3 Popular Christmas Toys from the 1980’s That May Surprise You
We are all familiar with the classics: Cabbage Patch Kids, Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Care Bears – the list goes on and on. However, there were other holiday favorites that are often forgotten when we think about popular 80’s Christmas toys. Read on for some top selling toys that may surprise you!
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Rubik’s Cube (1980)
The original Rubik’s cube was invented in 1974 and was made of wood. Named for its inventor, Erno Rubik, it was patented as the ‘Magic Cube’ in 1975. The toy was released for retail sale for the first time in 1977 in a small selection of store in Budapest, Hungary.
Children and adults alike went wild for this new and unique toy, leading to a signed deal for worldwide distribution in 1979. By the Christmas shopping season of 1980, everyone knew of Rubik’s Cube, and everyone wanted one, making it the top selling Christmas toy that year.
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Jenga (1987)
Jenga was invented by Leslie Scott, who grew up in Takoradi, Africa and played a homemade version of the game with her brothers and sisters. Jenga is a Swahili word that means “to build something.” It gained popularity when it was introduced during the London Toy Fair of 1983.
The game originally started with only 48 blocks but was increased to 52 over time. While the blocks look similar, they are actually of slightly different sizes and weights. Because players cannot tell the blocks apart, the stability of the Jenga tower always remains in question, making for a suspenseful and exciting game. And because the game appealed to people of all ages, its no wonder that it was the best-selling Christmas gift of 1987.
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Koosh Balls (1988)
The Koosh Ball was invented by Scott Stillinger, an engineer who wanted an alternative to traditional balls to teach his young sons how to play catch. The inaugural Koosh Ball was made of dozens of colored rubber bands tied together and named for the sound it made when it was caught, koosh.
Stillinger went on to co-found a new toy company, OddzOn Products, to market his invention in 1987. From there, the popularity of the colorful, quirky “balls” took off, and many Koosh Balls were dropped into many Christmas stockings in 1988. There was even a Koosh Book and a short-lived Koosh comic.
Did you ever get a Rubic’s Cube, Jenga game, or a Koosh Ball for Christmas? What other toys were kids listing on their letters to Santa in the 1980’s? Let us know in the comments section below!