What Makes a Toy Popular?

With the rising popularity of our POPOBE BEARS, we are often asked the question “What makes a toy so popular?” When people ask this, we are often reminded of the popular toys of our childhood including Cabbage Patch dolls and Beanie Babies of the 80’s, Super Soakers and Nerf Guns of the 90’s and Zhu Zhu Pets and Webkins of the 2000’s. What made these toys so popular and why did they always sell out when we wanted them most?

Collectible

Perhaps the popularity of toys can be traced to the human urge to collect something. People have collected everything from coins to art for centuries and this trait can be seen in children as they try to collect an entire series of a particular toy to say they have them all.

Marketing

Another reason behind the popularity of one toy over another could be marketing. Marketing professionals can sell us almost anything including the Pet Rock that many children pined for in the 1960’s much to their parent’s confusion. If this is true, then how do the marketing agencies choose the next big thing? Do they choose a toy at random or do they create the next big thing and then market it?

Fun!

Here at POPOBE, we feel that the thing that makes one toy more popular than the next is the fun factor. If a toy is fun to play with, fun to look at or fun to have, it will become a hit with children and adults of all ages. It doesn’t necessarily have to serve a purpose other than making us feel good. Sure, there are toys out there that offer hours of video game play and others that come with a host of clothing, accessories, cars and dream homes. But do we really need all of that? Or can we just enjoy our toys and give them a life of their own with our imagination?

Our POPOBE BEARS are collectible, innovative and fun. That was our mission when we set out to create them and we feel that we have achieved that mission many times over. What do you think? What makes a toy popular and what makes it so much fun to own? Leave a comment below and let us know.