The Entertainer's 40 top-selling toys down the years

But as we all know, there’s nothing new in the must-have toy phenomenon, and to coincide with its 40th anniversary, toy store The Entertainer has produced a list of its all-time top selling toys.

Worcester toy shop warns of empty shelves 

STILL A FAVOURITE: The Entertainer has sold more LEGO than any other toy in its four decades of trading

The family-owned high street toy retailer, which has a branch in Worcester’s Shambles, found that it had made more sales of perennial favourite LEGO than any other toy in its four-decade history.

Looking specifically at games, the high-flying, property-trading, family favourite Monopoly came out on top. 

Breaking down sales by decade, The Entertainer uncovered a list of classics, collectibles, cult favourites and playground crazes.

1987: Sylvanian Families were a hit

For kids in the 80s, Christmas and birthday presents were likely to include Cabbage Patch Kids, Care Bears and Rubik’s Cubes.

Among the list of best-sellers are a handful of toys that have stood the test of time, including Sylvanian Families, My Little Pony, Transformers, and Star Wars Toys – thanks in large part to the release of Episodes 5 and 6 during the decade.

Sensation of the season in 1985, Cabbage Patch dolls

Less likely to be recognised by today’s children is the iconic Koosh Ball, the rainbow-coloured rubber pom pom bouncy ball that dominated school playgrounds and appeared in millions of Christmas stockings.

TO INFINITY... AND OUT OF STOCK: Buzz Lightyear was the must-have toy of 1995

Nineties kids (and anyone who desperately tried to shop for them) will remember the furore around the release of Buzz Lightyear, after Toy Story became the smash film of 1995.

What they may not know, however, is that Buzz was originally named Lunar Larry.

Furbys, Power Rangers, Tamagotchis and Teletubbies also dominated the decade, alongside Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thunderbirds Tracy Island and Pogs. WWF Wrestlers were all the rage, and the brand wouldn’t be renamed to WWE until 2002.

1997: How many days did your Tamagotchi survive?

After the Millennium, Bob the Builder ruled supreme. Knocking up a No 1 Christmas single in 2000, Bob’s success stuck around, and he was the hit toy of Christmas 2001.

Kylie Minogue released Spinning Around in 2000, and little did she know that Beyblades would spin into the world soon after, becoming one of the most popular toy lines on the planet.

Bratz dolls knocked Barbie off her pedestal, while younger children couldn’t get enough of In The Night Garden toys.

In the 2010s, nostalgia kicked in and a Furby reboot saw them return to the top selling toy list. Loom Bands were the craft craze that that took the world by storm, as fanatics turned the small elastic bands into colour-popping bracelets, necklaces, and even dresses and jackets.

BUYERS' MARKET: Monopoly has been the top-selling game at The Entertainer

Disney’s Frozen stepped into the spotlight, and Elsa, Olaf and the rest of the cast became playtime must haves. The messiest, and most mayhem-packed bestseller in The Entertainer’s history splatted onto the scene in 2016, as Pie Face – the game that sees friends and families cover each other pelt each other in the face with whipped cream – took centre stage at thousands of Christmas celebrations.

The game was originally released in the 1960s, but a viral video showcasing the game in action gave it a new lease of life. Which only goes to show – the big kids in all of us still love a good game.

For more information about The Entertainer, please visit www.thetoyshop.com.