From Tickle Me Elmo, to Gameboys and Furbys, here is a look back at some of the most popular Christmas presents from yesteryear.
9. Beanie Babies
There was no shortage of cultural fads in the mid 1990s - from Pogs, the resurgence of yoyos and even dance crazes like the Macarena finding its way to all four corners of the globe. Beanie Babies were no different, and the relatively cheap, highly collectable creatures were highly sought after with many viewing the cuddly toys as a sound financial investment. The mass hysteria around the TY products has been the subject of a new documentary, The Beanie Bubble, available on iTunes. Photo credit: Dominique Godbout, flickr Photo: submitted
10. Tamagotchi
There was once a time when primitive graphics on a small egg-shaped device was cutting edge technology. That time was 1997. The original virtual pet needed to be fed, cleaned, trained and entertained – neglecting them would lead to their demise, requiring the user to start from the beginning. It was a different time. As of March 2021 over 83 million have been sold. Photo credit: Pascal Maramis, flickr Photo: submitted
11. iPod
Apple reinvented the mp3 player in October 2001, allowing people to store thousands of songs of swanky slim line device. The first generation came with either a 5 or 10 GB hard drive and the innovative design saw users scroll through their music collection via a wheel-based user interface. Labelled ‘the Walkman of the twenty first century’ the iPod was one of the must have gadgets in the early noughties. Even the accompanying white headphones became a fashion item! Photo credit: Jenny Robinson Faber - flickr Photo: submitted