Every Christmas, it seems like there's a new and different group of toys battling for our children's attention. A few years ago, Japanese virtual pets like Pokemon and Tamagotchi were all the rage, and shortly after that, toys like Furby and the Teletubbies seemed to dominate Christmas. Many of these toys come and go as children lose interest and move on to the 'next big thing'. But XXL Kuscheltiere are some toys, dolls, and games whose appeal has lasted for generations, and are still popular with children whose parents, or even grandparents, enjoyed playing with them when they were young.
Toys, dolls and games that have delighted for decades
There are some classic names in the toy industry that immediately spring to mind, perhaps one of the most obvious being Barbie. This fashionable young lady has been a favourite with young girls (and young boys) since her launch in 1959. Barbie was created by Ruth Handler, whose husband was a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. Before Barbie, most dolls were based on babies. Handler noticed that her daughter enjoyed giving adult roles to these dolls, and spotted a gap in the market. After seeing an adult doll on a trip to Germany, she came back with the idea for the Barbie doll, which was an enormous success on its release. Today, Barbie is responsible for 80% of Mattel's revenue.
Another famous 'doll' that has stood the test of time is Action Man. Originally launched in 1966 and based on the American GI Joe range, Action Man came in a variety of military outfits and was a popular toy with children until the closure of its original manufacturer in 1984. Action Man was so missed that in 1993 Hasbro, makers of GI Joe, relaunched the toy, and the line is still going strong today.
Classic toy cars and trains
Toy vehicles have also been perennially popular, and one name in particular has been synonymous with toy trains and cars for almost a century. In the early twentieth century Frank Hornby, who had already achieved success with the invention of Meccano, introduced the first Hornby train sets. The popular 'Hornby Dublo' line was released in 1938. After a halt in production caused by the Second World War, the trains were reintroduced in 1947 and have been a favourite with children and collectors ever since. The Hornby company also created Dinky toys, a line of miniature toy cars, which were bought by the manufacturers of Matchbox cars in the late 1980s.
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