The natural accompaniment to the two kinds of human play – imitative, and instructive – is the toy. And while some have evolved, some remain remarkably consistent with some of the earliest known toys in the history of human civilisation – from sticks grasped to use as walking staffs, to the natural curiosity with rolling objects that led to the ball. And from throwaway bits of the natural environment to treasured reminders of happy times passed through generations, toys have grown in parallel with human civilisation to one of its true cornerstones. Here are a few notable examples of toys that, in their own way, changed the way we play.
All’inizio i giocattoli furono probabilmente oggetti naturali raccolti da terra, forse nel tentativo di imitare le armi dei grandi e in questo modo prepararsi alle attività dell’età adulta, mentre la palla dovrebbe essere stato il primo creato appositamente per giocare. Dagli aquiloni alle bambole, dai giocattoli meccanici a molla realizzati all’avvento della produzione di massa industriale all’orsacchiotto di peluche, dall’arrivo del cinema e dei suoi personaggi fino al fenomeno del merchandising esploso nel secolo scorso: un viaggio tra giochi intramontabili che hanno segnato l’infanzia di tanti.
George Lucas had been so sure of his film franchise idea and his vision of kids playing with the toy equivalents of his creations, he had sacrificed $500,000 of his directing fee to retain the merchandising rights. With these, he’d secured a manufacturing deal with Kenner, but even Lucas couldn’t have forseen the success that followed. In 1978 and 1979 Kenner’s sales of Star Wars toys reached $100 million, using the 3 ¾ inch scale. Bought by Hasbro in 1991, financial records showed that by 2007, Star Wars toys alone had created $9 billion in profits, and along the way raised a new benchmark for the way merchandise was created.
E come dimenticare il Meccano, il Lego e il trenino elettrico?
“Early model trains ranged from lumps of moulded cast iron or lead with non-moving wheels to lively miniature steam models, nicknamed ‘dribblers,’ which had the habit of setting fire to their owners’ floors and furniture. ”
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