23 Must-Have Toys from the 1950s and Beyond

Times have changed since the days when an imaginative kid was happy to play with an empty cardboard box. Today, about 2.6 billion toys are sold every year, creating a $20.3 billion industry. It seems that every decade manufacturers create a toy that launches a buying craze. Some just flash past on their way to a rummage sale table; others are timeless treasures. So without further ado, here are some of the best toy fads of the 20th century.