100 Greatest Toys with Jonathan Ross

Channel 4 ^ | Friday 10 December 2010 | Jonathan Ross

[arderkrag]

1 Lego
2 Monopoly
3 Dungeons and Dragons
4 Wii
5 Nintendo consoles
6 Playstation consoles
7 Scrabble
8 Scalextrix
9 Trivial pursuit
10 Gameboy and other
11 Star wars toys
12 Transformers
13 Microsoft X-Box
14 He-Man & Masters of the
15 Cluedo
16 Meccano
17 Hornby train set
18 Connect 4
19 Airfix
20 Action man
21 Matchbox cars
22 Etch a sketch
23 Teddy bear
24 Rubik cube
25 Atari consoles
26 Play-doh
27 Plasticene
28 Subbuteo
29 Spirograph
30 Risk
31 Roller skates
32 Top trumps
33 Yo-yo
34 Teenage mutant ninja
35 Chemistry Set
36 Twister
37 Pokemon
38 Battleship
39 Hot Wheels
40 Mousetrap game
41 Sylvanian families
42 Fuzzy Felt
43 Jenga
44 Frisbee
45 Pictionary
46 Chopper Bike
47 Barbie
48 Mastermind
49 Yahtzee
50 Playmobil Play people
51 Slinky
52 Operation
53 Super soaker water pistol
54 Tamagotchi
55 Game of life
56 Tonka toys
57 Space hopper
58 My little pony
59 Kerplunk
60 Care bears
61 007 Aston martin
62 Mr Potato head
63 Evel Knievel stunt set
64 Hungry hippos
65 Thunderbirds toys
66 Hula hoop
67 Sindy doll
68 Tiny tears
69 Buckaroo
70 Power Rangers
71 Buzz Lightyear Action
72 TY beanie babies
73 Six million dollar man
74 Furby
75 Escape From Colditz
76 Polly Pocket
77 Simon
78 Cabbage patch kids
79 Weebles
80 Trolls
81 Stylophone
82 Girls world
83 Crossfire
84 Tickle Me Elmo
85 Stretch Armstrong
86 Magna doodle
87 Dr Who Cyberman mask
88 Pop-O-matic Games
89 Clackers
90 Johnny 7 machine gun
91 Beyblades
92 Striker
93 Pippa Doll
94 Peter Powell kites
95 Bratz dolls
96 Major Matt Mason action
97 Ben 10 Action Figures
98 Holly hobbie
99 Teletubbies
100 Raving Bonkers

[Harold Hill]

You do not want to know where the batteries go!

[Slings and Arrows]

---

[arderkrag]

like racing chainsaws.

This post is made of awesome.

[Pan_Yan]

Obviously not an American list.

[arderkrag]

Good point.

[az_gila]

Gilbert is best-known as the inventor of the Erector Set. In their heyday, thirty million of the build-it-yourself toys were sold, creating generations of engineers, tinkerers, and backyard builders. But Gilbert was as skilled at marketing as he was at magic. To promote the Erector Set and his other toys, he created an entire world for boys. Contests, magazines, the Erector Institute of Engineering, and the A.C. Gilbert Hall of Science in Manhattan were just some of his innovations. By the time he died in 1961, millions of “Gilbert boys” had built America.

---

The English list has Meccano in at number 16 - from wiki -

In 1901 Frank Hornby, a clerk from Liverpool, England, invented and patented a new toy called “Mechanics Made Easy” that was based on the principles of mechanical engineering. It was a model construction kit consisting of perforated metal strips, plates and girders, with wheels, pulleys, gears, shaft collars and axles for mechanisms and motion, and nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. The perforations were at a standard ½ inch (12.7 mm) spacing, the axles were 8-gauge, and the nuts and bolts used 5/32 inch BSW threads. The only tools required to assemble models were a screwdriver and spanners (wrenches). It was more than just a toy: it was educational, teaching basic mechanical principles like levers and gearing.

You could say that Mr. Gilbert was late to the party since he didn't “invent” the Erector Set until 1911.

Interestingly, Meccano was bought out and is now owned by a French company that sells the same Meccano in the US under the Erector Set name...:^)

[az_gila]

Gilbert is best-known as the inventor of the Erector Set. In their heyday, thirty million of the build-it-yourself toys were sold, creating generations of engineers, tinkerers, and backyard builders. But Gilbert was as skilled at marketing as he was at magic. To promote the Erector Set and his other toys, he created an entire world for boys. Contests, magazines, the Erector Institute of Engineering, and the A.C. Gilbert Hall of Science in Manhattan were just some of his innovations. By the time he died in 1961, millions of “Gilbert boys” had built America.

---

The English list has Meccano in at number 16 - from wiki -

In 1901 Frank Hornby, a clerk from Liverpool, England, invented and patented a new toy called “Mechanics Made Easy” that was based on the principles of mechanical engineering. It was a model construction kit consisting of perforated metal strips, plates and girders, with wheels, pulleys, gears, shaft collars and axles for mechanisms and motion, and nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. The perforations were at a standard ½ inch (12.7 mm) spacing, the axles were 8-gauge, and the nuts and bolts used 5/32 inch BSW threads. The only tools required to assemble models were a screwdriver and spanners (wrenches). It was more than just a toy: it was educational, teaching basic mechanical principles like levers and gearing.

You could say that Mr. Gilbert was late to the party since he didn't “invent” the Erector Set until 1911.

Interestingly, Meccano was bought out and is now owned by a French company that sells the same Meccano in the US under the Erector Set name...:^)

[Abathar]

I can’t believe lawn darts didn’t make the list, we always had a blast with those...

[arderkrag]

If I had a nickel for every time I saw that exact ad in Spider-Man...

There a company I have been a big fan of for some time now (http://www.classictoysoldiers.com/) that still makes classic toy soldiers. You can order them by the box full. I order them to do mass combats in D&D/Conan/Whatever I happen to be running. I also buy them at the flea market once in a while, but brick-and-mortar stores that carry them are rare if you don't want to pay a 100% markup rate.

[Neverforget01]

No sleds or wagons either :(.

[linear]

What about the Happy Fun Ball (still legal in some states)?

http://popculturewilleatitself.com/2007/classic-snl-commercial-happy-fun-ball/

[metmom]

BWAHAHA!!!!!

I remember that Creepy Crawlers thingmaker.....

[a fool in paradise]

#102 Paddle Ball

[mylife]

Honest, The flexible flyer was the gift that just kept giving for generations!

[dfwgator]

“This friggin’ thing is warped!”

[Ransomed]

I hope Gary Gygax is looking down and smiling.

Freegards

[a fool in paradise]

Battling Tops was a great one as well. Do you remember “Whizzers”? They were tops (much larger than the battling tops) that you would gear up and let go. We used to have similar battles with them in the 2nd grade boys bathroom.

If you want to relive your childhood, be careful not to order the "Whizzinator" by mistake...

Man who wore Whizzinator sent to state prison (http://www.mcall.com news breaking December 20, 2010)

[arderkrag]

In fact, this image is almost reminiscent of that ad...

[a fool in paradise]

TSA Agent play set:

[Clay Moore]