Playing with your favorite toys is a formative childhood experience you truly never forget. Even as adults, the sight of a vintage toy can spark endless fond memories. Since trends come and go, everyone has their own list of iconic toys that they think left a mark on their generation. And now that we're in the start of a new year, Parade is taking a walk down memory lane and recap the most popular toys of every decade, from the 1930s on.We consulted Scott Zillner—the owner and founder of Toy Wizards—to curate a list of the two most popular toys for every decade over the last nearly 100 years. Zillner is an avid collector of toys, retro video games and arcade machines. He also runs several pop culture conventions.Some of the toys you'll find on the list below, including Barbie and Transformers, have stood the test of time and delighted several generations of children. Others—including the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle and fidget spinners—had their place in time but didn't "explode" the way other toy brands did.With high-tech items and tablets dominating certain subsets of the toy world today, this list of the most popular toys by decade shows that good old-fashioned imaginative play will always have a place in our hearts.Related: 35 Things in Your House Right Now That Could Be Worth Money, According to Certified Appraisers
Most Popular Toys of the 1930s
View-Master: 1939
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View-Master toys are a rite of passage for kids, and they've been around since the late 1930s."View-Master, a product of Kodak film technology, allowed kids and adults alike to visit far off sights not available to them normally," Zillner shares.
Ceramic Dolls: Early 1930s
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Sometimes, basic toys are the best. Take ceramic dolls, for instance."Ceramic dolls were the top tier gift for girls in the 1930s," Zillner shares. "Handmade dresses and accessories were common with a multitude of makers at the time. The high quality ceramic faces are still there in your grandma's attic."
Most Popular Toys of the 1940s
Slinky: 1945
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Few toys are more simple and satisfying as a Slinky, or as Zillner describes it, "the walking spring that goes down stairs.""It was the 1940s and the war was over," he explains. "This was sci-fi tech to kids of the day."The iconic toy even became a beloved cartoon character (Slinky Dog) in the Toy Story film series.
Silly Putty: 1949
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Silly Putty may have become a toy, but Zillner says its inventor originally thought it could be a potential replacement for rubber during World War II."Silly Putty was a flop until the creator sold it in small eggs. After that, kids flocked to stores for the newspaper copying properties," he says, explaining how the newspaper's ink can transfer onto the putty.Related: 23 Vintage Wedding Traditions from the ’40s That Are Sweet—and Surprising
Most Popular Toys of the 1950s
Barbie: 1959
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"Barbie reset the world for girls' dolls. This fashion sensation has never gone out of style and is still the number one girls' toy," Zillner states.Since her debut in 1959, Barbie expanded her world to include multiple friends like Skipper and Kelly plus her main squeeze, Ken. The popular doll even inspired a live action movie in 2023.
Mr. Potato Head: 1952
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Mr. Potato Head has come a long way since the 1950s. "The Original Mr. Potato Head set was just accessories on spikes for the family to use on real potatoes. This meant after a while they started to stink," Zillner explains. "It wasn't called Mr. Stinky Head so they changed the toy set to a plastic version and Mrs. Potato Head came out shortly after."
Most Popular Toys of the 1960s
Hot Wheels: 1968
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"Hot Wheels was Mattel’s answer to the incredible success of Barbie, but for boys. The plan worked and they still pump out multitudes of new versions every year in every style and color you can imagine," Zillner states.Mattel has made countless Hot Wheels race track sets over the years and many adults still collect the tiny little cars for their nostalgic effect.
Lite Brite: 1967
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Lite Brite has seen numerous iterations since it was first released in 1967. The original toy just required a light bulb covered with opaque paper and multicolored pegs."You could make anything you could imagine and light your night in style," Zillner says.
Most Popular Toys of the 1970s
'Star Wars' Kenner Toy Line: 1978
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"No toy has had more control over kids' imaginations and their parents' wallets," Zillner shares. "This single line conquered toy aisles for decades. Its small scale allowed the line to sell action figures and accompanying vehicles at affordable costs for every kid to have armies in the backyard."The entire Star Wars universe endures to this day, with a slew of films and spinoff TV series.
Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle: 1973
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Inspired by the real-life daredevil of the same name, this toy brought many children endless hours of entertainment."Every kid in the 1970s spent some time making jumps and watching their Evel Knievel soar over the family dog and or grandpa at one point or another," Zillner notes.
Most Popular Toys of the 1980s
'Masters of the Universe' Toy Line: 1982
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You can't think of the 1980s without mentioning He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toy series. "These larger-than-life toys ruled the 1980s. In a time of muscles, every figure was bigger than your G.I. Joes or Star Wars guys to prove the point," Zillner says.
'Transformers' Toy Line: 1984
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One factor that made Transformers so popular? There's "more than meets the eye" with the toys, Zillner says."You've got cars, planes, even a camera that would all magically transform into robots for battle. This amazing transformation stumped every parent at the time," he shares.To this day, Transformers toys are still popular and the franchise even inspired a film series.Related: 85 Best ’80s Trivia Questions and Answers for Your Next Game Night
Most Popular Toys of the 1990s
'Pokémon' Cards: 1999
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Gotta catch 'em all! Zillner calls Pokémon "one of the largest toy lines in history.""Pokémon cards were first released in the U.S. in the late 1990s. They now command prices from 10 cents to millions of dollars," he says.
'Power Rangers' Toy Line: 1993
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Go, go, Power Rangers! Just try and get that epic theme song out of your head."Mighty Morphin Power Rangers conquered the TV and toy lines. This unparalleled live-action kids show outsold Star Wars for many years," Zillner shares, adding that the franchise was a "recipe for success" since new toys were introduced "year after year."
Most Popular Toys of the 2000s
Bratz Dolls: 2001
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You couldn't visit a toy store in the early 2000s without seeing Bratz dolls filling the shelves."Created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment, this bad girl toy line became a real competitor for the established Barbie-dominated girls market," Zillner says.
Beyblades: 2002
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"Battling tops was a game for decades until Takara and Hasbro bought it to battle in the U.S.," Zillner says.Beyblades is a "build and battle toy line" that is still popular today. Players compete in battles with spinning tops (Beyblades). The franchise even inspired a TV series and a few movies.
Most Popular Toys of the 2010s
Fidget Spinners: 2014
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Zillner asserts that the 2010s were "disappointing from a toy point of view" compared to the 70s-90s and cites fidget spinners, a wildly popular toy, as one example. "Kids take this spinner and just spin it. Yet somehow, every kid had one for a brief moment in time," he says.
Monster High Dolls: 2010
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"Created by toy designer Garrett Sander and launched by Mattel in 2010, the Monster High dolls were in direct response to losing Barbie market share to Bratz," Zillner says.The dolls were made to be "edgy and creepy" and had "style to spare."
Most Popular Toys of the 2020s (So Far)
G.I. Joe Classified: 2020
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AFA Graded Toys
During the pandemic, a lot of people were inspired to become collectors since they had so much new free time on their hands. "That meant rebuying your old toys," Zillner says.This influx of purchasing collectibles led to an increase in toy grading."With Action Figure Authority (AFA), the top toy grading service, older collectibles could now reach skyward on the secondary market," he shares.Up Next:
Related: 17 VHS Tapes Worth a Lot of Money, According to Collectors
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