Toys simply aren’t what they used to be! What ever happened to the inspired designs of the 1960s? Now those were some toys you could really play with! These days all our children have to look forward to on their birthday are a few pieces of mass-produced garbage, built solely for the purposes of turning a profit, and with no thought whatsoever given to the longevity and amusement provided by the toy itself. What a shame! Toys (like the one’s sold by www.toyswholesale.com.au) used to be things of art, beautifully designed pieces that would lend hours of enjoyment to many young lives. Now you’re lucky if they last the day. Oh well, at least we can reminisce. Take a journey back in time as we look at some of the more popular toy designs from decades past!
G.I. Joe: America's movable fighting man - brilliant!
One of my favourites has got to be the original G.I. Joe! Nothing like it had ever been on offer before, and I still remember the longing I had for my very own Joe action figure when I heard of their existence. Standing at an impressive 12 inches, Joe was fantastic! Dressed in realistic combat fatigues and sporting a virtual arsenal of various weapons and other equipment. Nowadays you can still by Joe of course (and a blockbuster movie has even been released based on the classic toy), but these new figurines are nothing compared to the might of the original G.I. Joe, a truly classic conceptual design that still has a place in every young boy’s bedroom.
The original 1959 Barbie doll.
Another toy which bares a somewhat similar history is Mattel’s iconic doll for girls – the Barbie doll. Although I didn’t play with Barbies personally, I had two younger sisters who couldn’t get enough of them. This toy’s design is especially interesting when you consider how much it has changed over the years. Transforming from an incredibly unrealistic model of the female form, to what has now become, her metamorphosis has taken over half a decade and is an iconic symbol of the struggle for women’s rights. Often ridiculed by women’s liberalists, the original Barbie doll has had its fair share of controversy, and her evolution over the last 5 decades offers in interesting insight into this area of social history. There aren’t many toys that could say the same these days! Well that’s my little rant! I hope you’ve enjoyed thinking back to the old toys you used to love when you were young. I’ve still got my original G.I. Joe packed away somewhere, maybe I’ll dig him up and have a play =) A special thanks also to the wonderful team at www.toyswholesale.com.au for sponsoring this piece.