“It’s All in the Game” from November, 1985
The November, 1985 issue of New York Magazine prepares for the holiday season by predicting the big sellers for Christmas. By this time the electronic games category had fallen completely, and Bernice Kanner and toy industry experts stress a “return to tradition.”
“Of course, in toyspeak, a return to tradition does not necessarily mean a return to rag dolls. What it does mean is that a lot of last year’s favorites will be big again this year.”
Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Masters of the Universe are all identified as 1984 hits there were still big in 1985, and Kenner’s M.A.S.K. earns a mention in the “what’s new” category of the article. Even She-Ra gets name-dropped in the article along with a Mattel statistic that should prove fun for us all:
“Mattel estimates that between 10 and 15 percent of the male action dolls purchased are for girls.”
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