Sometimes the best gift is one that brings back memories. With that in mind we decided to list the top Christmas toys of yesteryear. We start the series in the 1960s, where the official top toys list did not begin until 1966.
1966 – Action Man
The first doll for boys was a huge sucess. Coming 2 years after GI Joe made it big in America, the Action Man was very similar. Available as a Soldier, Sailor and Pilot the Action Man doll was crowned boys toy of the year in 1967.
The figure and accessories was originally based on the Hasbro (US) 1964 G.I. Joe figure (for 1966–1969 production). Hasbro’s GI Joe figure was patented in 1966[1] Even the specific method of attaching the appendages was patented as a “Connection For Use In Toy Figures” [2] The first Action Man figures were Action Soldier, Action Sailor and Action Pilot. All were available in the four original hair colours: Blonde, Auburn, Brown and Black. They were accompanied by outfits depicting the participants of the Second World War.
If you are looking to purchase an Action Man then Ebay.co.uk is probably your best bet.
Also worth a look into is the book titled: “Action Man, The Real Story 1966-1996” Available on Amazon.co.uk
1967 – Spirograph
A toy to produce 60s inspired patterns and swirls. Designed and produced by a British engineer this game won Toy of the year in 1967. The idea is that using various gears and holding mechanisms you can create colourful and interesting shapes on a piece of paper.
Spirograph is a geometric drawing toy that produces mathematical curves of the variety technically known as hypotrochoids and epitrochoids. The term has also been used to describe a variety of software applications that display similar curves, and applied to the class of curves that can be produced with the drawing equipment (so in this sense it may be regarded as a synonym of hypotrochoid). The name is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.
You can buy a modern version of the game for £14.99 from Toys R Us.
1986 – Sindy
The top selling doll of 1968 was the Sindy Doll. This British based rival to Barbie also won toy of the year in 1970. The toy never really made in big in the United States and law suits were filed when the dolls started to look simiilar.
Hasbro bought the rights to Sindy and remodelled the doll to look more American. As a result, the doll’s popularity declined and Barbie manufacturer Mattel filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement, which was settled when Hasbro agreed to remodel Sindy’s face. During the 1990s, Barbie’s share of the doll market continued to grow while Sindy’s diminished, which led to Sindy being delisted from major retailers in 1997.
Once more, Ebay.co.uk is probably the best palce to purchase this toy.
If you are looking for a book on the subject, then “The History of Sindy: Britain’s Top Teenage Doll 1962-1994” gets very good reviews over at Amazon.co.uk. This would make an excellent retro Christmas gift idea.
1969 – Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels, as major rivel to Matchbox, has been producing toy cars for years. They won Toy of the Year in 1969, and have produced hundreds of popular models over the years.
The series “re-wrote the book” for small die-cast car models from 1968 onwards, forcing the competition at Matchbox and elsewhere to completely rethink their concepts, and to scamper to try to recover lost ground. Harry Bentley Bradley did not think that would be the case and had quit Mattel to go back to the car industry. When the company asked him back, he recommended a good friend, Ira Gilford. Gilford, who had just left Chrysler, quickly accepted the job of designing the next Hot Wheels models. Some of Hot Wheels’ greatest cars, such as the Twin Mill and Splittin’ Image, came from Ira Gilford’s drawing board.
You can still buy Hot Wheels cars today from HotWheels.com
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