Nothing ever seemed quite as important as the toys we most hoped Santa would bring us for Christmas. It was all we could think about the night before Christmas morning, barely sleeping a wink and imagining that jolly, bearded gift-bearer sneaking down the chimney and bringing us (hopefully!) what we asked him for! In this article, we stroll back through time to look at the most popular toys during the 1960s and 1970s. We guarantee you’ll have at least one round of tender nostalgia, dreaming of the simplicity of merely wanting a Chatty Cathy or a G.I Joe doll!
#1: Chatty Cathy (1960)
Chatty Cathy, the world’s first-ever (successful) talking doll, entered the toy market in 1960 from Mattell. Equipped with 11 phrases, kids needed only pull a ring from the center of her back to hear her speak. A small phonograph was hidden inside the doll where the recorded phrases would play. Almost as famous as Mattel’s Barbie, Chatty Cathy’s voice phrases were recorded by actress June Foray, known as the voice of “Rocky” in Rocky & Bullwinkle.
