Toys tagged with 80s - 4/8

Little Professor Calculator

In the 1970s, electronic games began to emerge as an exciting new form of entertainment that was quickly embraced by the nation’s youth. Arcades were no longer rooms containing pool tables and pinball machines, but now allowed for a rousing game of Pong and a few other modern marvels. The Atari game system even allowed this emerging technology to become available from the comforts of home. With the kids completely enthralled by everything electronic, it was even possible to sneak in an educational game or two under the radar. One of the more successful ones was the Little Professor, a hand-held device that taught math to unsuspecting kids. Let's take a look back at this fondly-remembered teaching toy.

M.U.S.C.L.E.

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Comparatively speaking, the wrestling warriors of the World Wrestling Federation were a rather tame and normal bunch compared to a small arm of rubbery beasts known simply as M.U.S.C.L.E. (Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere). Adorned with such odd features as fins, snakeheads, horns, fur and teacup shaped heads, these little guys made a big splash on the toy market, one that continues to this day.

Magic 8 Ball

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When you are in need of some quick advice, what better place to turn than to a trusted, all-knowing billiard accessory. For more than 50 years, people have been posing questions to the Magic 8 Ball, a toy that is never at a loss for words and ready to offer enigmatic solutions to all of life’s problems with a quick shake and a glance into the murky window of destiny. Let’s take a look back at this classic toy.

Mastermind

Monopoly

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Let’s face it - most of us are never going to be filthy rich. Most of us are never going to wheel and deal and build a gigantic real estate empire filled with hotels, railroads and entire city blocks. And yet, just about every person in the civilized world has an inkling into what it might feel like for there are few among us who have never spent a few hours feeling like a big shot.

Mouse Trap

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Just one glimpse of the elaborate mechanism, known as a Rube Goldberg Machine, is enough to get any kid begging for their parents to buy them a Mouse Trap game. Granted, it is perhaps the most inefficient way ever concocted to catch a mouse, but that’s really beside the point (or maybe it actually is the point.) Regardless, kids have been enjoying this simple game for almost five decades and its popularity shows no sign of slowing.

Mr. Microphone

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Few that watched television in the 70s could ever forget the presence of a man named Ron Popeil, who regularly hawked the products manufactured by his company, Ronco. A master of mail order merchandising in his day, Popiel gave the world such memorable devices as the Pocket Fisherman, the Veg-O-Matic (and plenty of other “O-Matic" gadgets) and the iconic Ginsu knives. But while all of these products were marketed toward adult audiences, there was one particular gizmo that was geared towards kids and teens, a little device known as Mr. Microphone.

Mr. Mouth

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There is a time-honored childhood tradition that often takes place at the dining table while parents have their attention focused elsewhere. For eons it seems, children have been known to catapult food from one end of the table to the next, hoping to score a three-pointer in their sibling’s mouth. And perhaps this beloved sport was the catalyst for Tomy's Mr. Mouth game. With his jabbering jaw and revolving bald, yellow head, Mr. Mouth taunted you to fill him to overflowing.

Mr. Potato Head

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Amusing small fries for over fifty years, Mr. Potato Head has been made from a variety of materials. But whether his stout stature was comprised of Styrofoam, plastic, or even the common solanum tuberosum (that's MISTER Solanum Tuberosum to you), this master of disguise has become more than just a toy: he's a movie star, a spokespud, and an American icon.

My Buddy

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Not since Jack Jones sang the opening to The Love Boat has a theme song been as exuberantly performed as the one that accompanied My Buddy. Of course, the kid that sang this composition had plenty to be enthusiastic about – My Buddy was a pretty unique playtime pal. A departure from conventional marketing wisdom, this was a doll marketed for male children.