Most Popular Toys From All Ages Part II

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Join us on our continuing trip down memory lane with a look at classic toys that continue to sell like hot potatoes...

Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head celebrated his 50th birthday last year in a party atmosphere arranged by its maker, Hasbro. The famous spud had long become accustomed to the hoopla, however. He was the first toy product ever advertised on television, beginning in 1952, when Hasbro gained instant access to tens of millions of newly wired households. The looney toy tuber grossed $4 million in his very first year. Since then, Mr. Potato Head has co-starred with the likes of Tom Hanks in Toy Story and Toy Story II.

Play-Doh

When Play-Doh first appeared it was available in only one color — off-white. Today, red, blue, green and yellow have been added to the color scheme with more than 700 million pounds of the pliable stuff sold since its debut in 1956. Although there a number of homemade recipes popular with the nursery school set, the original formula for the Play-Doh compound still remains a secret. And remember Mr. Bill? The put-upon character who starred in many a Saturday Night Live episode was made of nothing more than squishable, (oh...noooo!) though very durable, Play-Doh.

Trivial Pursuit

Hard to believe that 2003 marks the coming-of-age of the very popular board game 21 years-old this year. Since 1982, it has made its way into more than half of all homes in the U.S. More than 30 million Trivial Pursuit games have been sold worldwide in 18 languages and 32 countries.

Some Trivial Pursuit trivia? 1) it was invented by two Canadians bored with Scrabble; 2) in its first year the game sold at a loss until it was licensed to game manufacturers Selchow and Righter, who created a whirlwind marketing campaign; 3) that same year, Time magazine called it "the biggest phenomenon in game history."

also see in Shopping -> This Year's Most Popular Toys

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