Toy Shop's Top 40: The Greatest Toys Of All Time

By Sharon Korbeck, Mike Jacquart, and Steve Ellingboe

If you had to pick just one toy from your childhood as your favorite, what would it be? That, in essence, was the question that started the story. But Toy Shop's list of the 40 greatest toys of all time ended up being much more than that.

NUMBER ONE SPUD - Playskool's Mr. Potato Head leads our list of the greatest toys of all time. If you got tired of playing with him, hey, you could still have french fries for dinner! Pictured is an early 1950s version of the toy.

In fact, our story began as a list of 25 toys. We expanded it when we realized there were just too many worthy toys that would have to be left off such an exclusive list.

Our criteria were loose. Toys could be from any era, although toys from the baby boomer years (1950s-1960s) figure prominently in this list. Toys needn't still be produced, although many of the enduring classics are.

The hardest part of compiling and narrowing the list was defining the word "greatest". Should we include toys we considered important or influential in the history of toy making? What about those play classics that have endured over time? Most collectible? Most fun? Most creative?

Our list encompasses a little of all of those criteria, but collectibility was probably the last factor. Many of the toys on our list have had powerful impacts, even if they are not that collectible or valuable today. Our choices were more emotional than monetary.

We also wanted our list to be playful and not completely predictable. Of course, many of your guesses and picks are probably on the list, but we think you'll find some memorable, quirky and thought-inspiring inclusions too. Likewise, some of your favorites may not have made our top 40. We'd love to hear your feedback on what toys you feel should have been on the list.

Some of our favorite childhood playthings, however, didn't make the cut because they were considered too "generic" - items like roller skates, alphabet blocks, balls and homemade toys.

We hope this story not only entertains, but also makes you feel like you opened a time capsule to the past, allowing you to remember the toys you may have forgotten.

Without further ado, here is Toy Shop's 40 greatest toys of all time.

1. Mr. Potato Head (Playskool, 1950s). This spud was the epitome of playing with your food-if you didn't have a potato, you could stick the plastic facial features into an apple, orange, or even a cucumber. What other toy could you play with in the afternoon and eat for dinner that evening?

   This 1950s novelty, the first toy advertised on television, was recently revived thanks to the success of Disney's Toy Story. Current reincarnations include plush versions, talking versions and even a vibrating massager?
   
   

2. Tinkertoys (Toy Tinkers, early 1900s; today, Playskool). Construction toys have come and gone, and there were certainly precursors to these wooden wheels and dowels. But these simplistic wonder builders spawned decades of creativity with just sticks and spools.
   
   
3. Barbie, Ponytail #4 (Mattel, 1960). Perhaps no other female has generated so much admiration or controversy. Dozens of magazines, books and web sites are devoted to her. Despite her anatomically absurd measurements and impeccable hair and makeup, the Barbie doll has become a pop culture icon and the most collected doll since her debut in 1959. We chose #4 since the first Barbie doll was too pale and eerie-looking; the later #4 doll featured more realistic coloring and makeup.
   
   
4. G.I. Joe Soldier (Hasbro, 1964). You know what they say about a man in uniform. With a stony, forward stare, facial scar and (later) kung-fu grip, this 12-inch stud was strong enough to take on a doubting public . . .and win. Stores may have doubted boys would play with "dolls," but this action soldier has proved them wrong for more than 30 years.
   
   
5. Big Wheel (Marx, 1960s). Boys and girls alike didn't need balance or a license to cruise in this low rider. Not quite a pedal car, easier to master than a bike. Big Wheels are still being ridden today. Can't you hear those tires squealing?
   
   
6. Slinky (James Industries, 1946). Forget the laws of physics and gravity that are packed into this bouncy wire spring. Its invention was serendipitous; its simplicity, unquestioned; its appeal, enduring.
   
   
7. Frisbee (Wham-O, 1950s; today, Mattel). How many uses can you think of? A paint palette, lunch plate and mud-pie maker come to mind. What other toy has provided so much fun to so many for so little cost? You know a concept is a genuine success when people start using a trade name generically; there may be other flying discs, but there is only one Frisbee.
   
   
8. Etch-a-Sketch (Ohio Art, 1960). Its memorable name is as classic as this magic screen. Plus, the familiar red box made making mistakes almost fun - just shake the screen, and your mistakes disappeared!
   
   
9. Prehistoric Times Play Set (Mars, 1950s). Living in your own little world was a lot easier thanks to the tiny buildings, surroundings, people and animals in Louis Marx's classic boxed sets. Every kid loved bringing dinosaurs roaring back to life - albeit in miniature - in his living room. Remember losing that stegosaurus under the couch?
   
   
10. Easy-Bake Oven (Kenner, 1960s). Helping mom in the kitchen may not have thrilled all little girls. But nothing beat making tasty treats in your very own, tiny aquamarine oven (today's version looks more like a microwave oven). It embraced the domesticity of the early 1960s and was one of the better executed girls' role-playing toys.
    
    
11. Crayola Crayons (Binney & Smith, early 1900s). OK, it may be debatable whether or not these are considered toys. But for sheer sensory pleasure, you can't beat 'em. The smell alone is enough to take you back to rainy Saturday afternoons. And the box of 64 (with sharpener) was every baby boomer child's dream school supply. Nothing less, certainly not generic crayons, would do.
    
    
12. Hopalong Cassidy bicycle (Roll Fast, 1950s). This wasn't just any mode of transportation. With Hoppy's cheerful image, the bike championed the Wild West. The bike - complete with saddlebags and holster - became a kid's personal Topper, making every sidewalk and backyard a riding range.
    
    
13. Tabletop Electric Football (Tudor, 1950s). No matter who your favorite team was, you could score big with Tudor's sports games which brought the playing fields down to a child's level. Plus, if you didn't feel like football, you could always give your hamster a ride on the vibrating field.
    
    
14. Shrinky Dinks (today, Milton Bradley). Burned fingers aside, this toy was some of the most fun a kid could have with scissors, a sheet of plastic and an oven. Pictures were colored on plastic sheets; the pictures were then cut out and baked into hard plastic charms. The fun, however was in the making. Interest levels often plummeted even before the toys could cool.
    
    
15. Silly Putty (Binney & Smith, 1950). Some used it to lift the images off comic strips; others bounced it like a ball; still others (ill-advisedly) attempted to chew it. Maybe it has no real purpose; maybe it has many; maybe that's part of the fun of this "real solid liquid" plastic.
    
    
16. Popeye Pull Toy (Fisher-Price, 1935). The sheer influence of Fisher-Price's earliest toys cannot be overlooked in terms of play value and toy design. The first Popeye toy, in which the sailor rings a bell with a mallet, may have been simple in design. But it was one of the earliest toys licensed by King Features Syndicate, and one of Fisher-Price's earliest licensed toys.
    
    
17. Tonka Dump Truck (Tonka 1940s). Nothing beat the feel of cold, hard steel - except maybe the sound of your truck ramming into the wall. These sandbox staples were built to withstand abuse, unlike their modern-day plastic counterparts.
    
    
18. Hot Wheels, Chevy Camaro (Mattel, 1960s). Matchbox cars came first, but super speed propelled these wheels ahead of the competition. The Camaro started the line.
    
    
19. Monopoly (Parker Brothers, 1930s). Everyone loves the Boardwalk; unfortunately most of us were lucky just to pass GO without paying a luxury tax. Thanks to this game, many future real estate agents were born, and future politicians learned how to both overspend and hide their money in secret places.
    
    
20. View-Master (Sawyer's 1930s; today, Mattel). Viva la France - or wherever you desired to visit. These 3-D reels made globetrotting possible from the comfort of your easy chair. Oh, yeah, the cartoon and storybook reels weren't bad either.
    
    
21. Hula Hoop (Wham-O 1950s). If Elvis' pelvis didn't cause enough gyrating, this hip-swinging machine sure did. How long could you keep it swinging?
    
    
22. Radio Flyer Wagon (Radio Flyer, 1920s). Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of youth gone by, the little red wagon was never simpler, never more perfect.
    
    
23. Star Wars Talking Bank (Thinkway, 1997). It's new, it's Star Wars, it comes to life in brilliant sound, music, motion and light. In the realm of the Jedi, it's a hard act to follow.
    
    
24. Lone Ranger steel lunch box (Adco Liberty, 1950s). Long before steel boxes disappeared from playgrounds, young cowpokes toted peanut butter sandwiches along with toy cap guns. This example epitomized the bygone era of a superhero (or cartoon character) on every lunch table. You may have traded your apple for a ginger snap, but you'd never trade your favorite lunch box.
    
    
25. PEZ candy dispensers (PEZ, 1950s). Forget the sugary candy, these babies were meant to be collected. The early soft-head superheroes and monsters are our favorites.
    
    
26. Buck Rogers Disintegrator Pistol (Daisy, 1930s). For kids of the 1930s, there was nothing better to zap the evil doers in the 25th century (or in your own backyard). Its sleek, deco design seems right even today.
    
    
27. Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots (Marx, 1960s). Have you stopped beating your brother yet? You wouldn't want to if you locked fists in this combination robot/sports spectacular in which two robots tried to knock each other's block off.
    
    
28. Howdy Doody Marionette (Peter Puppet Playthings, 1950s). He may be spineless, but this floppy puppet kicked off licensing mania - defining the importance of character licensing to the future of collectible toys. It also signaled the start of TV toy mania.
    
    
29. Legos (Lego, 1940s). Play possibilities were endless in these bright studded construction blocks - plus, there is seemingly no age limit. Nobody wants to "lego" these fabulous finds.
    
    
30. Superman Rollover Plane (Marx, 1940s). The combination of the world's greatest superhero and the world's greatest toy company made this tin wind-up a classic.
    
    
31. Hang it on Hitler's Nose Ring Toss Game (1940s). In an era when the entire nation was consumed by the war effort, this was the epitome of the many propaganda toys that flooded the market. World War II put an end to much toy production, but of the toys produced during that era, many, like the Rap a Jap and Bombs Away! games, attacked enemy forces. This was just one toy which demonstrated the impact the war had on all aspects of 1940s life.
    
    
32. Mr. Machine (Ideal, 1960s). Take him apart, put him together, make him walk and squawk. This red-hot machine was an important entry in the mechanical toys/robot craze of the 1960s.
    
    
33. Flexible Flyer Sled (Roadmaster, 1880s). Let the Florida kids be jealous. Snow lovers soared downhill on the classic toboggan.
    
    
34. Wooly Willy (Smethport Specialty, 1950s). Bald is beautiful, and it can be fun, too. Covering Willy's bald pate was easy with a pile of magnetic dust and a switch of the magic wand. A classic toy that still retails for under $2, Wooly Willy remains an extremely simple toy still enjoyed in an era of complexity.
    
    
35. Mickey Mouse Circus Train (Lionel). For more than 100 years, kids have been playing with Lionel trains. This locomotive-and-cars set included cardboard figures and Mickey as a circus barker.
    
    
36. Lite Brite (today, Milton Bradley). If your cat didn't swallow the pegs, Lite Brite was the best toy to play with in the dark. Plus, when your parents weren't looking, you could create secret messages on the screen.
    
    
37. Frosty Sno-Man Sno-Cone Machine (Hasbro, 1960s). Only the hippest, and most well-heeled, kids on the block served up these cups of crushed coolness. It was much more fun than a neighborhood lemonade stand and the perfect accompaniment to your neighbor's Easy-Bake Oven.
    
    
38. Fuzzy Pumper Barber Shop (Playskool). Aspiring stylists were trained with this toy that's as fun to say as it is to play. Plus, it made use of one of the most enduring toys of all time, that aromatic, colorful favorite, Play-Doh.
    
    
39. Mystery Date Game (Milton Bradley, 1960s). You never knew when your dream guy would answer the door of this board game. A plastic door actually opened to reveal a dream man (for you) or a dud ( for your sister).
    
    
40. Chatty Cathy (Mattel, 1960s). Imagine the excitement of receiving a large doll that actually talked. Mattel's pull-string technology perfected this chatterbox; our fascination with talking toys continues to this day.

Who picked our picks? Toy Shop Editor Sharon Korbeck, Associate Editor Mike Jacquart and Today's Collector Editor Steve Ellingboe all defended their favorite toys - and disputed each other's - in the writing of this story.

The preceding material was written by Sharon Korbeck, Mike Jacquart, and Steve Ellingboe. These are the opinions of the authors, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.