Friday, June 03, 2005
"Looking Back": Toys
Graduation is a time for seniors to reflect on so many things: the lessons we've learned, the laughs we've shared, the things that made us cry and, of course, the toys we once loved.
Whether it was doodling with an Etch-a-Sketch, streching out the Silly Putty (or Stretch Armstrong), lighting up the night with Lite-Brites, being frightened by the buzzer on Operation or simply enjoying nap time with a favorite stuffed animal, toys molded our early years and made every day worth waking up for. It wasn't too long ago that the latest doll or action figure consumed our every thought. So, take a few moments and look back at some of the biggest toys of our generation.
1992: The best-selling toys of the year were Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures and Barney & Friends merchandise. It was also a very good year for Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis.
1993: The Mighty Morphin' Power Ranges hit the U.S. and the wallets of parents. A future megastar of the toy industry also came on the scene this year. That's right. It was the birth of the Beanie Babies.
1994: Barbie dolls and Power Ranger figures remained popular. Magic Eye books were big, and so were all kinds of "make-it-yourself" toys, such as the Easy Bake Oven.
1995: "To Infinity and Beyond!" "Toy Story" figures hit the scene. Also immensely popular this year were POGs, the little pieces of half-dollar-size cardboard with pictures on both sides.
1996: Tickle Me Elmo.
1997: Many children graduating this year got into a lot of trouble at school. Why? They had to take care of their pets -- their Tamagotchis, Giga Pets and Nanos.
The Force was also with "Star Wars" merchandise this year, as it experienced a resurgence of sales, ranking fifth in the best-selling toys.
1998: The Tamagotchis and Beanie Babies remain popular.
1999: Furby. The name incited either much love or hate for the little, talking, furry creature who was the more lifelike version of Tamagotchis. The best-selling game of the year was SimCity 3000.
2000: Hot Wheels Basic Cars, Pokemon toys, Poo-Chi.
2001: Bop It and Uno Attack were popular. Pogo sticks erperienced a resurgence. Bob the Builder toys were loved by children of all ages.
2002: Bratz Dolls gave Barbie some competition. Hot Wheels were once again the top-selling toys. The "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" board game raked in millions.
