Toys tagged with 70s - 5/11

Lionel Trains

Trains have long held a nostalgic place in people’s hearts. Walt Disney was particularly enthralled by them and made sure to include them prominently in Disneyland, as well as having his own private railroad in the backyard of his Beverly Hills home. Of course, most folks don’t exactly enjoy the freedom to do things quite on the same grand scale as Walt, but Lionel Trains have allowed many a train lover to enjoy the experience of having their very own railroad, running in the privacy of their own home. And they have been doing so for over 100 years now, with no signs of running out of steam.

Lite-Brite

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For those whose artistic tastes lean away from the traditional and more toward the cool, look no further than a child’s bedroom. Disregard the crayon drawing on the refrigerator. Put the coloring book down. This sort of artwork is so good, it can only truly be seen in the dark.

Little Professor Calculator

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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.

Lone Ranger action figures

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For over 80 years, kids have been enthralled by the many adventures of a masked man known simply as The Lone Ranger. In the 30s, they sat transfixed to radio broadcasts, reliving the thrilling days of yesteryear and by the 50s, they were able to watch their favorite hero and his trusty companion, Tonto, keeping the west safe each week on television. And as was to be expected, more than a fair share of masks, cowboy hats and toy guns were sold to kids so that they could step into the shoes of the beloved lawman. But the real playtime fun came almost twenty years later, when Gabriel Toys released an extensive line of Lone Ranger action figures and accessories - thereby proving that, while a fad may only last a year or two, a legend lives forever.

Mad Libs

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The idea seems simple enough, perhaps even half-baked considering that it’s premise is based on finishing half-sentences. Mad Libs brings out the grammatical wiz in everyone by asking them to offer up a few off-the-cuff words in order to fill in the missing pieces in a few paragraphs. And while the results often resemble utter nonsense, they can also be unexpectedly hilarious. As a result, Mad Libs has endeared itself to millions and remains on store shelves some fifty years after its introduction.

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.

Magic Sand

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Few natural substances are as appealing to kids as sand and water – each offering a seemingly endless supply of playtime potential. Well, as long as you don’t try to mix them. Water can not only reduce the structural integrity of any sand sculpture in the blink of an eye, but wet sand sticks to just about everything, becoming a gloppy pile of unusable mud. Imagine a world where sand and water didn’t mix, imagine the endless possibilities never before imagined. Imagine how much fun it would be. Why couldn’t science tackle this age-old dilemma and make everything right in the world? Why couldn’t a special type of sand be devised that was so impervious to water that one could even sculpt underwater structures with ease. (And if it isn’t asking too much, could you make it available in the three different bright colors?)

Mastermind

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Sitting across the highly polished table sits a suave well-dressed gentleman and his exotic companion, inviting you into the cunning realm of espionage – where codes are made and codes are broken. No, this isn’t a casting call for yet another James Bond – just the box top for a simple little game of logical deduction called Mastermind.

Masterpiece

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Ah, the art of wheeling and dealing – the opportunity to start at the bottom and work towards financial riches and unfathomable wealth. But along with the potential for affluence comes the risk of losing it all. For those not quite ready to take such a risk in real life, board games have long offered a safe way to try one’s hand at this wheeling and dealing world, without the danger of financial ruin. If real estate was your area of interest, you might take a stab at Monopoly, but those with their eye on the art world, Masterpiece was the way to go.

Matchbox

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One might think that a delightful collection of scale model cars would be something that a child would want to lovingly protect from harm. Something about a car, however, brings out a more sadistic side to kids. Try as they might, they can’t help being lured into a world of fantastic car crashes and death-defying stunts - paint scratches be damned. Probably no other toy has consistently faced the abuse that Matchbox cars have been put through; an impromptu demolition derby is just too enticing to pass up. But for over fifty years, these little die-cast metal beauties have won the hearts of kids everywhere and somehow a small portion have survived unscathed enough to be coveted by collectors everywhere.