Posted December 19, 201014 yr Like we didn't already know it, but Channel 4 in the UK has just done the countdown of the 100 Greatest Toys, and Lego has come out at No.1! Monopoly was second.
December 19, 201014 yr And a well deserved award it was. I was sure going through the programme that lego would be in the top 5 but had a doubt that it would be number 1. A nice surprise indeed.
December 19, 201014 yr Obviously! What other toy is still as successful as it was 50 years ago, besides Barbie?
December 19, 201014 yr Obviously! What other toy is still as successful as it was 50 years ago, besides Barbie? Hot wheels! It doesn't suprise me that LEGO comes out as first. It is the greatest toy. I wonder how it ranks in "100 greates Hobbies"! It better be no. 1!
December 19, 201014 yr Author Barbie and Hot Wheels were way down the list, although both toys are very American and this was a UK poll
December 19, 201014 yr I was nervously anticipating this result - as I couldn't think of what else could have won! Although, as they said about Dungeons and Dragons, the poll wasn't the fairest as it was online - and as far as I know, the people who are most likely to vote online are the wealthier types - which fits Lego's target customers better... ...but I still concur with the result!
December 19, 201014 yr Well then not much has changed in ten years......it was voted toy of 20th century ten years ago if memory serves me correctly ! Lego - the greatest toy of them all !
December 20, 201014 yr Congrats to Lego for a well-earned top spot in the ranking! No other toy could be as versatile as Lego is. Plus I don't know anyone who still plays with Hot Wheels or Barbies as an adult(without doing it with a kid). I know some adults collect other toys (and I'm not judging) but Lego is such a creative outlet that it just has to be played with to be truly appreciated.
December 20, 201014 yr Barbie and Hot Wheels may have been around a long time, but they have sacrificed quality over the past 20 years. I bought my 2 year old daughter a Barbie Doll, and instead of being a soft flexible plastic, the legs are hard and non-posable. I personally had hundreds of Matchbox and Hot Wheels as a kid, and you can tell the difference instantly when you pick up a current car vs. a car from 20 years ago, there is far more plastic and far less metal than there used to be. I was away from LEGO for 20+ years until my son was old enough about 2 years ago, and while people complain about the cheap plastic and quality control, if there is any difference it is slight. Putting together a set feels just the same as it did 20+ years ago, and the quality is quite a bit better than a COBY pirate ship my in-laws bought (a ship made of parts that look like LEGO, but don't hold together at all). So LEGO deserves to be the #1 toy. Out of my five nephews, all four who are old enough for LEGO, wanted LEGO for Christmas this year. That was the only common item on all four wish lists, which should tell you something about why LEGO is #1.
December 20, 201014 yr LEGO reigns supreme! Is there a link to the whole list of 100 Greatest Toys? I wonder if Axis and Allies made the list. Loved that game with my older brother when I was a kid. Also wondered where Star Wars action figures ranked. As much as I love LEGO, when I was a kid a good rubber Spaulding handball was probably the greatest toy for us kids. From stoopball to punchball to stickball and everything in between. Wonder if it made the list.
December 20, 201014 yr Congrats to Lego for a well-earned top spot in the ranking! No other toy could be as versatile as Lego is. Plus I don't know anyone who still plays with Hot Wheels or Barbies as an adult(without doing it with a kid). I know some adults collect other toys (and I'm not judging) but Lego is such a creative outlet that it just has to be played with to be truly appreciated. Agreed, I know a couple adult fans of Barbie and Hot Wheels, but they're all collectors, not true players. I don't think there's any doubt that LEGO has the largest adult community both physically and online for any toy aimed at kids, and that makes it great because it means LEGO is not the kind of toy that gets discarded by everyone when the next big thing comes out. The only other real big toy I can think of would be wooden trains, but the top brands (Thomas, Brio, etc. ) basically split the market whereas LEGO blows the closest thing it has to competitors out of the water.
December 20, 201014 yr I must say that the compatibility of LEGO is astounding. There are not many toys where 10,20,30,40 or maybe even 50 year old pieces are still compatible with what is being sold today.
December 20, 201014 yr One of those rare occasions where a Channel 4 "top list" got the #1 spot right! It's great to know that Lego is still popular, and I'd suspect that the AFOL community has a lot to do with it.
December 20, 201014 yr In my mind their wasn't any doubt that Lego is the greatest toy ever and that it would come out top on this list. ~buddy~
December 20, 201014 yr There just wouldn't be any justice in the universe if Lego wouldn't be number 1. It's so clearly on the class of it's own. Still I'm bit bummed that another childhood favourite of mine, Playmobil, apparently didn't get higher than #50.
December 20, 201014 yr I would have liked to see Fisher Price Adventure People make the list, they were truly my favourite as a kid. Then again, I didnt know a single other person who had any. Edited December 20, 201014 yr by jm28cardiff
December 20, 201014 yr What I find greatest about this whole thing is that I went and Googled this show, and the first thing that comes up is a whole bunch of gaming forums. And while members there are complaining about the GameBoy getting this and the XBox 360 getting that, everyone agrees that Ch. 4 got #1 right. And then I saw another site asking people to vote for Dungeons and Dragons, hoping for it to get #1, and after the results came out the one commenter said that coming in behind LEGO is no shame. Then I see another gaming forum, and in the midst of the argument is a pic of Blacktron minifigs, and everyone agrees that that is better than their fancy consoles.
December 20, 201014 yr Author Here is a list of the entire top 100 - I've included some descriptions for some toys that were possibly not that popular outside of the UK 100 Boxing Robots 99 Teletubbies 98 Holly Hobby (rag doll) 97 Ben 10 96 Major Matt Mason (action figure) 95 Bratz 94 Peter Powell Kites (70’s kite manufacturer) 93 Pippa (doll - smaller version of Barbie) 92 Striker / Super Striker (table football soccer) 91 Beyblades 90 Johnny 7 (60’s toy gun) 89 Clackers (2 plastic balls on a piece of string!) 88 Trouble (60’s game with popomatic dice) 87 Cyberman Voice Change Helmet (2006 – from Dr Who) 86 Magna Doodle 85 Stretch Armstrong 84 Tickle Me Elmo 83 Crossfire (70’s football with guns and marbles) 82 Girls World (make-up mannequin head) 81 Stylophone (70’s miniature electronic organ) 80 Trolls 79 Weebles 78 Cabbage Patch Kids 77 Simon (70’s light sequence electronic game) 76 Polly Pocket 75 Escape From Colditz (70’s board game) 74 Furby 73 Six Million Dollar Man (action figure) 72 Beanie Babies 71 Buzz Lightyear 70 Power Rangers 69 Buckaroo 68 Tiny Tears (crying doll) 67 Sindy (British version of Barbie) 66 Hula Hoop 65 Tracy Island (Thunderbirds) 64 Hungry Hippos 63 Evel Knievel Stunt Bike 62 Mr Potato Head 61 James Bonds Aston Martin Car 60 Care Bears 59 Ker-Plunk 58 My Little Pony 57 Space Hopper 56 Tonka Toys 55 Game Of Life 54 Tamagotchi 53 Super Soaker (water pistol) 52 Operation (electronic doctor’s game) 51 Slinky 50 Playmobile 49 Yahtzee (dice game) 48 Mastermind (code guessing peg game) 47 Barbie 46 Chopper (70’s bicycle) 45 Pictionary 44 Frisbee 43 Jenga 42 Fuzzy Felt 41 Sylvanian Families 40 Mouse Trap (board game) 39 Hot Wheels 38 Battleship (code game) 37 Pokeman Trading Cards 36 Twister 35 Chemistry set 34 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 33 Yo-yo 32 Top Trumps (card game) 31 Roller Skate 30 Risk (world domination board game) 29 Spirograph (circular drawing tool) 28 Subbuteo (table soccer game) 27 Plasticine 26 Play-Doh 25 Atari 24 Rubik Cube 23 Teddy Bear 22 Etch-a-Sketch 21 Matchbox Cars 20 Action Man (UK version of GI Joe) 19 Airfix 18 Connect 4 17 Hornby Train Sets 16 Meccano 15 Cluedo 14 He-Man (homo-erotic action figure) 13 X-Box 12 Transformers 11 Star Wars Toys 10 Game Boy 9 Trivial Pursuit 8 Scalextric 7 Scrabble 6 Playstation 5 Nintendo Games Consoles 4 Wii 3 Dungeons & Dragons 2 Monopoly 1 Lego Edited December 20, 201014 yr by Iain
December 20, 201014 yr I don't see how Wii is any different from Nintendo game consoles I think other than the top 3, the whole list is messed up.
December 20, 201014 yr I don't see how Wii is any different from Nintendo game consoles I think other than the top 3, the whole list is messed up. I know, right? On what planet does Jenga beat Pictionary? I've had some of the best laughs of my life playing Pictionary. Oh... and at number 14.
December 21, 201014 yr I am also suprised that the Rubiks Cube is only 24. I really love solving them, and also collect them. Edited December 21, 201014 yr by Mrlegoninja
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