Every year, there’s a must-have holiday toy that parents hope to surprise their children with. Some wait in lines, scour stores and cross their fingers in hopes of snagging the hottest toy before it sells out. Throughout the decades, these toys would leave a dent in parents’ wallets. Archive video above: Tickle Me Elmo demand prompts black market, in-store fightsWhen Slip ‘N Slide first hit the market in 1961, it retailed for $2.99. That might not sound outrageous, but adjusted for inflation, that’s about $31.64 today for a simple plastic slide. A similar 16-foot slide can still be purchased today for $19.58. Meanwhile, one of 2024’s trendy toys, the Hex Bot Wall Crawlers Gecko, is priced at $26.49. Pretty reasonable for a high-tech toy that can scale walls and perform spin tricks via a wireless remote control. Using the top holiday toy gift list compiled by experts at The Strong National Museum of Play and newspaper archives, Hearst Television revisited 24 must-have toys through the decades, stretching back to the 1950s. This nostalgic journey includes the price at which the toy debuted and what that price would be in today’s dollars according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation calculator.CPI is an aggregate measure of common expenses a household would encounter, such as groceries, housing, transportation, consumer goods, etc. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator uses that index to adjust a sum of money from one time period to another, giving us a clearer picture of what households were actually shelling out for an Easy-Bake Oven in the ’60s. For consistency in inflation calculations, all values compare the toy’s price for November of the year it was a top holiday item, not its release year, against its projected value in October 2024. Toy retail values were pulled from newspaper archival. Can’t see the interactive toy graphics? Click here. Mr. Potato Head (1952) Today, we know Mr. Potato Head for his silly plastic parts and iconic role in the “Toy Story” movies. However, when he debuted in 1952, his plastic attachments were paired with a real potato as the head.Due to complaints of rotting vegetables and new government regulation, manufacturers swapped the spud to plastic in 1964.Mr. Potato Head’s debut sparked kids’ creativity by letting them craft silly faces on vegetables and fruits. For just 98 cents, the kit included eyes, a nose, lips, a mustache, ears and a hat.Given his everlasting status, Mr. Potato Head is still available for purchase for just $7.99, or grab the whole family set for $19.99 on Amazon. Silly Putty (1955) Engineer James Wright accidentally created Silly Putty when he dropped boric acid into silicone oil. The reaction produced a stretchy, bouncy material that soared higher than a rubber ball. In 1955, an ounce of the stretchy material sold for $1. After being featured in a New Yorker magazine article, more than 250,000 units were ordered within a span of three days. Silly Putty is still available for $21.24, about $9.22 more than its original price back in the day. Barbie (1959) Described as a “living doll, real grown-up fashion,” and dressed in a black-and-white striped bathing suit, blonde hair and black heels, Mattel’s first Barbie doll made a splash in the toy market. Parents could buy this iconic doll for $3 in 1959.Now, a Barbie doll costs around $20.99 on Amazon. Easy-Bake Oven (1963) The first Easy-Bake Oven hit the shelves in yellow and turquoise options in 1963. Despite the toy’s steep $15.95 price tag, more than half a million kids nationwide convinced their parents to buy them the toy, eventually selling out the toy during the holiday season. In 2006, Hasbro officially retired the light bulb design for a heating element and rebranded the toy as the “Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven.”The Easy-Bake Oven continues to be a household name and the current version can be purchased for $95.99 on Amazon. Lite-Brite (1967) The toy that let kids create glowing artwork on a plastic panel with small light-up pegs originally retailed for $7.98 Today, however, you can grab a Lite-Brite set for just $15.49.Lego Building Sets (1969) Though the beginning of Lego can be traced back to 1932, the building blocks reached a new level of popularity in 1969. The start of the 1960s marked a new era for Lego as it began to expand themes, trying to become a versatile and innovative toy brand. Curiously, one of the best-performing sets of the ’60s was a Quaker Oats cereal box set.Now, the Lego world is vast and diverse, including exciting sets from the world of Star Wars, Harry Potter, NASA missions, and much more. A bulk set of bricks without a specific theme starts around $24.99, while other more intricate sets, like the international space station can go as high as $158.00.Pet Rock (1975) A pet rock might be hard for today’s generation of kids to understand, but when the creator, Gary Dahl, introduced the toy, it was a smashing success. Despite its $4 price tag, the humorous manual that came with it convinced many to shell out for this trendsetter. Within the first year, more than one million Pet Rocks were sold, becoming the hottest Christmas gift of the year. If you want to experience the joys of a pet rock, it’s still available on Amazon for $19.99.Star Wars Action Figures (1978) A year after the release of the first Star Wars movie, miniature action figures became the must-have Christmas gift for kids. Priced between $2.26 and $2.29, these figures were a hit.Many kids waited in anticipation during the holiday season of 1978, hoping to unwrap a Star Wars action figure. However, a backlog in the production of the figures caused many to be disappointed. Kenner’s Star Wars toys sold 40 million units within their first year, generating $100 million in revenue. You can find a set of three action figures on Amazon for $29.99. Simon (1979) It looks like a flying plastic saucer with four color panels. Simon was a quirky game that challenged players to test their memory by matching color sequences to musical tones.Inspired by the Atari arcade game Touch Me, inventors Ralph Baer and Howard J. Morrison were inspired to replicate a music sequence on a handheld device. The game was originally titled Follow Me but the name was changed before its launch to Simon after the game Simon Says. Players can still test their memory muscle with the toy for $19.68 on Amazon. Rubik’s Cube (1980) It has six colors, some 3 billion combinations and just one solution. The Rubik’s Cube had many scratching their heads in 1980, leaving the store with a $7.49 cube to solve once they got home. The Rubik’s Cube can be found in almost any toy store and is available for $9.36 on Amazon.Cabbage Patch Kids (1983) Who can forget the chaos caused by Cabbage Patch Kids when they debuted in 1983? Parents were willing to do almost anything to snag the $24.97 doll. Many even paid more to buy from resellers. If you missed your chance to own one in the 80s, you’re in luck, the dolls are still available on Amazon for $24.99. Transformers (1984)After the Cabbage Patch Kids fiasco, parents vowed to never endure such chaos again – until Transformers hit the market the very next year. These small model cars and trucks that transformed into robots became the next must have toy. Ranging from $3 to $5, kids nationwide were hoping to find a Transformer toy under the Christmas tree. The toy is still available for $24.99 on Amazon. Super Soakers (1993) Super Soakers revolutionized water toys, letting kids drench their friends with buckets of water from 50 to 200 feet away! Originally priced between $14.99 and $19.99, depending on the model, this was the toy every kid hoped to stay cool with over the summer.Today’s versions hold more water, shoot farther and are available for as low as $11.76. Tickle Me Elmo (1996) Twelve years after the release of the Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo sparked another chaotic holiday craze. Parents nationwide scoured stores for the $29.99 toy.Tyco, the manufacturer, shipped one million Tickle Me Elmos to the United States, but didn’t anticipate how quickly the toy would fly off the shelves. Desperate buyers turned to newspaper ads, where the toy was auctioned or sold at overinflated prices, reaching as high as $1,500!Currently, the toy retails for $39.99 on Amazon.Tamagotchi (1997) Bandai first released Tamagotchi in Japan in 1996, selling four million units in the country during its first four months on the market, becoming an instant success. Tamagotchi made its way to America the following year, repeating the success it had in Japan. Many compared it to the pet rock — but virtual. Housed in a plastic egg-shaped device, this engaging virtual pet sold for $15 to $20. You can still feed, play and check on a Tamagotchi pet for $19.99 on Amazon. Bratz Doll (2001) Often considered the “anti-Barbie,” Bratz Dolls made their fashionable first appearance in 2001 for $14.99. Within a year, the dolls grossed $97 million in global sales. By the following year, the Toy Association crowned Bratz Dolls the Toy of the Year.The chic quartet — Cloe, Yasmin, Jade, and Sasha — are still strutting the latest fashion trends on Amazon for just $24.99. Robosapien (2004) Priced at $100, the 14-inch Robosapien featured 67 pre-programmed functions, including dancing, picking up objects, belching and more. Within its first year of releasing Robosapien, WowWee sold one and a half million units of the toy worldwide. It became the top holiday toy of 2004 and later won the title of Toy of the Year. A more modern and tech-savvy version of the robot can be purchased on Amazon for $20.99.SillyBandz (2009) Robert Croak first introduced colorful rubber bands known as SillyBandz to American consumers in 2008. But these rubber bands weren’t just any ordinary bands, they were shaped like animals, objects, numbers, letters and more. SillyBandz mania brought chaos to playgrounds in 2009, with young kids feverishly trading the neon bands, resulting in some schools banning them outright.A pack of six can be bought for $4.95 on Amazon. “Frozen” Dolls (2014) Following the success of the “Frozen” movie, many kids hoped to rip open a present with a “Frozen” princess doll inside. Whether it was Elsa or Anna, the dolls retailed for $10 and above. Shopkins Toys (2015) Miniature toys weren’t a new concept when Shopkins Toys first hit stores in 2014. What made Shopkins unique was its collectability, affordability and surprise element. The blind basket left many to anticipate the mini everyday grocery item that awaited them inside. Fingerlings (2017) At first glance, WowWee’s Fingerlings looks like an ordinary monkey that latches onto a finger. The robotic monkey, however, had the ability to respond to voices, movement and touch by babbling, blowing kisses and blinking. With the help of influencers and content creators, WowWee sold more than 100,000 units within their debut week.Fingerlings are still on the market for $14.99.Note: “Today’s Price” is based on what the toy would have cost in today’s dollars according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Consumer Price Index inflation calculator. Interactive graphics created by Susie Webb.
Every year, there’s a must-have holiday toy that parents hope to surprise their children with.
Some wait in lines, scour stores and cross their fingers in hopes of snagging the hottest toy before it sells out. Throughout the decades, these toys would leave a dent in parents’ wallets.
Archive video above: Tickle Me Elmo demand prompts black market, in-store fights
When Slip ‘N Slide first hit the market in 1961, it retailed for $2.99. That might not sound outrageous, but adjusted for inflation, that’s about $31.64 today for a simple plastic slide. A similar 16-foot slide can still be purchased today for $19.58. Meanwhile, one of 2024’s trendy toys, the Hex Bot Wall Crawlers Gecko, is priced at $26.49. Pretty reasonable for a high-tech toy that can scale walls and perform spin tricks via a wireless remote control.
Using the top holiday toy gift list compiled by experts at The Strong National Museum of Play and newspaper archives, Hearst Television revisited 24 must-have toys through the decades, stretching back to the 1950s. This nostalgic journey includes the price at which the toy debuted and what that price would be in today’s dollars according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation calculator.
CPI is an aggregate measure of common expenses a household would encounter, such as groceries, housing, transportation, consumer goods, etc. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator uses that index to adjust a sum of money from one time period to another, giving us a clearer picture of what households were actually shelling out for an Easy-Bake Oven in the ’60s.
For consistency in inflation calculations, all values compare the toy’s price for November of the year it was a top holiday item, not its release year, against its projected value in October 2024. Toy retail values were pulled from newspaper archival.
Can’t see the interactive toy graphics? Click here.
Mr. Potato Head (1952)
Today, we know Mr. Potato Head for his silly plastic parts and iconic role in the “Toy Story” movies. However, when he debuted in 1952, his plastic attachments were paired with a real potato as the head.
Due to complaints of rotting vegetables and new government regulation, manufacturers swapped the spud to plastic in 1964.
Mr. Potato Head’s debut sparked kids’ creativity by letting them craft silly faces on vegetables and fruits. For just 98 cents, the kit included eyes, a nose, lips, a mustache, ears and a hat.
Given his everlasting status, Mr. Potato Head is still available for purchase for just $7.99, or grab the whole family set for $19.99 on Amazon.
Silly Putty (1955)
Engineer James Wright accidentally created Silly Putty when he dropped boric acid into silicone oil. The reaction produced a stretchy, bouncy material that soared higher than a rubber ball.
In 1955, an ounce of the stretchy material sold for $1.
After being featured in a New Yorker magazine article, more than 250,000 units were ordered within a span of three days.
Silly Putty is still available for $21.24, about $9.22 more than its original price back in the day.
Barbie (1959)
Described as a “living doll, real grown-up fashion,” and dressed in a black-and-white striped bathing suit, blonde hair and black heels, Mattel’s first Barbie doll made a splash in the toy market.
Parents could buy this iconic doll for $3 in 1959.
Now, a Barbie doll costs around $20.99 on Amazon.
Easy-Bake Oven (1963)
The first Easy-Bake Oven hit the shelves in yellow and turquoise options in 1963. Despite the toy’s steep $15.95 price tag, more than half a million kids nationwide convinced their parents to buy them the toy, eventually selling out the toy during the holiday season.
In 2006, Hasbro officially retired the light bulb design for a heating element and rebranded the toy as the “Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven.”
The Easy-Bake Oven continues to be a household name and the current version can be purchased for $95.99 on Amazon.
Lite-Brite (1967)
The toy that let kids create glowing artwork on a plastic panel with small light-up pegs originally retailed for $7.98
Today, however, you can grab a Lite-Brite set for just $15.49.
Lego Building Sets (1969)
Though the beginning of Lego can be traced back to 1932, the building blocks reached a new level of popularity in 1969. The start of the 1960s marked a new era for Lego as it began to expand themes, trying to become a versatile and innovative toy brand. Curiously, one of the best-performing sets of the ’60s was a Quaker Oats cereal box set.
Now, the Lego world is vast and diverse, including exciting sets from the world of Star Wars, Harry Potter, NASA missions, and much more. A bulk set of bricks without a specific theme starts around $24.99, while other more intricate sets, like the international space station can go as high as $158.00.
Pet Rock (1975)
A pet rock might be hard for today’s generation of kids to understand, but when the creator, Gary Dahl, introduced the toy, it was a smashing success. Despite its $4 price tag, the humorous manual that came with it convinced many to shell out for this trendsetter. Within the first year, more than one million Pet Rocks were sold, becoming the hottest Christmas gift of the year.
If you want to experience the joys of a pet rock, it’s still available on Amazon for $19.99.
Star Wars Action Figures (1978)
A year after the release of the first Star Wars movie, miniature action figures became the must-have Christmas gift for kids. Priced between $2.26 and $2.29, these figures were a hit.
Many kids waited in anticipation during the holiday season of 1978, hoping to unwrap a Star Wars action figure. However, a backlog in the production of the figures caused many to be disappointed. Kenner’s Star Wars toys sold 40 million units within their first year, generating $100 million in revenue. You can find a set of three action figures on Amazon for $29.99.
Simon (1979)
It looks like a flying plastic saucer with four color panels. Simon was a quirky game that challenged players to test their memory by matching color sequences to musical tones.
Inspired by the Atari arcade game Touch Me, inventors Ralph Baer and Howard J. Morrison were inspired to replicate a music sequence on a handheld device. The game was originally titled Follow Me but the name was changed before its launch to Simon after the game Simon Says.
Players can still test their memory muscle with the toy for $19.68 on Amazon.
Rubik’s Cube (1980)
It has six colors, some 3 billion combinations and just one solution. The Rubik’s Cube had many scratching their heads in 1980, leaving the store with a $7.49 cube to solve once they got home.
The Rubik’s Cube can be found in almost any toy store and is available for $9.36 on Amazon.
Cabbage Patch Kids (1983)
Who can forget the chaos caused by Cabbage Patch Kids when they debuted in 1983? Parents were willing to do almost anything to snag the $24.97 doll. Many even paid more to buy from resellers.
If you missed your chance to own one in the 80s, you’re in luck, the dolls are still available on Amazon for $24.99.
Transformers (1984)
After the Cabbage Patch Kids fiasco, parents vowed to never endure such chaos again – until Transformers hit the market the very next year. These small model cars and trucks that transformed into robots became the next must have toy.
Ranging from $3 to $5, kids nationwide were hoping to find a Transformer toy under the Christmas tree.
The toy is still available for $24.99 on Amazon.
Super Soakers (1993)
Super Soakers revolutionized water toys, letting kids drench their friends with buckets of water from 50 to 200 feet away! Originally priced between $14.99 and $19.99, depending on the model, this was the toy every kid hoped to stay cool with over the summer.
Today’s versions hold more water, shoot farther and are available for as low as $11.76.
Tickle Me Elmo (1996)
Twelve years after the release of the Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo sparked another chaotic holiday craze. Parents nationwide scoured stores for the $29.99 toy.
Tyco, the manufacturer, shipped one million Tickle Me Elmos to the United States, but didn’t anticipate how quickly the toy would fly off the shelves. Desperate buyers turned to newspaper ads, where the toy was auctioned or sold at overinflated prices, reaching as high as $1,500!
Currently, the toy retails for $39.99 on Amazon.
Tamagotchi (1997)
Bandai first released Tamagotchi in Japan in 1996, selling four million units in the country during its first four months on the market, becoming an instant success. Tamagotchi made its way to America the following year, repeating the success it had in Japan. Many compared it to the pet rock — but virtual. Housed in a plastic egg-shaped device, this engaging virtual pet sold for $15 to $20.
You can still feed, play and check on a Tamagotchi pet for $19.99 on Amazon.
Bratz Doll (2001)
Often considered the “anti-Barbie,” Bratz Dolls made their fashionable first appearance in 2001 for $14.99. Within a year, the dolls grossed $97 million in global sales. By the following year, the Toy Association crowned Bratz Dolls the Toy of the Year.
The chic quartet — Cloe, Yasmin, Jade, and Sasha — are still strutting the latest fashion trends on Amazon for just $24.99.
Robosapien (2004)
Priced at $100, the 14-inch Robosapien featured 67 pre-programmed functions, including dancing, picking up objects, belching and more.
Within its first year of releasing Robosapien, WowWee sold one and a half million units of the toy worldwide. It became the top holiday toy of 2004 and later won the title of Toy of the Year.
A more modern and tech-savvy version of the robot can be purchased on Amazon for $20.99.
SillyBandz (2009)
Robert Croak first introduced colorful rubber bands known as SillyBandz to American consumers in 2008. But these rubber bands weren’t just any ordinary bands, they were shaped like animals, objects, numbers, letters and more. SillyBandz mania brought chaos to playgrounds in 2009, with young kids feverishly trading the neon bands, resulting in some schools banning them outright.
A pack of six can be bought for $4.95 on Amazon.
“Frozen” Dolls (2014)
Following the success of the “Frozen” movie, many kids hoped to rip open a present with a “Frozen” princess doll inside. Whether it was Elsa or Anna, the dolls retailed for $10 and above.
Shopkins Toys (2015)
Miniature toys weren’t a new concept when Shopkins Toys first hit stores in 2014. What made Shopkins unique was its collectability, affordability and surprise element. The blind basket left many to anticipate the mini everyday grocery item that awaited them inside.
Fingerlings (2017)
At first glance, WowWee’s Fingerlings looks like an ordinary monkey that latches onto a finger. The robotic monkey, however, had the ability to respond to voices, movement and touch by babbling, blowing kisses and blinking. With the help of influencers and content creators, WowWee sold more than 100,000 units within their debut week.
Fingerlings are still on the market for $14.99.
Note: “Today’s Price” is based on what the toy would have cost in today’s dollars according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Consumer Price Index inflation calculator.
Interactive graphics created by Susie Webb.
