“Special playroom company’s way of developing new toys and ideas” in 1980
This 1980 Associated Press newspaper article takes us inside Hasbro for a peek at the company’s approach to playtesting toys and games as well as gives us another snapshot of the idea of toys as fad items. Star Wars, G.I. Joe, and Charley’s Angels all get a mention, with the article pointing out how quickly a toyline can fade; the story tells us that Hasbro’s Charley’s Angels doll sales went from $10 million in 1977 to $4 million in 1978.
Additionally, time is spent on G.I. Joe and how the line went from two-thirds of Hasbro’s product line to completely drop out of the catalog. Of course, all of us know that it would just be a few years after this article was published and Hasbro’s G.I. Joe would be back on store shelves and dominating the charts.
Related articles
- Star Wars Action Figures and Jabba the Hutt on Sale in 1983 (battlegrip.com)
- “Kenner brings back favorites for this year’s holiday sales” in 1992 (battlegrip.com)
- 1987 Newspaper Article and Fortress Maximus Misinformation (battlegrip.com)