Popular Toys Throughout the Ages 139
Ant writes "MSNBC has a story on the 'must-have' items from decades past. From the article: 'With so many new toys and games hitting store shelves every year, it may be a little surprising that many of the most popular playthings are actually quite old. But people have been playing for a very long time. In 4000 B.C., Babylonians played a board game that was probably the ancestor of chess and checkers. Stone yo-yos were first used in ancient Greece around 1000 B.C. Kites appeared in China around the same time, though historians speculate that they have probably been flown since before recorded history.'"
ah yes (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:ah yes (Score:1)
Re:ah yes (Score:2)
first real time you could have portable music. (without carrying around a heavy player)
Either way, a music listening device, while fun, isn't really a toy.
Re:ah yes (Score:4, Funny)
Am I the only one who got some really interesting mental imagery the first time reading this?
Re:ah yes (Score:1)
Re:ah yes (Score:2)
But I can't find it anymore. Anyone know what happened to it? Is it gone? Did it move? I don't remember what it was called, but I figured some google searches would turn it up if it were still around... Nothing.
-Z
Tickle-Me Elmo, microRC cars, this year...iPods (Score:1)
At no point in time did any toy (in the past 30 years) sweep a decade at a time. Especially in the past 10 years we have had a notable, unmistakable 'must-have' toy of the year.
Razors were a MINOR fad.
Whereas I remember Tickle-me-Elmos causing toy store brawls and going for hundreds of dollars on eBay. No one paid $500 for a razor on eBay. They did for Elmos (which more of these were made than razors) and that tells me where the demand was.
MicroRC cars were also really popular
Babylon? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Babylon? (Score:1)
Re:Babylon? (Score:2)
Re:Babylon? (Score:3, Informative)
The MSN article mererly refers to the origin of board game in general. It may well be the case. Board game is more than just chess. Many believe the Indian board game, Chaturanga, is the origin of international chess. However, Chaturanga is only one board game evolved along the timeline of board game development. It appeared at around 600 A.D. (c.f. Chinese chess at around 200 B.C.). The intermediate ance
Re:Babylon? (Score:2)
Whippersnappers expect the world now (Score:5, Funny)
I remember when we had pong on TV. We watched the ball go back and forth. And we were grateful.
Re:Whippersnappers expect the world now (Score:1)
Re:Whippersnappers expect the world now (Score:4, Funny)
And then, on the second day, the Pong-Lordeth Saeth, "Let there Be Sticky Paddles for the pong to sticketh to henceforth" and all of the people rejoiced.
Re:Whippersnappers expect the world now (Score:1)
Re:Whippersnappers expect the world now (Score:2)
Missing data (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Missing data (Score:1)
The View-Master (Score:4, Funny)
So it's still being used for training the U.S. military?
Re:The View-Master (Score:5, Funny)
So it's still being used for training the U.S. military?
No, it's now used to make policy decisions.
Re:The View-Master (Score:2)
Mecca is in Saudi Arabia, not Iraq.
Re:The View-Master (Score:2)
Re:The View-Master (Score:1, Troll)
Yep, because everybody knows that all middle eastern countries look the same. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, what's the difference?
-h-
What I didn't see... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What I didn't see... (Score:2)
On the other hand, it raised the background radiation level high enough for us to be where we are today. You know... evolved from single celled organisms.
Not even the Christians believe that could have happened naturally.
Re:What I didn't see... (Score:1)
Re:What I didn't see... (Score:2)
What it means is more advertising dollars for them.
scum.
Man, this brings me down memory lane... (Score:5, Insightful)
I think games are the highest sign that there is intellegent life here after all.
Re:Man, this brings me down memory lane... (Score:5, Funny)
Including grammar!
Re:Man, this brings me down memory lane... (Score:1)
Re:Man, this brings me down memory lane... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Man, this brings me down memory lane... (Score:2)
$30 Billion??? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:$30 Billion??? (Score:2)
I don't think it is likely that every man, woman and child in the US, each spent the equivalent of $100 on Potato Head sets.
Apparently Forbes is maintaining their high standard of journalistic excellence. [groklaw.net]
Re:$30 Billion??? (Score:1)
Re:$30 Billion??? (Score:3, Funny)
Toys of practical use (Score:5, Interesting)
Alaskan Volcano Getting Stinky [suvalleynews.com]
Re:Toys of practical use (Score:2)
Re:Toys of practical use (Score:2, Funny)
Dude, how old are you? Are you still living in your mom's basement?
I kid, I kid :-)
Lego lost to a potato? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Lego lost to a potato? (Score:1)
http://www.amyhughes.org/lego/church/photosfirst.
... or Religion
Re:Lego lost to a potato? (Score:2)
Re:Lego lost to a potato? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Lego lost to a potato? (Score:1)
Depends on the potato (Score:2)
Forbes and slide shows (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Forbes and slide shows (Score:1)
jintxo
Re:Forbes and slide shows (Score:2)
Re:Forbes and slide shows (Score:2)
Once you install Greasemonkey [mozdev.org] and my script, Firefox will automatically click the "Stop" link for you. For good measure, it also hides the slideshow-related links (slower / stop / faster), and copies copy the "previous" and "next" links to below the text so you don't have to scroll back up to click them.
Re:Forbes and slide shows (Score:2)
Whoever made it was a total idiot.
Re:Forbes and slide shows (Score:1)
Think of it this way - in the absolutely (nearly impossible) best case, this will require no user interaction. In the much more likely cases, it will either require me to hit Forward to avoi
Obligatory (Score:5, Funny)
Jingle:" Ball in a cup, Ball in a cup, it's a ball in a cup!"
Kid: "Ball in a cup!"
Jingle: "Ball in a cup!"
Re:Obligatory (Score:1)
You laugh, but.... (Score:2)
Someone gave us a little box of "Olde Tyme" Wooden Toys and in addition to the cork "pop gun", there was...Ball In A Cup!
The boys will actually fight over it.
The "winner" sits there for a half hour or so tallying up how many consecutive "catches" he makes, then when he is "done", he passes it on, saying "Beat THAT SCORE!" to his brother.
and of course I will sit there (with a beer) and watch them play "Ball In A Cup".
Family Guy? (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re:Family Guy? (Score:1)
Ball in a Cup! [google.com]
Re:Family Guy? (Score:2)
Bubbles (Score:2)
Lots of great free toys that aren't on this list though.
the most popular toy (Score:1, Funny)
Sticks... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Sticks... (Score:2)
Re:Sticks... (Score:1)
History of Stick Weapons (Score:2)
WWI and II era kids would sight along the length of the stick and say "bang".
Kids from the middle ages would hold the stick vertically by the middle and say "twang"
Pre-historic kids would hold the stick by the end, and say "club".
Re:History of Stick Weapons (Score:4, Funny)
Re:History of Stick Weapons (Score:2)
The first few times I tried to click "Reply to This" I couldn't because I was shaking with laughter.
Kid+stick=inevitable eye pokage
Up here in Canada we have a similar axiom:
Kid+frozen metal=emergency tongue disconnection. I think the ER teams have a more medical term for it.
Rubik's Cube? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Rubik's Cube? (Score:2)
Re:Rubik's Cube? (Score:2)
Also, IIRC, Star Wars action figures weren't actually available until 1978, not '77.
A Slashdot Classic (Score:2, Funny)
Re:A Slashdot Classic (Score:1)
Re:A Slashdot Classic (Score:2, Funny)
Simple Toys Are Best (Score:2)
- a tent ($15 at Walmart)
- Socker Boppers
- pretend picnic stuff
- pretend tools (hammer, screwdriver, etc.)
Re:Simple Toys Are Best (Score:1)
Re:Simple Toys Are Best (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Simple Toys Are Best (Score:1)
Get your relatives a Gameboy.
Eureka! (y)-(f)=e (Score:1)
uh huh (Score:3)
Popular toys of the last 100 years? (Score:3, Funny)
Oh, you mean kids' popular toys :(
What? No 6 Million Dollar Man? Or even Atari? (Score:5, Interesting)
Sure, there was Micronauts, and even Battlestar Galactica toys at the time, but you could build stories and adventures around the Bionic Man. The others were primarily reenactments of the shows/commercials (even Micronauts didn't really have a story to speak of, until the Marvel Comics series that came out a few years later).
And of course there was the huge response to the Atari 2600 in the late 70s, in fact, it singlehandedly spawned an entire industry. Ignoring that little bit of history is like ignoring the discovery of electricity or fire, for that matter.
Re:What? No 6 Million Dollar Man? Or even Atari? (Score:3, Funny)
Something wrong with poll (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Something wrong with poll (Score:2)
Re:Something wrong with poll (Score:2)
Razor scooter - Present? (Score:1)
Optimus Prime... (Score:3, Funny)
This guy has quite a collection (Score:2)
http://www.samstoybox.com/ [samstoybox.com]
He even has a Mattel Powershop!
No Slinky??? (Score:1)
They forgot to mention Go (Score:2)
2 Toys that are always welcome: (Score:2)
Flashlights
Every year I give new ones (cheap ones) because the ones I gave them last year are:
Lost
or
Broken
Seriously wonky math (Score:2)
That's an increase of 7,500 times. IOW, the average salary in 1952 should have been around $5 per year! If you want a more tech-centric look at a few hundred classic gadgets, drop by my site -- http://www.retrothing.com/ [retrothing.com].
XBox 360 does not sell at all says Washington Post (Score:2)
Microsoft won't pin the shortage on any one part or manufacturer, so game fans and
When I was a kid... (Score:1)
hmmm should I include uphill and stuff about snow?
30 Billion dollars, eh? (Score:1)
Uh, I don't think so. If my math is right (or at least, better than their editing), that would mean 1 1952 dollar is 7500 2005 dollars. Does that sound right to anyone? It would also (again, if the math is right) mean the US had 120% inflation for the last fifty years.
1950's - 1960's = golden era for toys? (Score:3, Insightful)
How many classics came out of that era? Just a few I can remember: barbie, hola-hoop, silly putty, legos, G.I. Joe, slinky, frisbee, play-doh, easy-bake oven.
Don't know why, but it seems like era stands out in toy history.
my own favorite toy (Score:2, Funny)
Well, that, and dreidels.
Re:Implications for Toys for Tots (Score:4, Insightful)
Boy, someone's a Grinch.
Sure, Toys For Tots is a superfluous charity, but I really can't see any reason for such bile. I would imagine it's nice for a disadvantaged kid to get a brand new toy or two at Christmas. Might even make him or her actually forget they're disadvantaged.
If do don't agree, cool, put your money elsewhere. But AFAIK the charity's on the up-and-up and does some good. Lashing out at a couple of marines and volunteers like you claim you did does nothing but make you look like an a misanthrope.
Re:Yeah, there is a need for this (Score:1)
I only beleive in giving legos to kids, so my nephews only get legos and other similar products (mostly bricks, not these crappy harry potter sets). Anything where their mind is the toy.
Re:Implications for Toys for Tots (Score:3, Insightful)
Most of our history has been devoid of cure for cancer. Coming to think of it, most of our history has been devoid of computers, and we've done just fine - so I guess you're just a hypocrite, saying that others should do without modern toys while using one yourself.
You got
Re:Implications for Toys for Tots (Score:1, Troll)