ZipZapZow! Toy Discovery

‘Must-have’ toys from decades past

We were curious just what the most popular toys have been over the last decades and thanks to the ever “informational” internet we found that Forbes.com had also done some research on this subject. Some of the toys that were created years ago are still popular, like Monopoly, Crayola Crayons (which are more than 100 years old) and Twister which is very popular. Here is a list of the the different era’s most popular toys and if you will go to the Forbes article you can get lots more very interesting information.

• 1900-1909 Crayola Crayons
• 1910-1919 Raggedy Ann Dolls
• 1920-1929 Madame Alexander Collectible Dolls
• 1930-1939 View-Master 3-D Viewer
• 1940-1949 Candy Land
• 1950-1959 Mr. Potato Head
• 1960-1969 G.I. Joe
• 1970-1979 Rubik’s Cube
• 1980-1989 Cabbage Patch Kids
• 1990-1999 Beanie Babies
• 2000-Present Razor Scooter

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Another 2 top toys

We bring you two more of the top requested toys of 2007.

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The first known toy

What would you guess is probably the oldest toy?  Historians think the Yo-Yo is the oldest toy.  Yo-Yo’s made of stone have been found in Greece more than three thousand years old and Yo-Yo’s were known to be part of the ancient Chinese culture.  Children in Victorian England, in the 1800s, found the toy to be popular and it was around then that it came to America.  We changed the design to improve its play but by the 1900s the toy lost its popularity.

In 1928, entrepreneur Donald Duncan saw a Yo-Yo demonstration and became totally enamored with the toy.  He bought a small Yo-Yo company from a Pedro Flores who was demonstrating the toy, for $25,000.  Duncan sent his Yo-Yo Men around the country demonstrating the toy and the Yo-Yo became a huge success.

Presidents have been photographed playing with a Yo-Yo, and one was even taken into space on the space shuttle Atlantis.  Some trivia on Donald Duncan was he marketed the parking meter, movie screen and the Eskimo pie.

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Most Expensive Toys?

How about giving your child a Segway Human Transporter (a levitating Hover Scooter) with a gentle lift from an engine-powered fan and forward thrust from a rear air vent that whisks riders along for up to 15 mph for only $15,000. Better yet how about a 3D motion Simulator from FAO Schwarz that seats eight and simulates space trips, roller coasters and more for only a mere $300,000. Check out what Forbes magazines Connoisseur’s Guide and Neal Santelmann say are the Most Expensive Toys.

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2 more top 10 toys

Here are 2 more of the top 10 toys.  A new toy, the smart cycle and an old standby, the red wagon.

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W.A.T.C.H. worst list

W.A.T.C.H. stands for World Against Toys Causing Harm, inc. They keep track of and post which toys you DO NOT want to purchase. Edward M Swartz, founder of WATCH has, against all odds, exposed potentially hazardous toys, to the public. His 2007 “10 Worst Toys” List includes:

Aqua Dots
Go Diego Go Animal
Sticky Stones
Jack Sparrow’s Spinning Dagger
Dora The Explorer Lamp
Lil “Giddy Up” Horse - Sassy Pet Saks
Spider Man 3 New Goblin Sword
Hip Hoppa
B’Loonies Party Pack
My Little Baby Born
Rubber Band Shooter

If you would like more information on each of these toys and why they were chosen see: WorstToyList

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