Past, future and present: Best selling Christmas toys through the years

Christmas is right around the corner and many of us may be scrambling to buy last-minute gifts for friends and family. The tradition of children receiving gifts on the day has been a long-standing tradition that has evolved over time.

The following list unwraps the best gifts that have been exchanged in the last five decades and also gives a hint of what the trend might be like in the future:

-Rubik’s cube

The cube’s colourful look may look simple from afar but had kids in the 80s confused. After making a debut in the market in the 1980s, a total of 100 million units of the puzzles were sold in just two years, CNN reports. A simple 3×3 cube can be purchased for about $3 now, however, more complex sets have now been made available for those who love a challenge.

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-Razor scooters

Gaining mass popularity in the mid-2000s, nearly 5 million units were sold in just one year, according to CNN. Appealing to almost all age groups, the scooter has been credited with boosting an individual’s mobility in pollution and traffic-free manner. However, the razor scooter now seems to be replaced by its modernised version, the hoverboard.

-Wii

The gaming station, unveiled by Nintendo in the mid-2000s, revolutionised the sources of entertainment for all age groups. The Wii Sports model introduced games that would make the user get off their couch and allow them to enjoy games like tennis, badminton and baseball from the comfort of their homes. More than 6 million units were sold after the console was released in 2006, CNN reported.

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-Minecraft

After releasing its most popular version in 2012, nearly 15 million units of the game were sold in that year alone. The online game has been around since its release while managing to hold onto its players with its story-free setup and basic graphics. Minecraft is available on almost all consoles, including PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox.

But what about the future?

While it is hard to predict the trends of the future, things that increase an individual’s convenience have seemed to work in the past. Based on that, it is likely that gifts that are related to a cryptocurrency — considered to be one of the biggest trends currently– may pick up in the future, media reports suggest.

Gaming consoles that are connected to augmented and virtual reality platforms may also be the top performers.