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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Lifestyle
Diane Burke

Old toys that were on our Christmas wish lists over the years

All sorts of toys have been at the top of children's Christmas wish lists over the years.

With that in mind, we took to our Facebook page to ask Belfast Live readers what your favourites were when you were younger.

From Cabbage Patch dolls to chopper bikes and everything in between, nothing brings back nostalgic childhood memories quite like toys do.

Take a trip down memory lane with us and see how many of the toys below you were lucky enough to be gifted when you were a child.

Cabbage Patch Doll

A blonde cabbage patch doll wearing a pink and gold dress (Amazon.com)


Cabbage patch kid dolls exploded on the toy scene with immediate popularity back in the 1980s. Those who worked in the former beloved toy shop Leisure World recall the absolute mayhem that the toy caused for consecutive Christmases during the 80s.

Walkman

A silver Sony cassette walkman with headphones (Amazon.com)

Long before the likes of Spotify and YouTube, people of a certain era would listen to their favourite tunes on a Walkman which started off with cassettes and eventually upgraded to CDs.

Action Man

A blonde Action Man doll dressed in a cream jumper and blue jeans (Fraser Wanless/Pinterest)


Action Man has been a popular choice for boys spanning several generations. He first launched way back in 1966 and still makes Santa's list to this day.

Chopper Bicycle

A black and red Raleigh chopper bicycle (Wikimedia/Creative Commons)

We still don't know how Santa managed to fit these down our chimneys. In the 70s, streets and playgrounds would be swarmed with children on chopper bicycles. They are widely recognised as an iconic symbol of that decade.

My Post Office

The My Post Office toy along with its box (Mel Read/Pinterest)

For all the budding postmasters and postmistresses, this was the ideal toy. If only pretend work was as fun as real work!

Tiny Tears Doll

A Tiny Tears Doll wearing a dress presented in her gift box with accessories (Sharon Weekes/Pinterest)

The Tiny Tears Doll was another firm favourite on Christmas wish lists since its launch in 1965. The original crying and drinking doll can still be found in toy shops today.

Mr Frosty

Mr Frosty ice crunchy maker in the shape of a snowman (Amazon.com)

For years Mr Frosty was on many a kid's letters to Santa. If you were lucky enough, you would have been very busy on Christmas morning making flavoured ice for the whole family in the middle of winter.

Roller Skates

Blue retro roller skates with yellow wheels (Door Danielle/Pinterest)

The 70s saw the rise in popularity of roller skates and they have remained childhood favourites ever since.

Finders Keepers

A pink snail Finder Keepers toy (Emi Kat/Pinterest)

80s kids will fondly remember the finders keepers toys from growing up in that era. From snails to swans, there were many animals to collect.

Tippy Tumbles Doll

Tippy Tumbles Doll pictured with her box (Alison Caron/Pinterest)


Tippy Tumbles was a battery-operated doll that could flip and even do somersaults. Her little blue suitcase came in handy to store her batteries. She would have been a popular choice for girls who grew up during the 70s.

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