A Selection of Hallmark Ornaments: Toys

In 1952, Mr. Potato Head encouraged kids to play with food. The toy came with a variety of sharp-pronged plastic facial features and accessories — eyes, ears, noses, mouths, and hats that kids could stick into a real potato and arrange in endless variations. Kids were introduced to this new toy through TV — the first toy ever advertised on television. Since 1964, the toy has come with a plastic potato — a more sanitary and less wasteful choice.

Board games have enduring appeal for both kids and adults — whether played around the dining room table or on a dorm room floor, they are an especially great choice for cold or rainy days. Monopoly, which debuted in 1934, remains among the best-selling board games of all time. Players win by buying and developing real estate — allowing participants to "dabble" in real life situations as they vie for the most lucrative properties.

When Hasbro introduced the action figure G.I. Joe in 1964, it soon became a hit. Children could adjust G.I Joe into various poses — it has multiple moveable joints. Hasbro also created a variety of clothing, weapons, and accessories for the plastic soldier, allowing children to engage in all sorts of creative, action-oriented play. Action figures continue to spark the imaginations of boys, girls, and even adults.

Chatty Cathy did something that no other doll could do in 1960 — she "spoke" eleven phrases. With a pull string mechanism connected to a simple phonograph record inside, Chatty Cathy was the first successful talking doll. Though Chatty Cathy's randomly spoken phrases were limited, girls were delighted to have a more "realistic" doll who could talk!

Red and blue fists fly as two boxing robots battle it out inside a ring. Players mechanically manipulate their robots, trying to land a punch to "knock his block off" (make the opponent robot's head pop up). The game was simple — played without the aid of computers, batteries, or electricity.

A turn of the crank, a music box melody, and then — surprise, out jumps Jack! Jack-in-the-box toys have been delighting children as they wait in anticipation. And it never seems to get old — Let's do it again!

Excitement rules as fast little cars zoom down Mattel Hot Wheels' flexible, orange track. The cars feature a custom-car or fantasy look — unlike the more realistic diecast vehicles produced by other companies. And they were built for speed with low-friction "racing" wheels. Kids loved them, especially when sending the cars through a loop — a now famous symbol of the iconic brand.

In the late 1800s, children in homes where Sunday was strictly observed might have a Noah's Ark — a toy sufficiently related to the Bible to be appropriate for play on an otherwise restricted day. Kids enjoyed pairing up animals from the familiar to the exotic, then moving them into the "safety" of the ark. Children likely appreciated having such a plaything on long, quiet Sunday afternoons.

Johnny Gruelle, a cartoonist and illustrator, created Raggedy Ann in 1915 when, according to family lore, he drew the now iconic features on a faceless rag doll his daughter Marcella brought down from their attic. The cloth doll's popularity started to soar in 1918 after Gruelle's first Raggedy Ann book was published. The huggable — and timeless — Raggedy Ann and her brother Andy are among the most enduring and beloved American dolls.

Fisher Price's playsets encouraged toddlers and preschoolers to explore the world beyond their homes. In 1959, the company produced its first school bus with removeable passengers. Small children could "escort" students onto the bus and then see them safely to "school" — practicing for the time they themselves reach school age.