Lego bricks, the iconic Barbie doll, and the enduring Rubik’s Cube have been crowned the top three toys of all time by retailer Hamleys.
The board game Monopoly, the Tamagotchi virtual pet – which Hamleys described as a “symbol of 90s tech toy obsession” – and the Action Man doll also feature in the top ten.
They are joined by the Teletubby doll, the Furby, the Frozen singing doll, and the Nintendo Game Boy.
The toy store compiled its “hero” list with the help of industry buyers to mark its 265th birthday, selecting toys for their cultural impact, enduring popularity, and historical significance.
It described Lego – first released in 1958 – as “timeless, creative, and a global phenomenon”, noting it had gone on to span toys, films and theme parks.
It said more than one billion Barbie dolls had been sold across the world since its first release in 1959, making it a “pop culture icon” across the decades.
More than 500 million Rubik’s Cubes had been sold since 1974, making it the world’s best-selling puzzle toy.
However Hamleys said “eternal classics” such as the hula hoop, spinning tops and marbles were still bought around the world today, despite them being among the first toys sold by the store when William Hamley opened its doors in 1760.
Victoria Kay, head buyer at Hamleys, said: “Once you start looking at this, it turns rapidly into a nostalgia-fest – even for toys from four or five years ago.
“My personal favourites are Sindy doll – I was always a Sindy girl as she was a cool British icon. I also adored Glo Worm, even though I was maybe a bit old for it and Simon felt like properly, cutting edge, advanced technology when it came out – it was literally the soundtrack of Christmas in the 80s.”
Senior Hamleys buyer Karen Dennett said she particularly remembered toys where stocks were under severe pressure due to unforeseen demand and unusually had to be restricted to one per customer.
She said: “It was mayhem at times with toys like the Frozen Singing ‘Let it Go’ Doll – we were getting them rush air freighted in to try to satisfy demand.
“I remember me and my brother both getting a Rubik’s Cube for Christmas. He solved it super quick, but I was nowhere near solving it, so I remember peeling the coloured stickers off to allow me to look like I had managed it.”
Ms Kay said it was difficult to determine what made a toy popular, but said: “You can never underestimate the power of togetherness created around some of the big-sellers – those toys that bring people of all ages together – get families around a table talking, playing, challenging, maybe even cheating. Monopoly would be nothing without the competitive family battles that emerge.
“We also mustn’t forget that simplicity is often key – the joy of cuddling a doll or storytelling with an action figure or a superfast Hot Wheel car.
“Combined with a good dose of jeopardy and you have something truly memorable – think Operation or Kerplunk, Jenga or Buckaroo – they are so simple.
“I used to panic trying to balance the boot in Mousetrap and be terrified of the noise Operation would make when I got it wrong or just burst with panicky laughter when the Jenga tower finally wobbled and collapsed. Toys like that will last forever.”
