The POP EXPOSE ‘The 25 Greatest Toys You Got For Christmas’ by Mitchell Smith

Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. I grew up with 3 brothers, a sister, a half brother and half sister, so growing up I don’t know if I ever had that Christmas where I was spoiled with toys. It was always about getting together with family and being happy you got anything at all, and outside of the gift or 2 I got on my birthday, this was pretty much the only other time I ever got toys. One of the best memories I have though was looking through the Sears or JC Penny catalogue and wishing to get some or all the great toys in the magazine. So here are 25 toys that have been created and have stayed popular over the years. Most of these on my list I got or knew someone that got one or several of these as a Christmas gift The list was very long, but I’ve narrowed it down to some favorites of mine plus some all time classics that have withstood the stains of time. So here they are in no particular order.

#25 – Beanie Babies – in late 1991 the Ty company started producing stuffed animals filled with plastic beans instead of stuffing. Each one was pre-named and the Beanie Baby craze took off. I know my daughter got a good number of these starting with Chopsticks the Monkey around 2005. There are many adult collectors and these are still found all over from department stores, to zoos, and at the gas station on the corner. These have stayed popular and I’m sure there will be a good number of them under the trees this year.

#24 – Transformers – They came onto the scene in 1984. I never really had any transformers as a kid, but what a cool concept. They were accompanied by a cartoon which I did watch. There may have been a slight dip but Transformers has had a lot of recent success do to hitting the big screen with live action films. Over the years Transformers have stayed atop the list of toys and this year there will be many Christmas Trees filled with various Transformers.

#23 – Barbie – in 1959 Mattel launched a fashion doll. In a more conservative time in the US, the Barbie doll didn’t quite jive with some parents at the time, but over time Barbie has become one of the most popular toys of the past 50 + years. I know the tree was filled over the years for my daughter with plenty of popular ones. There have been a number of Barbie movies over recent years that have helped market a good number of Barbies. There is a large number of adult collectors as well, and Barbie has had countless versions and has been sold in over 150 countries round the world.

#22 – Etch A Sketch – There isn’t a whole lot to say about this simple toy. It’s just one of those staple toys that every kid has had since the first one was sold on July 12th of 1960. The endless drawing possibilities makes this land on my list and land under trees year after year.

#21 – Lite Brite – Another imagination toy, Lite Brite created hours of fun when I was a kid. Hasbro released this in 1967 and it has been a popular toy over the years. I had one of the original ones as a kid, and there has been an upgrade, but this has stayed strong over the years.

#20 – My Little Pony – Created in 1981 My little Pony were sprung into mainstream. The different colored horses were marketed toward girls, and have been popular over the years. They had their own cartoons and I got stuck watching these with my kids, but surprisingly enough these were entertaining even to an adult male, and it is no wonder My Little Pony is still popular today.

#19 – Wrestlers – Professional wrestling originated in 19th century Europe as a form of entertainment, but the WWF sky rocketed wrestling in the 1980s. Along with it’s TV dramatics and cage matches came a long line of toys. The rubber figures of Hulk, Andre the Giant, and George the Animal Steele, stick out to me, but there where the thumb wrestlers that were pretty cool back in the day as well. These have stayed popular over the years and along with the TV the toys have held up and been a staple in American culture.

#18 – Cabbage Patch Kids – In 1978 the Cabbage Patch Kids were born. The adorable dolls were a hit and the 1980s were filled with little girls wanting one for Christmas. The doll has stayed a staple and kids still love them today.

#17- TMNT – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came about in the early 1980s, Along with a cartoon came other merchandise including a toy line in the late 1980s, this was a little past my time so I did not have any of these as a kid, but the figures are cool, and still popular today. I did watch the cartoon, really who could hate a pizza eating Ninja Turtle?

#16 – Care Bears – Kenner brought the Care Bears to life in 1983. The colorful bears each with a unique personality, have been a staple ever since. I’m pretty sure my daughter still has her first one, and I’m sure millions of kids have held on to their Care Bears for decades. They had a cartoon, so that help launch them into the spot light, but once again the trees across the world will have Care Bears under them.

#15 – Chatty Cathy – in 1959 Mattel started production on this pull string talking doll. This was a must have doll back in the 60s. There have been a couple special editions released around the turn of the century, but I would bet there are lots of these packed away and they have been handed down over the years.

#14- Zhu Zhu Pets – This 2009 furry little hamster was quite popular when it came out. They rolled around squeaked and even had little accessories and hamster houses. Along with the toys also came the video game for Nintendo DS, PC, and iPhone. My kids loved them and they made the list for their cuteness. I haven’t been in the toy isles lately but I believe these are still around.

#13 – Thomas the Tank – Thomas has had a long and successful career. Starting out in the 1940’s the wooden railways have been a staple for many years. In most recent decades Thomas has had an expansion of plastic and metal trains. The railroads are always lots of fun to put together and my son received more than enough trains over the past 10 years to put me in a good hole, but Thomas was huge over the past ten years with videos, merchandise, and lots and lots of trains. These created hours of fun and Thomas will be around for many years to come.

#12 – Baby alive – The original doll came out in 1973 and was reintroduced in 2006. This was one of those popular dolls that every girl wanted. You feed it, it poops, then you change it, real fun. Yes my daughter had one of these and I had my fix of feeding and changing babies but she had a blast with it. This has stayed strong over the years and this year will not be an exception and they will be under Christmas Trees this year.

#11 – Pound Puppies – This 1980s stuffed puppies were cute, and aimed at boys and girls. There were different styles and they had a cartoon as well. They were just one of those toys, you had to have at least one. Mans best friend and you didn’t need to walk him or clean up after him.

#10 – Buck Rogers Pistol – Buck Rogers started out as a comic strip in the 1930s. This futuristic space traveler had a very cool pistol and can still be found today if you want to spend $200.00 to $300.00+ for something that originally retailed @ $0.50. Back in the 1930s especially during the Great Depression that would have been very expensive, and any kid who had one, would have been the coolest kid on the block. Even today pictures do not do it justice, after you hold one in your hand. This is still a cool looking Pistol now some 80+ years later.

#09 – Mickey Mouse – Disney characters have been a staple in world culture since the 1920s. Over the years Mickey has been the top dog or top mouse in his case. Now a days people probably appreciate going to one of the Disney parks to get a plush Mickey, but in 1930 thanks to Charlotte Clark, the first stuffed Mickey was made and every kid wanted one. Over the years Mickey has stayed strong and anyone that might have one of the original stuffed Mickeys might just be sitting on a trip to Disney.

#08 –Mr Potato Head – Developed in 1949 by George Lerner, Mr PH has been a staple in world history. I’m sure every boy and girl had one of these at some point. Most recently they tapped into Star Wars, Marvel, and other popular characters. So this toy has stayed popular over time and is sure to be another good seller this year.

#07 – Play Doh – Originally this was used as a wallpaper cleaner back in the 1930s, but someone in the 1950’s realized that this could be turned into something much better. The clay like substance could be formed and molded into many different shapes with minimal mess. I loved Play Doh as a kid, we had molds and stuff to make people and vehicles. This simple thing has created hours upon hours of fun for children right up to the present day.

#06 – Master of the Universe – He-man came about in the 1980s. These were a popular toy. They had a unique design and sometimes I wondered how they didn’t fall over. The medieval style toy was a good design after all and the characters were cool. Many kids wished for these to be under the tree Christmas day, and He-Man is still popular today, but the original figures leave a lasting impression.

#05 – Matchbox cars – 1953 – Hot Wheels – 1960 – I lumped these 2 together only because they are so much alike. These not only have made great stocking stuffers over the years, but have created many hours of fun with playsets and so many different kinds of cars. There are huge collectors out there for both brands and some of the originals could fetch a pretty penny.

#04 – Star Wars – 1977 Lucas created a masterpiece of a Sci-Fi movie. This is a mega franchise and the movies and toys keep on a rolling. From action figures, to space ships, bed sheets, and much much more, Star Wars is still in a growing stage and who knows how far this thing could expand. The original figures are still pretty cool, and the figures from roughly 2000-2010 are exceptional and recent figures still pretty cool. So I would guess we will see lots of Star Wars gifts under trees for years to come.

#03 – Legos – 1949 the small interlocking blocks were created. They were versatile and children could spend hours creating what ever their imagination wanted. Today Legos have grown into a major part of our culture taking on all different brands such has Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Batman, even the Beatles Yellow Submarine set that just came out this fall. They have taken over the movies, they have taken over Disney, and Legos is still on a major rise in popularity. One of our local train clubs has a whole city built out of Legos, and don’t tell him, but I believe my son will be getting some under our tree this year.

#02- Nerf Guns – Nerf has been around since the 1970s. they have many great products but their Super Soaker water guns, and their dart guns have been creating great fun for years. Not long ago the adults confiscated the kids dart guns and we had a huge Christmas day battle, I think the kids wore out the adults and won in the end though. All round lots of fun, and I wish we would have had these when we were kids because those pellet guns really do hurt.

#01- G.I. Joe – I did save one of my all time personal favorites for last. G.I Joe was born in 1964 with a 12 inch figure and reborn in 1982 with the 3&3/4 inch. Growing up this is what I wished for every year. They were so much fun setting up battles with siblings and friends. 2 figures could provide hours and hours of fun. Although the retail sales are very minuet this days, someone somewhere, kid or adult will be getting something G.I . Joe under the tree.

Did your favorite Toy make the List? Let us know AFTER THE JUMP, and Merry Christmas all!