Every holiday season, there's one must-have toy that sends parents whirling through the aisles of crowded department stores in mass consumer hysteria.
Last year, it was a tiny, squishy animal in a plastic bubble. And the year before that, a line of cuddly fake hamsters.
Each year, some 20,000 new toys are introduced to the market, but only a small percentage of those have what it takes to engender a cultural phenomenon.
These unexpected hits that suddenly catch fire and begin to take on a life of their own are known as "fad" toys, says Chris Byrne, content director for timetoplaymag.com. They're different than "hot" toys, which are strategically marketed to consumers based on current trends.
"There's no one strategy to create a fad toy," says Byrne. "There's so much out of your control."
Though legacy brands such as Mattel and Hasbro are behind classic hits like Barbie and G.I. Joe, many small, less established companies have shot to success on one toy craze.
Whether it was a pouty-lipped fashion doll, a dancing robot, or an affectionate toy hamster, here's a look at some of the biggest toy fads over the last decade.
2000: Razor Scooters
When the Razor scooter hit major retail outlets in 2000, it revolutionized how teenage boys around the country traversed city streets, sidewalks, and parks.
Originally priced at less than $100, more than 5 million collapsible kick scooters were sold in their debut year, according to Forbes. The sleek new mode of transportation also won the Toy Industry Association's "Toy of the Year" award.
2001: Bratz Dolls
Distinguished by their oversized heads and pin-thin bodies, Bratz Dolls were the most popular plastic figurines to land on toy shelves since Barbie. In fact, the 10-inch fashion dolls bore such a striking resemblance to their blonde-haired predecessor that Mattel waged an unsuccessful lawsuit against Bratz maker, MGA Entertainment, for stealing its designs.
Although initial sales were poor, Chloe, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin eventually won over the hearts of young girls with their doe-like eyes and pouty lips. By 2005 MGA had sold 125 million Bratz worldwide totaling $2 billion in sales, according to Margaret Talbot at The New Yorker.
2002-2003: Beyblade
Hasbro's Beyblade put a modern twist on the classic spinning top. The plastic toys, which were released in conjunction with an anime television series, feature several interchangeable parts and characters with names like Drago, Storm Pegasus, and Dark Wolf that allow kids to test their strategy and design combinations in battles.
According to Beth Snyder Bulik at Advertising Age, more than 150 million Beyblades were sold during the first couple years on the market, topping $500 million in sales.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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