Here are 25 Most Iconic Toys of the ’70s!
Sure. Why not? You can still find this game on shelves today. Players place their battleships on the grid, and the opponent tries to “sink your battleship” by calling out the grid coordinates to locate and sink your ship. While the board game hit massive popularity in the 70s, it was released in 1967 by Milton Bradley. Paper and pen versions of the game had been around since 1900, proving that this game will be around in one way or the other for decades to come. With that concept, it’s not hard to see why the action figure for this show was a fan favorite. Was it “red-blue-red-blue-green-green-yellow” or “red-blue-red-blue-yellow-green-yellow”? Here’s a fun fact: Etch-a-Sketch was invented by a French electrician named Andre Cassagnes. He sold the rights to the toy to the Ohio Art Co for $25,000 in 1960. (That’s roughly $253,000 today.) Despite its creation in 1960, this toy didn’t hit peak popularity until commercials started airing for it in the late 60s. These oval-shaped figurines would take all the pushing and shoving and just pop right back up. They even had houses and other such accessories. No? Me, either. But still…someone once asked themselves this question and capitalized on it, clever genius. The Easy-Bake Oven allowed children to bake their own mini-deserts with a prepackaged cake mix you only added water to. It’s not hard to see why it was wildly popular, especially once Betty Crocker’s branding was added. This 10-inch toy was made with pliable latex filled with said corn syrup, which allowed Armstrong to stretch up to 4 feet long and then return to his original size, no worse for wear. While it’s no longer a popular toy, it made over $50 million dollars, and collectors will pay big money for them. Lite-Brite is an excellent way for kids to express themselves through art – but without much of the mess that usually comes with crafting. The backlit grid is covered with black paper with an outlined picture to “trace” with colorful pegs – or you can create your design. Pet Rock sold at $4, which in today’s money is roughly $22! Sound crazy? Apparently not to the 1.5 billion kiddos who convinced their parents it was a good idea! Hot Wheels cars were one of the most popular toys of the 70s, and as they are still a necessary playroom item, it’s not difficult to see why.