Throughout the last 50 years, there have been so many different evolutions and changes in trends when it comes to gifting. Whether it’s for Christmas, birthdays, or otherwise, what’s popular to give as a gift changes often, and it’s interesting to take a look back on what you would have likely received up to 50 years ago.

It’s interesting to consider what was new and trendy at the time, compared to how you would feel about it if it were given to you today. For those who are younger, it may even be surprising to see what was the cool new toy of the year – especially compared to current technology and gadgets.

The 70s

As you’ll see, the gifts that were common evolved very quickly, as technology and general interests were changing rapidly.

During the early seventies, you would see a lot of things like the Nerf ball, board games like Risk, and Skateboards – which were becoming very popular during 72. This is also the period that Dungeons & Dragons started to gain popularity.

The late seventies were exciting years for those with geeky interests, after the release of the Atari 2600, as well as the first Star Wars movie, which would lead to many Star Wars figures being bought. Then there’s also the Walkman, which you won’t hear of now – however, there are plenty of new alternatives.

The 80s

Big household names like Hungry Hippos started to get popular, as well as products like the Rubik’s cube which are still popular today in some circles. Star Wars kept up its popularity, and you would still continue to see many figures under the tree.

The BMX was also gaining popularity at this time and was wished for by many children. For those with other interests, Care Bears were also all the rage, as well as My Little Pony.

Towards the end of the 80s, Ghost Busters, Batman and the NES were taking the interest of many families.

The 90s

If you were a child during the 90s, then you likely remember the release of the Game Boy, which has been continued to this year, with products like the Nintendo Switch and variations of the DS. Power rangers were also a major interest, along with Cabbage Patch Kids.

In the late 90s, there were much more expensive gifts hitting the market like the Paystation and the Nintendo 64, which are still loved to this day. To go with those, you would see Pokemon taking the market by storm.

The 2000s

The second iteration of the Playstation just hit the market, as well as its main competitor, the Xbox. On top of those, gadgets like the iPod Mini were very much anticipated.

Of course, there were plenty of additions to these, as consoles changed the market with games like Halo and Grand Theft Auto.

In the later years of the 00s, you would see more iterations of the popular consoles like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, as well as Nintendo’s new release, the Wii. Plenty of households would invest in bigger releases like Guitar Hero for the Playstation due to its addictive and impressive innovation.

2010 and after

In more recent years, a lot of the gifts that kids would expect would be very gadget oriented. Consoles like Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo are still anticipated and the latest video games are common gifts to give.

Monopoly is still popular with its many different variations featuring gimmicks based on popular culture. If you’re looking for ideas on gifts, you can check out our gift delivery service, which can be delivered on the same day. Finding the right gift isn’t easy, and sometimes inspiration can take you a long way.