What were toys and games from the past like?
Toys and games have changed since the 50s, 60s and 70s. This section looks at just a few of the many toys and games from that era.
Space Hopper - 1968
The "Space Hopper" may have been influenced by the space race in the 60s. It first bounced onto the scene only a year before the historic moon landing. The bright orange colour was typical of the end of the sixties and the cartoon style face is full of fun. Is it a meant to be kangaroo?
Space Hoppers were popular into the seventies and seem to be enjoying a rival now.
Teddy bear
The traditional teddy bear was still a popular child's toy in the sixties and seventies. This Chad Valley Chiltern Bear was made from around 1968. The colour again is typical of the era. Bears from the sixties are somewhat different from older teddy bears. They were no longer made to resemble the real thing too closely.
Monopoly
"Monopoly", the classic board game, was invented in the 1930s Depression in America. It was subsequently marketed in the UK with London street names. The game has changed little since it was first invented. The prices remain the same for rents and everyone gets a salary of £200.
The only detail that does change is the counters. In early versions they were made of cardboard. The original version of the game had a car, a boot, an iron, a top hat, a rocking horse and a battleship. This version, from the 50s, has a car, a bulldozer, a steam train, a tank, a motorbike and a sailing ship. The car makes the set easy to date - it is a 1950s Rover 75.
Careers
The game "Careers" was first sold in 1957. It contrasts with "Monopoly" which was invented in the Depression of the 30s when money, or the lack of it, was most peoples' concern. Monopoly has the objective of amassing as much cash as possible and bankrupting your opponents. "Careers" takes a more balanced view of life. The players have to choose their own goals - a combination of wealth, happiness and fame.
This version is from 1971. It has been updated to reflect social changes that were going on at the time. There is an opportunity to be the first woman in space and the first man on Mars. There is also a new "Ecology" career path, with an opportunity to invest in destructible containers - pollution was a big worry at the time and non-destructible containers were thought to play a big part in it. [See the 1973 film "Bless this House" where Sid's daughter, Sally, and her friends dump a load of tin cans at a factory shouting "No more non-destructible containers!"].