The Top Christmas Gifts from 10 Years Ago – 2010
Apple iPad
Apple was on a wave of success after moving it’s focus away from just computers to mp3 players in 2001 with the huge selling iPod, this was followed by the iPod Video and then the iPhone, which was followed by another suspiciously similar device the iPod Touch. When the iPad was announced may said it would eb a failure, after all it was just a big iPod Touch or an iPhone that wasn’t a phone. There had been many attempts at tablet computers in the past, even Apple having a go but non of them meeting with much success.
However when the iPad came out it was a huge success, people didn’t really need an iPad but they did want one which was the key to it’s success. Another big factor was people who had never really used a full blown computer saw a tablet as a more intuitive basic interface so were able to pick it up easily and casually browse or watch videos on. Of course it came with a huge range of apps and games making it hugely appealing to children as an expensive Christmas toy. iPads and tablets remain to this day hugely popular and not vastly different to the original however as popular as ever with children who often end up transfixed at them!
Go Go Hamsters (Zhu Zhu Pets)
It wouldn’t be Christmas without some kind of robotic version of a pet as we’ve seen with Teksta and Furbies, so in 2010 it was the turn of the robotic hamsters! Cute small hamsters with little symbols on their backs who will move around and act spontaneously, coo and chirp, with names like Mr Squiggles what could go wrong?
Well first of all it was reported by GoodGuide that there was higher than the allowed levels of silvery metalloid antimony in them causing much panic however after a review they were found to be safe and GoodGuide issued an apology saying that their testing methods (which checked for surface toxins) were different from the federal standards (which check for soluble toxins).
They were produced by a relatively tiny company so when the craze caught on there was always going to be shortages, they were around the previous year proving popular but by 2010 they were all the rage. Initially selling for around £6 each, because of the shortages they were being sold at over £60 on online auction sites.
Buzz Lightyear
The ‘toy of a toy’ Buzz made another comeback in 2010 following the release of Toy Story 3, this one was a little more accurately detailed than the original 1995 toy from the film with pop out wings and blinking lights and 60+ phrases to annoy parents over Christmas!
Unlike many of the other toys featured in this series of blogs the toy makers we a bit better prepared with the production after having leaned from the short supplies of the original toy which had not been produced in great enough numbers as the toy maker didn’t think the film would be much of a success!
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