Best Toys of All Time

Not every plaything achieves the global success of Lego or Barbie, but there’s plenty more space in the toybox.

Who doesn’t love toys?

Not every plaything can achieve the global success of Legos or Barbies, but there’s plenty more space in the toybox. And there’s something for everybody, from pocket-sized monsters to classic family board games.

Take a trip down memory lane and check out the best toys of all time.

70. Chatter Telephone

toy_pac / Instagram

Company: Fisher-Price

Year launched: 1962

Creator: Fisher-Price

Fun fact: In 2010, Chatter Telephone made a guest appearance in “Toy Story 3,” helping Woody save his friends from Lotso.

Price of toy today: $12

Bottom line: Toddlers in 2020 might be swiping and surfing, but in the 1960s (and ’70s, and ’80s, and ’90s), they were pulling their trusty Chatter Telephone along by a string.

It was Fisher-Price’s best-selling product for the best part of 20 years and is still available today — although it’s made of plastic, not wood.

69. Polly Pocket

vintagepollypocketlife / Instagram

Company: Bluebird Toys/Mattel

Year launched: 1989

Creator: Chris Wiggs

Price of toy today: $5-$20

Fun fact: In 1983, Wiggs used a makeup compact to create a small house for a tiny doll for his daughter Kate, and Polly Pocket was born.

Bottom line: There’s miniature, and then there’s Polly Pocket.

The collectible doll was so tiny she could literally be carried around in a kid’s pocket — with room to spare for her little house, too.

However, Pollyville was a big place, with lots of friends for Polly, a shopping mall, an ice cream truck and various other compact delights.

68. Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Car

chapinanthony / Instagram

Company: Little Tikes

Year launched: 1979

Creator: Jim Mariol

Fun fact: In 2009 Rakesh Patel, the owner of the first Cozy Coupe ever made, donated the car to Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in celebration of the coupe’s 30th anniversary.

Price of toy today: From $50

Bottom line: The original red and yellow Cozy Coupe Car was described as “a cross between a Volkswagen Beetle and Fred Flintstone’s vehicle.”

It paved the way for the Cozy Truck, the Cozy Fire Truck, the Cozy Fairy Cozy Coupe and even a D.I.Y. Cozy Coupe that kids could decorate themselves.

67. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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Company: Mirage Studios

Year launched: 1987

Creator: Mirage Studios

Fun fact: In 1990, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles represented nearly 60 percent of all movable toy characters sold in the U.S.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: The four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Donatello, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Leonardo), plus their sensei Splinter and gal pal April O’Neil, were on every kid’s holiday list in 1990.

And they’re still popular today thanks to the Nickelodeon TV series.

66. Glo Worm

toyadventures_official / Instagram

Company: Hasbro

Year launched: 1982

Creator: Playskool

Fun fact: The “Glo Friends” line, released in 1986, was such a hit that American fast-food chain Wendy’s released its own series of 12 soft vinyl toys to advertise the chain.

Price of toy today: $15

Bottom line: It’s a stuffed toy for young kids.

The plush Glo Worm contains a battery-powered device that lights up the toy’s vinyl head whenever it is squeezed, creating a soft glow.

Simple genius.

65. Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots

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Company: Marx/Mattel

Year launched: 1964

Creator: Marvin Glass and Associates

Fun fact: In the U.K during the 1970s, the toy was sold under the name Raving Bonkers.

Price of toy today: $12

Bottom line: What’s better than a robot? Two robots, (the Red Rocker and the Blue Bomber) who fought until one of their heads fell off – with a little help from the kids controlling them.

They even had their own boxing ring.

64. Pound Puppy

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Company: Tonka

Year launched: 1984

Creator: Mike Bowling

Fun fact: Within five years, Pound Puppies generated sales of $300 million in 35 countries.

Price of toy today: $8-$29

Bottom line: How could any child resist a sorry-looking puppy with big sad eyes, encased in a cardboard doghouse?

For cat lovers, Pound Puppies’ feline counterparts, Pound Pur-r-ries, were tugged equally hard on the heartstrings.

Funline relaunched the toyline in 2014, and Pound Puppies are still available in stores today in normal sizes, baby sizes and jumbo sizes.

63. Ben 10 Alien Creation Chamber

Ben 10 / Amazon

Company: Bandai/Playmates Toys

Year launched: 2008

Creator: Man of Action Studios

Fun fact: After the TV show “Ben 10” was rebooted in 2016, dozens of petitions were started to bring back the original.

Price of toy today: From $70

Bottom line: A must-have for any “Ben 10” fan, the Alien Creation Chamber lets kids make their own custom three-inch figures, mixing and matching body parts to give them awesome, unique powers.

62. RoboSapien

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Company: WowWee

Year launched: 2004

Creator: Mark Tilden

Fun fact: The dance command plays an instrumental part from the song “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive.

Price of toy today: From $9

Bottom line: RoboSapien is a toy-like biomorphic robot that reacts to sounds and touch.

He’s preprogrammed with moves and can be controlled either by an infrared remote control included with the toy or a personal computer equipped with an infrared PDA.

61. Bratz dolls

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Company: MGM Entertainment

Year launched: 2001

Creator: Carter Bryant and MGA Entertainment

Fun fact: Oscar-winner Jon Voight played the principal in the 2007 live-action “Bratz: The Movie.”

Price of toy today: $20

Bottom line: Kids who never got on board with Barbie but still hankered after a fashion doll went crazy for Bratz.

The so-called “anti-Barbies” (Cloe, Jade, Sasha, Yasmin, etc.) had lots of eye makeup, glossy lips and a blatant “don’t mess with us” attitude.

60. Razor Scooters

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Company: Micro Mobility Systems/RazorUSA

Year launched: 2003

Creator: Micro Mobility Systems

Fun fact: Razor sponsors its own exhibition scooter team of professionals, who travel across the U.S to show off their moves to crowds of fans.

Price of toy today: From $35

Bottom line: The Razor line includes kick scooters, big wheel scooters, electric-powered scooters, ride-ons and crazy carts.

According to myproscooter.com, the top model of 2020 is the Razor A5 Lux, which offers a “thrilling experience” that’s still family friendly.

59. LOL Surprise!

lolsurprise / Instagram

Company: MGA Entertainment

Year launched: 2016

Creator: MGA Entertainment

Fun fact: More than 800 million LOL Surprise! toys were sold in the first two years after launch.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: Kids love to unwrap things, and they love to collect things, and that’s the two basic premises behind LOL Surprise!

Pets, houses, dolls and accessories are available, and you never know what you’re going to get.

58. Rainbow Loom

vanessa__mariah / Instagram

Company: Choon’s Design

Year launched: 2010

Creator: Cheong Choon Ng

Fun fact: Many celebrities have been pictured wearing Rainbow Loom bracelets, including Prince William, Miley Cyrus and Harry Styles.

Price of toy today: $10

Bottom line: Rainbow Loom may not be the craze it was in 2013 — it was the most-searched toy on Google that year — but it’s still a great way for kids to get creative when crayons just won’t cut it.

57. Webkinz

stephbun_kinz / Instagram

Company: Ganz

Year launched: 2005

Creator: Ganz

Fun fact: A Pet of the Month is announced in Webkinz World at the beginning of each month. If a person registers the chosen pet in that month, they get other exclusive items.

Price of toy today: From $12

Bottom line: Webkinz managed to bridge the old and the new by launching a line of stuffed animals that have a playable online counterpart.

There’s much fun to be had in Webkinz World — you can create shows with the Webkinz Studio, send gifts to friends and enroll your pet in school.

56. Super Soakers

djkidkris / Instagram

Company: Larami/Hasbro

Year launched: 1989

Creator: Lonnie Johnson

Fun fact: The Super Soaker prototype consisted of a PVC pipe, acrylic glass and an empty plastic soda bottle.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: Super Soakers have become so popular that the term is often used generically to refer to any type of toy pressurized water gun.

A Super Soaker is basically a traditional water gun on steroids. For a backyard water fight, nothing else will do.

55. Nerf Blasters

cocobella.creations / Instagram

Company: Parker Brothers/Hasbro

Year launched: 1970

Creator: Parker Brothers and Reyn Guyer

Fun fact: In 2011, Hasbro released special edition N-Force weapons to promote the superhero movie “Thor.”

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: However you feel about kids with guns, there’s no denying the universal appeal of the Nerf Blaster.

The toy plastic gun shoots foam darts or other types of ammunition into the air (or at your siblings).

Accept no substitutes.

54. Pogo Stick

mjwillse / Instagram

Company: Various

Year launched: 1920

Creator: Max Pohlig and Ernst Gottschall

Fun fact: Telly Monster used a pogo stick in “Sesame Street.”

Price of toy today: From $20

Bottom line: A “hopping stick” with a spring on the end has always been fun, no matter what alterations have been made over the decades.

There’s even an action sport called Extreme Pogo (or Xpogo), in which competitors perform tricks on “extreme” pogo sticks.

Good times.

53. Colorforms

worldofmirth / Instagram

Company: Colorforms Brand, LLC

Year launched: 1951

Creator: Harry and Patricia Kislevitz

Fun fact: Popeye became Colorforms’ first licensed character in 1957.

Price of toy today: $20

Bottom line: Colorforms has all the marks of a timeless toy: a simple concept, an eye-catching design and endless imaginative opportunities.

Kids stick precut vinyl pieces, including geometric shapes, characters, cars, etc., to a laminated board to create their own scenes.

They’re great for kids of all ages.

52. American Girl Doll

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Company: Pleasant Company/Mattel

Year launched: 1986

Creator: Pleasant Rowland

Fun fact: Every year has a different “Girl of the Year.” In 2019, it was Blaire.

Price of toy today: From $60

Bottom line: Modeled after ordinary girls from American history and modern times, the American Girl franchise has a special place in U.S. culture.

It also offers an option to buy a doll that looks just like you, by selecting eye color, face mold, skin color, hair texture and hair length.

Dolls have come a long way.

51. Tonka Truck

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Company: Tonka/Hasbro

Year launched: 1955

Creator: Lynn Everett Baker, Avery F. Crounse and Alvin F. Tesch

Fun fact: The Mighty Dump Truck (1965) was Tonka’s best-selling toy of the century.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: Every kid who wanted to be a construction worker when they grew up had a Tonka truck.

And even those who didn’t had lots of fun transporting cereal, cat litter and all manner of things around the house.

The truck was officially inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2001.

50. Strawberry Shortcake

the_world_of_susie_wong / Instagram

Company: Kenner

Year launched: 1980

Creator: Muriel Fahrion

Fun fact: Strawberry Shortcake first appeared as a greeting card character.

Price of toy today: From $14

Bottom line: A major player in the early 1980s trend of making everything smell fabulously fruity was Strawberry Shortcake. This doll actually did smell like strawberries.

But the best-smelling character in the range was Purple Pie Man – even though he was the bad guy.

49. Stretch Armstrong

early_throwbacks / Instagram

Company: Kenner/Denys Fisher/Hasbro

Year launched: 1976

Creator: Jesse D. Horowitz

Fun fact: Kenner released Stretch Monster, a green reptile version of Stretch Armstrong, in 1978.

Price of toy today: $30

Bottom line: Stretch Armstrong, aka “the unbreakable toy,” was safe even in the hands of the most boisterous kids. No amount of pulling, twisting or bending could cause an injury.

His limbs could even be pulled out to four times their regular state and still revert to normal size, without the merest hint of a stretch mark.

48. Etch A Sketch

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Company: Etch A Sketch

Year launched: 1960

Creator: André Cassagnes

Fun fact: In 2003, the Toy Industry Association added Etch A Sketch to its Century of Toys List, the 100 most memorable and most creative toys of the 20th century.

Price of toy today: $15

Bottom line: Despite its flaws (doodles didn’t always disappear when you shook it, and the plastic “pen” could be temperamental), the Etch A Sketch was strangely bewitching.

Most of the magic was down to the fact that nobody really knew what was going on inside that red casing.

47. A La Cart Kitchen

alex_jorge_chef / Instagram

Company: Bluebird Toys

Year launched: 1982

Creator: Bluebird Toys

Fun fact: In the U.K. TV commercial, the little girl serves her dad cold baked beans and swiss roll (together) from her A La Cart Kitchen.

Price of toy today: N/A

Bottom line: Toy kitchens come with all bells and whistles today: smoothie makers, cake cutters, microwaves with timers and ovens that light up. But the A La Cart Kitchen was the OG.

It was discontinued a long time ago, but pops up on eBay every so often.

46. Yahtzee

Amazon

Company: Milton Bradley/Hasbro

Year launched: 1956

Creator: A wealthy Canadian couple

Fun fact: It’s estimated that a staggering 100 million people play Yahtzee around the world.

Price of toy today: From $8

Bottom line: You can play Yahtzee online these days, but there’s nothing like the sound of the dice rattling around in the shaker cup.

But the ultimate joy is rolling a “Yahtzee” — five of a kind, for any noobs out there.

45. Beanie Babies

beanie_und_fuzzy / Instagram

Company: Ty Inc.

Year launched: 1993

Creator: H. Ty Warner

Fun fact: Beanie Babies have been hailed as the world’s first internet sensation (in 1995).

Price of toy today: From $5

Bottom line: Beanie Babies get their unique flexible feel from their unconventional plastic pellet stuffing.

They were popular collectibles and hot toys in their heyday. People would flip them for as much as ten-fold on eBay, and some people insured their collections for thousands of dollars.

But all good things come to an end, and the fad passed.

44. Buzz Lightyear

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Company: Thinkway Toys

Year launched: 1995

Creator: John Lasseter

Fun fact: Buzz Lightyear is the Disney Store’s best-selling toy of all time.

Price of toy today: From $8

Bottom line: Everybody’s favorite space ranger is arguably the biggest success of Disney’s “Toy Story” franchise (sorry, Woody).

Kids can get Buzz in all shapes and sizes, with or without the ability to talk, as a plush toy, and even in Lego form.

43. Top Trumps Card Game

michelle_elia_brown / Instagram

Company: Various

Year launched: 1978

Creator: Dubreq

Fun fact: To celebrate the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, a new “Very Specials” pack of Top Trumps was produced, based on the royal family and wedding guests.

Price of toy today: $10

Bottom line: “The card game that brings your favorite things to life,” Top Trumps has something for fans of, well, everything, from “Frozen” to “Harry Potter” and dinosaurs to “Doctor Who.”

It’s also perfectly sized to make long road trips a little more bearable.

42. Teddy Ruxpin

rorie_burke / Instagram

Company: Various

Year launched: 1985

Creator: Ken Forsse

Fun fact: Teddy Ruxpin was the best-selling toy of 1985 and 1986.

Price of toy today: $80

Bottom line: Teddy Ruxpin was an animatronic toy in the form of a talking bear His mouth and eyes moved while “reading” stories played on an audiotape cassette deck built into its back.

It was way ahead of his time when he launched in the mid-1980s. He’s since had an upgrade and now has touch sensors and even his own app.

41. Rubik’s Cube

irenemariagruber / Instagram

Company: Rubik’s

Year launched: 1975

Creator: Erno Rubik

Fun fact: When Erno Rubik built his first Cube, it took him over a month to solve it.

Price of toy today: $10

Bottom line: What started as a small puzzle to teach Rubik’s architecture students about three-dimensional objects has become one of the most popular toys of all time.

Homer Simpson has even tried his hand at it. The Cube made its first of six appearances on the animated TV show in 1991.

40. Monster in My Pocket

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Company: Matchbox

Year launched: 1990

Creator: Joe Morrison and John Weems

Fun fact: In 2018, Morrison revealed that he was in talks with “entertainment people” to produce new Monsters content.

Price of toy today: N/A

Bottom line: The world of toy collectibles was invaded by brightly colored monsters in the early 1990s, when Matchbox released the first series of Monster in My Pocket.

Initially available in only four colors (red, green, yellow and purple), each monster had its own point value ranging from five to 25 points, with higher points allocated to the more powerful monsters.

39. Tickle Me Elmo

kyrie2828 / Instagram

Company: Tyco Toys

Year launched: 1996

Creator: Tyco Preschool

Fun fact: After Rosie O’Donnell featured Tickle Me Elmo on her show, a 16-inch-tall, soft-bodied doll version of TV star was created, uttering phrases like “What a cutie patootie!” and ”Dreams come true with Rosie.”

Price of toy today: From $60

Bottom line: It was the must-have toy of the 1996 holiday season.

And the demand for the shaking, vibrating, giggling Muppets character was so great that sellers were asking up to $1,500 for the toy within 12 months of its release.

In other words, show us the money.

38. Koosh Balls

emilierene / Instagram

Company: OddzOn Products, Inc./Hasbro

Year launched: 1987

Creator: Scott H. Stillinger

Fun fact: Engineer Stillinger’s design, inspired by his efforts to teach his kids how to play catch, started out with a box of rubber bands.

Price of toy today: From $6

Bottom line: The Koosh ball is a toy ball made of rubber filaments attached to a steel-bound core.

It is easy to catch, easy to throw, and doesn’t hurt as much as a regular ball when it bounces off your head.

So it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

37. Care Bears

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Company: Play-Along Toys

Year launched: 1983

Creator: Muriel Fahrion

Fun fact: Care Bears were originally painted by artist Elena Kucharik for greeting cards sold by American Greetings.

Price of toy today: From $12

Bottom line: From Cheer Bear to Bedtime Bear, each plush Care Bear is a different color and has a special “belly badge” that represents its personality, meaning everyone has a favorite.

The full range of Care Bears merch includes apparel, Funko Pop! figures and even Barbie accessories.

Remember, caring is what counts.

36. Connect Four

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Company: Milton Bradley/Hasbro

Year launched: 1974

Creator: Milton Bradley

Fun fact: During his stint at the music website NME, writer Stuart Maconie started a rumor that Connect 4 was invented by David Bowie, which became an urban myth.

Price of toy today: $8

Bottom line: The two-player connection game is available in different game board sizes, game pieces and gameplay rules.

But for most kids the aim is simple: Get four in a row before your sibling does (even if you have to cheat).

We’re talking hours of fun.

35. Spirograph

lucy_snowe__ / Instagram

Company: Denys Fisher Company/Kenner/Hasbro

Year launched: 1965

Creator: Denys Fisher

Fun fact: The Spirograph was dubbed “Toy of the Year” in 1967.

Price of toy today: From $13

Bottom line: It’s little more than plastic circles and shapes with ridged edges.

But Spirograph lets young creatives make the most intricate designs with a pen.

If you look online for an animation of a spirograph, it’s surprisingly calming to watch.

34. Mouse Trap

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Company: Ideal Toy Company/Hasbro

Year launched: 1963

Creator: Hank Kramer

Fun fact: Mouse Trap was adapted into a game show for the U.K. kids’ television show “Motormouth,” using a lifesize board game on which child contestants took the place of the mice.

Price of toy today: $25

Bottom line: One of the first mass-produced, three-dimensional board games, Mouse Trap is colorful, crazy and complicated.

It asks a lot of its players: You don’t only have to build a working mousetrap. You then have to use it to try to trap your opponents’ “mice.”

33. Sindy

sindy_the_traveler / Instagram

Company: Pedigree Dolls & Toys/Hasbro

Year launched: 1963

Creator: Pedigree Dolls & Toys

Fun fact: Sindy was the best-selling toy in the U.K. in 1968 and 1970.

Price of toy today: N/A

Bottom line: Sindy was never as popular as Barbie — not even close — but her more realistic shape and “girl next door” vibe was more acceptable to conservative parents.

However, she still had just as impressive a wardrobe as her rival, and she could turn her hand to all sorts of careers, including a nurse and an air hostess.

That’s why her slogan was “the girl you love to dress.”

32. Tamagotchi

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Company: Bandai

Year launched: 1996

Creator: Akihiro Yokoi and Aki Maita

Fun fact: Yokoi and Maita won the 1997 Ig Nobel Prize for economics for the Tamagotchi.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: Kids in the ’90s were obsessed with their Tamagotchi digital pets.

How obsessed? They smuggled them into school (in the first two releases, a character could die in less than half a day if it did not receive adequate care).

By 2017, over 82 million units had been sold worldwide.

31. Big Yellow Teapot

thesewonderyears / Instagram

Company: Bluebird Toys

Year launched: 1981

Creator: Bluebird toys

Fun fact: The Big Yellow Teapot had a hidden roundabout under its lid, and a “slide” spout the figures could hurtle down.

Price of toy today: N/A

Bottom line: Sadly, it’s no longer available. And it wasn’t actually all that big.

But the Big Yellow Teapot, which opened up to reveal a playhouse inside, plus plastic family figures and various pieces of furniture, provided hours of fun for ’80s kids.

And isn’t that what toys are all about? Fun.

30. Hot Wheels

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Company: Mattel

Year launched: 1968

Creator: Mattel

Fun fact: The 1969 Rear-Loader Beach Bomb is considered the “Holy Grail” of Hot Wheels, and has achieved five-figure sums at auction.

Price of toy today: From $5

Bottom line: Hot Wheels have always been a favorite for kids who love cars.

From the first-generation Redlines to the most recent releases (Batplane, anyone?), the phenomenal output has ensured these small vehicles stay current.

As Mattel first said when Hot Wheels were born, go with the winner.

29. Uno

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Company: International Games, Inc./Mattel

Year launched: 1971

Creator: Merle Roberts

Fun fact: In 2017, Mattel released a version of Uno for the colorblind.

Price of toy today: From $5

Bottom line: There’s a reason Uno’s motto is “It’s your world.”

The classic card game has kept families entertained — and connected — for decades.

It has such a dedicated fan base that Uno tournaments (both virtual and face-to-face) are held regularly throughout the world.

28. Hula Hoop

Reed Saxon / AP Photo

Company: Various

Year launched: 1958

Creator: Arthur K. “Spud” Melin and Richard Knerr

Fun fact: The longest marathon hula-hooping record belongs to Jenny Doan from Australia, who hula-hooped from Nov. 19 to Nov. 23, 2019.

Price of toy today: From $15

Bottom line: Frustrating when you can’t get the hang of it, and incredible when you do, hula-hooping is a craze that comes and goes.

Although the plastic version was introduced in the 1950s, some version of the activity has been going on for thousands of years.

Hoops, there is it is.

27. Little People

sassyrefashions / Instagram

Company: Fisher-Price, Inc./Mattel

Year launched: 1950

Creator: Fisher-Price

Fun fact: Little People were originally named Play Family People, but Mattel changed the name after hearing consumers refer to them as “those little people.”

Price of toy today: From $15

Bottom line: Little People started out made of wood before going plastic in the 1960s.

They’ve grown bigger over time to comply with toy safety guidelines.

But they’ve never lost their hold-in-your-hand charm.

26. Mr. Potato Head

thehasbintoo / Instagram

Company: Hasbro/Playskool/PPW Toys

Year launched: 1952

Creator: George Lerner

Fun fact: Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on television.

Price of toy today: $7

Bottom line: Mr. Potato Head has come a long way since his debut, when he was originally sold as separate plastic parts with pins that could be stuck into a real potato (or other vegetables of your choice).

He’s remained popular thanks to his role in the “Toy Story” movie franchise, alongside Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang.

As Hasbro used to say, it’s the joyful toy of 1,001 faces.

25. Operation

triciabrown_md_dermatology / Instagram

Company: Milton Bradley/Hasbro

Year launched: 1965

Creator: John Spinello

Fun fact: A new piece, “Brain Freeze,” was added in 2004, after Milton Bradley asked fans to vote on a new addition for the original game from three choices. “Brain Freeze” beat out “Tennis Elbow” and “Growling Stomach” to be added into Sam’s head (represented by an ice cream cone.)

Price of toy today: $25

Bottom line: Dexterity and great hand-eye coordination are required to master Operation, the classic board game that’s still popular today.

Removing those little ailments from eternal patient “Cavity Sam” without touching the electrified wire loop is harder than it looks.

Do you have what it takes to operate?

24. Meccano

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Company: Various

Year launched: 1898

Creator: Frank Hornby

Fun fact: Meccano was known as Mechanics Made Easy until 1907.

Price of toy today: From $3

Bottom line: Despite numerous takeovers and business problems, the idea behind Meccano hasn’t changed in more than 100 years.

The builder progresses from one set to the next by buying “accessory outfits.” For instance, you might start with Set No. 2, buy Set No. 2A, which converts the set into a No. 3.

It’s all about building.

23. Cabbage Patch Kids

annagreeno / Instagram

Company: Various

Year launched: 1982

Creator: Xavier Roberts

Fun fact: A Cabbage Patch Kid doll was featured on the cover of “Newsweek” in 1983.

Price of toy today: From $15

Bottom line: Cabbage Patch Kids are one of the longest-running doll franchises in the U.S.

The soft, sculptural Kids come with their own birth certificate from BabyLand General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia. And they were a must-have holiday toy for years.

Even Joey in “Friends” had one.

22. Furby

coppertheveryangrymetal / Instagram

Company: Tiger Electronics

Year launched: 1998

Creator: David Hampton and Caleb Chung

Fun fact: The National Security Agency banned Furbies from their Maryland base amid concerns that the toys would record and possibly repeat confidential information.

Price of toy today: $60

Bottom line: When it comes to electronic robotic toys, the Furby can’t be beaten — except on price.

Although Furbies start out speaking entirely “Furbish,” they are programmed to speak less and less Furbish and more and more English as they “grow.”

Now that’s innovation.

21. Monopoly

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Company: Parker Brothers/Hasbro

Year launched: 1935

Creator: Lizzie Magie

Fun fact: The longest Monopoly game in history lasted 70 straight days.

Price of toy today: From $20

Bottom line: Different versions of Monopoly have been created to cater for niche markets, including “Friends” Monopoly, Pokemon Monopoly and WWE Monopoly.

There also are different versions for different parts of the U.S., such as Atlantic City, Hollywood and Times Square.

But it’s hard to beat the classic edition, with its little plastic houses and metal pieces.

20. Yo-Yo

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Company: Various

Year launched: 1930s

Creator: Pedro Flores

Fun fact: In 1985, a Yo-Yo was taken on the Space Shuttle Discovery to see how it would perform in zero gravity. While it could still be spun, it wouldn’t “sleep” at the end of the string without gravity’s help.

Price of toy today: $3

Bottom line: Filipino immigrant Pedro Flores is widely credited with introducing the Yo-Yo to the U.S.

But there’s proof that the toy existed in ancient Greece, in terracotta form.

That makes it one of the oldest toys around.

19. Power Rangers

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Company: Saban Brands

Year launched: 1993

Creator: Haim Saban

Fun fact: Power Rangers made Fox Kids (its original U.S. programming block) a more equal place — in terms of gender, at least. There were almost as many girls as boys on the team.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: Power Ranger toys are part of the billion-dollar franchise that includes a long-running TV show, three theatrical feature films and video games.

Kids can get action figures of their favorite robots, their own “morpher” devices for their own at-home transformations, and even replica Power Coins.

Power, indeed.

18. My Little Pony

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Company: Hasbro

Year launched: 1982

Creator: Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger and Steve D’Aguanno

Fun fact: A whopping 150 million My Little Ponies were sold in the 1980s.

Price of toy today: From $5

Bottom line: My Little Pony has had a bit of a makeover since it was first introduced to ’80s kids.

But the colorful bodies, silky manes and unique symbols on the sides of their flanks have remained.

It’s why so many kids love their little ponies.

17. Transformers

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Company: Takara/Hasbro

Year launched: 1984

Creator: Kojin Ono, Takashi Matsuda, Hideaki Yoke, Hiroyuki Obara and Satoshi Koizumi

Fun fact: Hasbro had Marvel Comics create a backstory for the original Transformers with names and short descriptions for each character.

Price of toy today: From $12

Bottom line: Every ’80s kid recognizes the line, “Robots in disguise!” And boy, were there a lot of robots in the Transformers line.

Bad news for parents, but good news for Hasbro, which bought the distribution rights to the molds from Japanese company Takara and introduced the toy to the U.S. market.

Ca-ching.

16. Twister

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Company: Milton Bradley

Year launched: 1966

Creator: Reyn Guyer

Fun fact: Twister became a success when actress Eva Gabor played it with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” on May 3, 1966.

Price of toy today: $20

Bottom line: Originally named Pretzel, Twister was the first popular American game to use human bodies as playing pieces.

It remains a firm party favorite with players of all ages.

And still is the game that will tie you up in knots.

15. Easy-Bake Oven

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Company: Kenner/Hasbro

Year launched: 1963

Creator: Kenner

Fun fact: A gender-neutral version of the Easy-Bake Oven premiered at the New York Toy Fair in 2013, following an online petition from McKenna Pope, a girl from New Jersey.

Price of toy today: From $50

Bottom line: Inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2006, the Easy-Bake Oven has helped little chefs hone their baking skills for decades.

14. Guess Who?

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Company: Milton Bradley/Hasbro

Year launched: 1979

Creator: Ora and Theo Coster

Fun fact: In the U.S., ads for Guess Who? often showed the characters on the cards coming to life and exchanging witty comments. This caused later editions of such ads to carry the spoken disclaimer line “game cards do not actually talk.”

Price of toy today: From $20

Bottom line: Nowadays, Guess Who? versions include everything from “Finding Dory” to “Star Wars.”

But the original is best. Does your person wear a hat? Does your person wear glasses? Does your person have a big nose?

Guess who?

13. Sylvanian Families/Calico Critters

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Company: Epoch/Epoch Everlasting Play, LLC

Year launched: 1985

Creator: Epoch

Fun fact: In 1993, global distributor Tomy lost the rights to the name “Sylvanian Families” in Canada and the USA, and reintroduced the line under the new name Calico Critters of Cloverleaf Corners, now simply just called Calico Critters.

Price of toy today: From $5

Bottom line: The Calico Critters line of miniature animal figures have an endearing advantage over competitors: a special flocked material.

The range of homes, furniture and accessories is vast, and the attention to detail is superb.

Kids love them. It’s a mixed bag for parents, who often have to clean them up.

12. Playmobil

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Company: Brandstätter Group

Year launched: 1974

Creator: Hans Beck

Fun fact: Beck designed the Playmobil figure based on kids’ drawings: a large head, a big smile and no nose.

Price of toy today: From $2

Bottom line: With great attention to detail and enormous collectible appeal, Playmobil is one of Lego’s strongest competitors.

And those little smiling, no-nosed people get around — themes include space, school, the circus and Eskimos.

11. Play-Doh

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Company: Kenner/Hasbro

Year launched: 1956

Creator: Joe McVicker

Fun fact: The first Play-Doh was only available in off-white. Red, blue and yellow were soon added to the range.

Price of toy today: From $5

Bottom line: Squishing Play-Doh between your fingers is surprisingly therapeutic.

And the wide range of molding sets (including a beauty salon and an ice cream truck) helps kids create their masterpieces.

10. Frisbee

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Company: Wham-O

Year launched: 1957

Creator: Walter Fredrick Morrison

Fun fact: Frisbee is a formally recognized, non-contact, self-refereed team sport played all around the world.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: The Frisbee resembles a plastic dinner plate and flies through the air.

Its simple design continues to provide entertainment and ignite competitive spirit in backyards, parks and beaches throughout the world.

9. TinyTears doll

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Company: American Character Doll Company/Ideal Toy Company

Year launched: 1950

Creator: American Character Doll Company

Fun fact: A commercial with a young Patty Duke helped popularize the doll by airing on popular children’s shows such as the “Ding Dong School” with Miss Frances.

Price of toy today: N/A

Bottom line: TinyTears may have given little kids a false impression of life with a newborn. She cried tears and wet herself when given a drink of water but made no noise whatsoever.

But she was groundbreaking as the first “realistic” doll and inspired Zapf-Creation’s Baby Annabel and Baby Born, which also can gurgle, giggle and snore.

8. Ker-Plunk!

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Company: Ideal Toy Company/Mattel

Year launched: 1967

Creator: A. Eddie Goldfarb and René Soriano

Fun fact: The modern version of the game uses a pink or blue tube, but the original was yellow.

Price of toy today: From $20

Bottom line: Marketed as a “tantalizing game of nerve and skill,” Ker-Plunk! has spawned many versions since it first became a toy room staple.

But the rules have stayed the same: Try to take all the straws out of the tube without letting the marbles drop to the bottom.

7. Star Wars Action Figures

Hakes

Company: Kenner/Hasbro

Year launched: 1978

Creator: George Lucas

Fun fact: Today, rare examples of a free-firing Boba Fett toy from 1979 can sell for more than $1,500.

Price of toy today: From $7

Bottom line: The force is strong with these action figures.

The four initial Star Wars figures were Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Princess Leia and Chewbacca.

With interest in the franchise bigger than ever, this is one toy range that’s never gone out of fashion.

6. Subbuteo

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Company: Subbuteo Sports Games

Year launched: 1947

Creator: Peter Adolph

Fun fact: Subbuteo was invented in England and named after Adolph’s favorite bird, the Hobby Hawk, whose Latin name is Falco subbuteo.

Price of toy today: From $50

Bottom line: Subbuteo was the next best thing for amateur soccer stars long before games consoles were on the scene.

It requires both physical dexterity and mental strategy.

Game on.

5. Scalextric

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Company: Minimodels

Year launched: 1958

Creator: Fred Francis

Fun fact: Early Scalextric advertisements claimed “the cars travel at a scale speed of 130 mph on the straight.”

Price of toy today: From $60

Bottom line: Slot car-racing game Scalextric wasn’t always a spontaneous choice.

It could take hours to fit the pieces together, and even then, there was no guarantee they would stay in place.

But it deserves a high ranking purely for nostalgia’s sake.

4. Slinky

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Company: James Industries

Year launched: 1945

Creator: Richard James

Fun fact: When Slinky made its debut at Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, all 400 sold out in less than two hours.

Price of toy today: From $3

Bottom line: Sometimes, the simplest toys are the ones that keep kids enthralled for hours.

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of pushing a coiled Slinky at the top of a staircase to send it “walking” down the stairs.

“A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing! Everyone knows it’s Slinky!”

3. Barbie

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Company: Mattel

Year launched: 1959

Creator: Ruth Handler

Fun fact: More than a thousand fans gathered for a party to celebrate Barbie’s 25th anniversary in New York in 1984.

Price of toy today: From $10

Bottom line: Barbie comes with a fair amount of controversy.

Does she set unrealistic body image standards? Is she too “mature” for her youngest fans?

But at the end of the day, she’s just a doll, and she’s been a best friend to millions over the decades.

2. Matchbox cars

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Company: Lesney Products

Year launched: 1953

Creator: Jack Odell

Fun fact: The first brass model of a Matchbox car was an Aveling Barford Road Roller.

Price of toy today: From $4

Bottom line: Long before toy cars could be remote-controlled, young boys and girls couldn’t get enough of Matchbox cars.

They got their name because they were small enough to fit into a matchbox.

Now, a whole new generation of kids has discovered them.

1. Lego

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Company: Lego

Year launched: 1934

Creator: Ole Kirk Christiansen and Godtfred Christiansen

Fun fact: Over 300 million children have owned Lego sets.

Price of toy today: $1.99-$799.99

Bottom line: There’s no other option for No. 1 but Lego.

Those iconic little colored bricks were first distributed in the U.S. by Samsonite in 1961.

They are great for kids (and grown-up kids) who like to follow building instructions and those who like to let their imaginations run wild.