2. Beanie Babies
FlickrThe obsessive collector mentality is not meant to be understood. It's meant to be exploited for monetary gain. Ty Inc. knew a thing or two about squeezing cash out of customers, successfully turning a line of rather basic stuffed animals into some of the most sought-after toys of all time. A masterstroke of consumer manipulation, Beanie Babies were shipped in limited numbers to influence the balance of supply and demand, most of them available for only a few months before being retired. Collectors scrambled to grab the more rare editions before they were lost forever, a case of "get it while its hot". And boy, were they hot.
1. He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe
toyima.comRidiculous name aside (think about it... a lead character named He-Man? Really? He's a 'he' and he's a 'man'. Hardly Shakespearian literary creativity involved here), He-Man and his muscular mates had to be the coolest of all the action figure series' which dominated the good old days. ThunderCats, Bionic Six, even G.I. Joe, those guys would totally wimp out if He-Man rolled through their hood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oA9B5jzqzM The toy line catered to all personalities too - your good-natured, cleanly shaven types would be drawn to He-Man or his pansy alter-ego Prince Adam; wise and sensible Man-At-Arms had the moustache-admiring market covered; those with a penchant for the dark side would be well catered for by Skeletor or one of his henchmen; while anyone looking for something with a feminine touch need look no further than fiery redhead Teela. The
pièce de résistance was undoubtedly the massive Castle Grayskull with working trapdoor, swivelling throne and toothy drawbridge. Stunning. It was a vast, beautiful range of characters, another classic brand from toy masters Mattel.
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