08.07.2010

Top 10 Children’s Toys 1920-1930:[1]

1. Pogo Sticks – Patented in 1919 in Germany and intended to be sold at a NY department store, but the wood rotted on the way. We still see this toy today.

2. Magic Slate – Created in the early 1920s, it is a piece of cardboard with a square of black wax attached on which is a clear piece of plastic. You draw on the plastic and when you wanted to draw something else, you lifted the plastic and it cleared the page. I remember playing with a version of this as a kid!

3. Duncan Yo-Yo – Pedro Flores moved from the Philippines, opened up a business selling wooden yo-yos only to be bought out by Donald Duncan who converted them to plastic and made millions. (Yo-Yo means “come, come.”)

4. Mickey Mouse Dolls – Disney created Mickey Mouse in 1926 and in 1928 a woman by the name of Charlotte Clark created a stuffed Mickey. In 1930 Disney merchandising was born and no one’s looked back financially since.

It's come a long way, eh?

5. Monopoly – The original version of this game dates back to 1883 by George S. Parker and after decades of changes and various other similar games, Monopoly as we know it today was born in 1935 and distributed by Parker Brothers.

Box cover.

Board game.

6. Sorry! – Also a Parker Bros. game it is based on Parcheesi with twists.

Box cover. Game board.

7. View-Master – The little view-finder with which you look at 3D postcards. I remember these!

This specific view-master might be from a later date.

8. Trampoline – George Nissan observed trapeze artists bouncing into safety nets after their acts and he created the trampoline for gymnasts to use in their routines.

This is probably more from the 1950s.

9. Cap Gun – Initially created from cast iron, these are toys that make a sound similar to a gunshot and have a small burst of smoke when fired. I hate guns for children. Always have. Always will.

10. Snoopy Sniffer – Created and marketed for Fisher-Price in 1938, this is a version of today’s Lil’Snoopy.

Snoopy Sniffer.

Descendent of Snoopy Sniffer.

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[1] http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/460226/top_ten_toys_of_yesterday_1920s_30s_pg2.html?cat=37

History Week: Children's Toys 1900-1920

08.06.2010

Because I’m an historian, I find the following information fascinating. I also know that I’m probably the only one, so no offense if you gloss over today’s posting or don’t read it at all.

Top 10 Children’s Toys 1900-1920:[1]

1. Teddy Bears – named, of course, after my favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt after an incident he had with a bear (he actually hated being called “Teddy”).

2. Erector Set – (not what you think) Created in 1908, it’s a construction kit that kids can build and add on to. It’s widely used and very popular still today.



3. Lionel Trains – This is the same train we still see today that goes around a Christmas tree. It was developed in 1901.



4. Lincoln Logs – Introduced in 1916; I remember playing with them myself in Kindergarten. They were also the first toy to ever be promoted on TV (1953).



5. Raggedy Ann – I never had one but I certainly remember them.



6. Radio Flyer Wagon – Created in 1917 with the onset of the radio; we see these wagons all over the place today.


7. Tinker Toys – Developed in 1914 but they didn’t take off until Christmas of that year when the creator hired little people to dress up as elves and play with them. Within a year, he sold millions.

8. Crayons – Debuted in 1908 with a box of eight colors. Awesome! (We all know what crayons look like, so I found a picture with crayons with funny names. Look closely.)



9. Tin Toys – These toys were around in Germany for years but it wasn’t until the turn of the 20th Century did they make their way to the States.





10. Tiddlywinks – Apparently this has become a professional sport today. It involves small discs, called winks, that lay on a flat surface and players use a large disc to pop the winks into the air.

















Top image, an older looking set and below, a more modern set.

Tomorrow, the next decade.

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[1] http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/459881/top_ten_toys_of_yesterday_19001920.html?cat=37

All images are from Google Images typing in the name of the toy and year.