Take A Look At Some Of The Past Favorite Christmas Toys

While it appears Michigan has decided its number one Christmas toy for 2018, it got me wondering what the the number one Christmas toy was in years past.

In 1934 the Shirley Temple Doll was the must have item on nearly every little girls Christmas list. The doll was modeled after the beloved child actress and cost between $2.89 and $5.79 at the time.

In 1960, a doll captured the top spot once again. Chatty Cathy was a seemingly unremarkable doll but could say 11 different lines when a ring was pulled. At the time, Chatty Cathy had a price tag of $19.90. A 1969 reissue used the voice of Maureen McCormick from “The Brady Bunch.”

While the doll streak continues in 1964, the boys finally get their say. G.I. Joe was a foot-tall military action figure inspired from the 1945 movie “The Story of G.I. Joe.” The figures came with names like “Ace” and “Rocky." The doll/action figure came with a price tag of $4 and grossed $16.9 million in sales in 1964.

In 1977 Star Wars was a huge and unexpected success. George Lucas was able to make millions that Christmas by selling a voucher for a Star Wars figurine. That Christmas kids unwrapped an “Early Bird Certificate Package,” with information about the figures they would receive in a few months. Original figures ranged from Darth Vader to more obscure characters like Death Star Commander. The figurine carried a price tag of $2.79.

For 1983 Cabbage Patch Kids were all the rage. Demand from children who wanted to “adopt” a doll led to adult fistfights and price gouging, with some Cabbage Patch Kids selling on the black market for 10 times their retail price. The demand for Cabbage Patch Kids grew bigger in 1984 with 18 million being sold. The price tag to "adopt" the dolls was $25.

The most in demand toy of 1984 Transformers. Transformers were based off a cartoon about warring factions of anthropomorphic robots from outer space. The demand was so great that adults fought to get one for their child. Transformers grossed around $80 million dollars for the year and ranged in price from $2.99 to $27.99.

The must have item in 1985 was Teddy Ruxpin. The talking bear and his friends were home versions of the animatronic puppets kids saw at theme parks and pizza parlors. 800,000 talking Teddy Ruxpin's sold that year with price of $68.