From Tickle Me Elmo, to Gameboys and Furbys, here is a look back at some of the most popular Christmas presents from yesteryear.
5. James Bond's Aston Martin DB5
The year was 1965 and James Bond films were box office smash hits. Ahead of the release of the fourth Bond film, Thunderball, Corgi designed the must have toy of the year – the legendary Aston Martin DB5. Complete with front mounted machine guns, an ejector seat and rear bullet-proof screen, the popular James Bond accessory went on to sell over four million units. The toy manufactures opted to make a gold plated car instead of the famous silver version as they thought the metallic colour looked too similar to a base metal. Photo credit: Corgi Photo: submitted
6. Monopoly
Looking for a game the whole family can enjoy? How about a board game based on the economy? Yaay! For decades, Monopoly has been a household favourite with hundreds of different versions released since the 1930s. The game that’s responsible for both joy and division in households across the world, has become a staple of board games during Christmas time. If you’re looking for a new copy of the age-old classic, why not check out the Edinburgh Zoo edition released earlier in the year. Photo credit: William Warby - Flickr Photo: submitted
7. The Furby
The Furby was one of the must have toys for Christmas in 1998. The cuddly, yet somewhat creepy creature had its own language ‘Furbish’ and was capable of speaking 42 words to form hundreds of phrases. The owl-like creatures proved to be extremely popular - with 40 million units sold in a two-year period.
Fun fact: In 1999 Furbys were banned from the Pentagon and NSA building due to concerns they might record sensitive information.
Photo credit: April, flickr Photo: submitted
8. Atari VCS
In the late 70s, the Atari was the games console to own, going on to sell millions of copies worldwide. Sales of the console got off to a shaky start in 1977 as consumers were unfamiliar with swappable games cartridges, but by Christmas 1979, the Atari took the world by storm allowing gamers to play arcade classics including Pong, PacMan and Space Invaders. Photo credit: Doug Kline, Wikimedia commons Photo: submitted