Theearliest toyswere misleadingly simple and made from wood and other materials found around the house ; popular toys from a hundred ago were designed purely for play . Even half a century ago , there was little thought of releasing toys based strictly on whether or not they could support an animated series or apparent movement impression . Today , toys are big business , and many end up spurring major franchises , inspiring TV show , films and integral strain of non - toy merchandise . translate on to watch more about some toys that go small and went on to become gravid brand name , eventually bringing in millions or even billions of dollars to their creative and manufacturing teams .
10: My Little Pony
Mattel produced the earlier versions of My trivial Pony during the 1980s , enjoy modest sales until the franchise expanded into a full - feather amusement empire . MLP sales totaled a respectable $ 25 million in 1983 ; when the company released its first television special the next year , sales more than tripled to $ 85 million . By 1985 , My Little Pony toy sell in excess of $ 100 million annually . A 1986 animated series help the caller betray more than150 million of the pastel - hued gymnastic horse by the goal of the ' 80s [ source : Seiter ] . The series enjoyed numerous revitalization over the years , but interest truly peak with the outlet of a 2010 liven up series " My Little Pony : Friendship is charming . " People of all ages tuned in to live over their childhood , or fell in passion with MLP for the first time . In 2013 , fan could choose from more than 200 licensed MLP products , and the Ponies themselves had become one of Hasbro ’s best - sell seam [ sources : Global LicenseandMcGrath ] . A theatrical release pep up by the serial is scheduled for 2017 .
9: Cabbage Patch Kids
Xavier Roberts was a 21 - yr old pupil when he number up with the theme for Cabbage Patch Kids . He start selling the dolls at local slyness carnival as Little People in the belated ' 70s , and later at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland , Ga. The bird were so popular they eventually attract the attention of toy maker Coleco . Once Coleco began mass - production of the Cabbage Patch Kids , they became the hottest plaything around , resulting in full - on fight at toy shop across the area come Christmas sentence . The company sold more than 3 million dolls in 1983 alone , and by 1985 , yearly sales outmatch $ 600 million [ sources : Townsend , A.andTownsend ] . While the demand for Cabbage Patch Kids eventually died down , the toy is still run short solid more than three 10 subsequently , with gross sales of $ 50 million a year as of 2014 – and yes , you may still take a visit to Babyland General Hospital to see the miracle of CPK parentage the next clock time you ’re in Georgia .
8: G.I. Joe
Hasbro launched the G.I. Joe miniature line in 1964 , and by 1966 , the military - style skirt were responsible for for two - thirds of the company ’s profits [ beginning : Stamp ] . As interest in G.I. Joe wane , Hasbro discontinued the demarcation in the tardy ' 70s , only to re - introduce it again a few year later . This early-’80s Joe take on a whole new image , with a hard plastic body and a much small size – similar to the design of the original"Star Wars"action trope which rule toy dog stores at the fourth dimension . This prison term , Hasbro launched a cartoon series to aid promote the marque and spur sales . The tactic worked , and G.I. Joe toys have remained in continuous production for more than 30 years . A 2009 film exalt by the toy took in more than $ 300 million worldwide , while a 2013 sequel made a cool $ 375 million [ origin :O ' Connell ] .
7: Care Bears
Believe it or not , the Care Bears take off as agreeting carddesign , developed by American Greetings in the early ' LXXX to sell cards and gifts . It was n’t until 1982 that someone decided the concept might work well as a miniature , and a rail line of 10 lush bears was innovate to instant success . In just their first five years , the Care Bears crinkle thread in more than $ 2 billion – yes , billion– in retail sales as kids clamored for the hazy , upbeat plush toy [ source : American Greetings ] . This impressive level of gross revenue was no doubt helped by a 1985 animated characteristic motion-picture show and animated series star the Bears . More than 40 billion bears flew off store shelves by 1987 , and the ancestry is still fit strong more than three decades after its institution [ source : Care - Bears.com ] .
6: Hot Wheels
Mattel set in motion theHot Wheelsline – a series of miniature diecast metal cars – in 1968 . Despite a toy car market already dominated by the democratic Matchbox line , Hot Wheels was an instant achiever . A 1969 animated series helped further the brand , and the ship’s company sell more than 4 billion cars over the next 40 years [ source : Hot Wheels Media ] . The toys have reached such iconic status that some assemblage are appraise in surfeit of $ 1 million . In 2013 , Legendary Pictures tapped director Simon Crane to take the rein on a springy - action at law movie inspired by Hot Wheels ' rich story [ source : Chitwood ] .
5: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
When a brace of funny fan create the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic in 1983 , they had no idea they had created one of the most successful toy steel of all time . The comic sell rapidly , and drew the attention of the Playmates toy company . Playmates make a simple 5 - part cartoon mini - series featuring the pizza pie - jazz turtles in 1987 . When the series was a success , the ship’s company quickly launch a line of TMNT legal action figures . Over the next four years , Playmates sell more than a billion dollars worth of turtle toy to eager kids , and more than 400 different action name were release over the next decade [ source : Lammie ] . The original miniskirt - serial was expand into a full cartoon series , which stayed on the air through 1996 . A 1990 resilient action film made $ 200 million in just the ticket cut-rate sale , while a 2014 resilient - action TMNT pic picked up almost $ 100 million its curtain raising weekend , bring the heroes in a half eggshell – and their toys – to a whole Modern coevals of kids [ reservoir : Lang ] .
4: Lego
Ole Kirk Christiansen was a simple carpenter when he invested in a formative injection outfit during the 1940s . No one could have guessed that his companyLegowould become one of the biggest miniature makers on the planet in just over half a century . Despite a bump in the route during the ' 90s when the company faced down bankruptcy , Lego now holds rank with Mattel and Hasbro at the top of the toy industriousness chain . The company enjoyed $ 4.6 billion in toy sales in 2013 , but the success did n’t end there [ reservoir : Gustafsson ] . A 2014 alive film gross $ 69 million its curtain raising weekend , and gazillion of families travel to half a dozen Lego root word parks each yr to enjoy attractions inspired by the unproblematic plastic building blocks [ rootage : Feloni ] .
3: Monster High
plaything have always followed democratic boob tube shows and movies – from the countless Mickey Mouse doll on the market to the explosive sales of " Frozen " merchandise following the 2013 Disneyblockbuster film . In 2010 , Mattel flipped the plaything merchandising concept on its headland when it decided to evolve a line of toys first , then occur up with a television receiver series to help goad sales [ source : Zimmerman ] . Despite a deficiency of be film or serial , Monster High doll – a cross between Bratz and classic movie giant – became the most in - demand miniature for Christmas 2010 . While the fellowship consider a vast risk seat in the toys before the brand was well lie with , the risk pay off in more than $ 500 million in annual sales by 2013 [ source : Fox News ] . A smattering of television specials and on-line webisodes help oneself transform the " Monster High " name – and toys – into one of the biggest dealership in the toy industriousness just a few years after it was introduced .
2: Transformers
Transformers were a comparatively unidentified toy before Hasbro buy the rights to the robot business in 1984 . When the society broughtTransformersto the U.S. , it also launched a line a comic books and an animated TV series to help oneself promote the stain . The serial was a smash collision , running through 1987 , and helping to make these " robot in disguise " one of the most popular toy of the ' 80s . The enfranchisement enjoyed a rebirth of sorts in 2007 , with the spillage of a Michael Bay - directed feature film . That same year , sales of the Transformers toy line soared to $ 482 million due to the success of the film [ generator : Andrejczak ] A serial publication of sequel followed , all with its own line of descent of ware . The fourth movie in the franchise , " Transformers : Age of Extinction , " was the first picture of 2014 to pull in more than $ 1 billion at the global box office ; not bad for a simpl , 30 - year honest-to-goodness toy [ source : Lang ] .
1: Barbie
TheBarbiedoll came in just one design when she was first liberate in 1959 – a " teenage fashion model " sporting a round-eyed contraband and white two-piece . Despite the doll ’s simpleness , she was smartly managed , with the Barbie name and figure licensed to more than 100 companies by the sixties [ reference : Rogers ] . At just over 50 years after she was introduce , Barbie has farm to become one of the largest toy dog franchises in the world , with product licenses in more than 45 dissimilar categories of consumer products , from toy , clothes video games , branded store and so much more [ root : Barbie Media ] . Despite sloshed competition , Barbie remains the No . 1 doll trade name in the public , with one sell every three s somewhere around the globe [ reservoir : Barbie Media ] . By 2014 , the Barbie brand was pull in an impressive $ 3 billion a year , and the company was in talks with Sony to produce its first live - action mechanism theatrical vent [ source : Alexander Fleming ] .
Lots More Information
When I first started brainstorm for this article , I was retrieve along the origin of toys like the pet sway , which earned its inventor millions in the mid-70s . Once I make further along in my enquiry , I realise that I really could n’t ignore these immense miniature - free-base franchised in favor of modest and lesser - known brands . If you ’d like to find out more about these modest toy franchises that are quick to hit the bighearted - prison term , check out Rainbow Loom and Bannor Toys , just two of many small , independent plaything makers poised to make it big in the tough world of toy dog . Hopefully they , and others like them , are the million - buck franchises of the future .
