Best-selling toys of all time from Lego to Barbie and Buzz Lightyear
Do you remember those dimpled Cabbage Patch Dolls, or spending hours fiddling with a Rubik's cube? These nostalgic toys are one of the best-selling toys of all time!
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

You'll recognise a few of these best-selling toys of all time, with plenty of them taking pride of place in many a child's toy box.
Do you remember pestering your parents for a dimpled Cabbage Patch Kids doll - one of the best toys of the 1990s (opens in new tab)? Or what about that Christmas in 2008 when you spent hours trying to track down the Iggle Piggle cuddly toy?
These top selling toys of all time are full of familiar favourites and modern mini-crazes that took the toyworld by storm. Featuring some of the best toys for three-year-olds (opens in new tab) and educational toys for kids (opens in new tab), we consulted data from Argos (opens in new tab) and toy market researcher NPD Group (opens in new tab) to give you the most popular toys of all time.
You'll be surprised at how many have stood the test of time...
The best-selling toys of all time:
Why you can trust GoodTo Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Lego
It's official: these colourful, plastic building blocks - which first went on sale in 1947 - remain just as popular with kids today. A staggering 400 million people around the world have dabbled with lego, with seven sets of these bite-sized bricks sold every second. Used to fashion castles, trains, houses and vehicles (plus not forgetting those infamous lego figures) lego has proved its purpose and ability to stand the test of time. In 2000, The British Association of Toy Retailers (opens in new tab) even named the LEGO brick "Toy of the Century" - beating the teddy bear, Barbie and Action Man.
For some amazing discounts, check out the Black Friday LEGO deals (opens in new tab) for 2021.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Tamagotchi
What kid didn't own one of these in the 90s? These tiny tech pets would transfix us for hours, with us pestering our parents to take care of them whilst we went to school. Amazingly, this pocket toy had a resurgence in the mid 2000s too, with NPD revealing Tamagotchis took the crown for best-selling toy in 2005, 2006 AND 2007. It's definitely one of the best toys for eight-year-olds (opens in new tab).
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
[apester id="60795e86b42ca60009f9947b"]
Barbie
American company Mattel were onto a winner when they first released this tall, leggy blonde into the world on 9 March 1959. 62 years on and she's still as stylish as ever, though it's nice to see she's evolved representation-wise and embraced new roles as an astronaut and mermaid. Totally Hair Barbie, with her long head to toe length tresses, is officially the best-selling Barbie toy of all time. She generated 10 million sales worldwide alone between 1992 and 1995.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Buzz Lightyear
It seems kids past and present have found a friend in Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear - with sales of this popular figurine flying from infinity to beyond. Disney have confirmed that their beloved Buzz is the Disney Store's best-selling toy (opens in new tab) of all time.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Sylvanian Families
They may have topped the charts as the best-selling toy of 1987, but these furry friends are still going strong today. There's the cow family, the pig family, the otter family.. you get the gist. Devoted child collectors will also have acquired the stately suburban Sylvanian Families home too.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Monopoly
It's infamous for causing family arguments, yet that hasn't stopped this Hasbro game from becoming the best-selling board game of all time. 275 million Monopoly boards have been sold worldwide with younger family players soon coming of age and fighting you for the dog or hat counter.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Game Boy
Boys, girls and even parents were swayed by the magic of the game boy, which allowed us to play favourites like Mario Kart and Donkey Kong on the go. First released in Japan in April 1989, an incredible 180 million Nintendo game boys have been sold worldwide since.
View at Etsy (opens in new tab)
Furby
Furry and friendly, Furbys first made a storm in the toy world in the late nineties. They took the title of most popular selling toy in 2000 and then again in 2013 when Furby Booms were released. Did you know the latest version can lay digital eggs? The perfect toy for six-year-olds (opens in new tab).
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
L.O.L Surprise Dolls
These cool, pint-sized dolls have dominated the toy market in recent years. According to NPD, L.O.L surprise dolls were the best-selling toy of the year for four years running from 2017-2019. With each doll hidden inside a ball (with stickers and fun accessories), kids never know which doll they're going to get until the very last minute. Hence the 'Surprise'.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Cabbage Patch Dolls
These cute chubby-cheeked dolls were a sell out in 1984, becoming the best-selling toy of that year. Fans are still able to adopt their unique Cabbage Patch doll today, with the 'licensed patch doctors and nurses' at Babyland General Hospital (opens in new tab) in Cleveland, Georgia, helping you to choose from thousands of their soft-toy residents.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Rubik's cube
This fiddly, brain-teasing toy could keep us occupied for hours - as we painfully tried to match those dastardly coloured squares and prove ourselves in front of our parents. Invented in 1974, Rubik's cubes are a retro classic which generated a staggering 100 million sales by 1983 alone. For those still up to the challenge - the current world record for cracking one of these is 3.43 seconds.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
LeapFrog learning
Be it the original Leap Pad books or the more modern explorer tablet, there's no doubting that LeapFrog revolutionised the way kids read. Adding interactive elements and sounds, these handy reading devices have earnt a spot on our best-selling toys of all time list for being the sell-out toy of the year in 2004 and 2012.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii is one of the best-selling toys of all time. The impressive, interactive video game was officially the most popular toy trend of the 'twenty-tens' decade - with 1 in 3 households owning one in 2010 itself. Who remembers Wii Sport and challenging friends to a competitive game of tennis or bowling?
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Turtle power is still very much alive and thriving despite their nineties heyday. These first skyrocketed up the toy charts, taking the top-selling toy spot in 1990. And today, new generations of kids are still enthralled by the likes of Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
KidiZoom Camera
Back in the days of the digital camera boom, kids went crazy for Vtech's kidizoom camera. Young budding photographers could take real digital photos (and even selfies) on these brightly-coloured beauties, then use the memory card to upload their portfolio to a nearby PC. NPD revealed that Kidizoom cameras were a triumph for two years running - securing the best-selling toy spot in 2009 and 2010.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Bratz dolls
Barbie faced some healthy competition from these hip toy dolls in the early noughties produced by MGA Entertainment. An incredible 150 million Bratz dolls have been sold worldwide since they arrived on the scene in 2001 - with the fashionistas celebrating their 20 year anniversary this year.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Beyblade
Another Noughties toy icon was this spinning-top toy that turned playgrounds into bases for some serious beyblade duelling. There are over 5000 different beyblade combinations, all with different abilities and catchy names like 'Master Diabolos' and 'Heaven Pegasus'. According to NPD they were the best-selling toy of 2003. Though their popularity peaked again in 2016, when the animated TV series Beyblade Burst began airing.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Stretch Armstrong
Buff, super-tanned and boasting new levels of flexibility - Stretch Armstrong was a staple in almost every nineties toybox. He beat off heavy competition and became the best-selling toy of 1976. And in 2016, Hasbro announced his return, re-releasing their winning 1976 design.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Iggle Piggle
In the Night Garden's Iggle Piggle cuddly toy was THE ultimate Christmas toy for five-year-olds (opens in new tab) in the mid-2000s. Released in 2007, after the mass success of the television show, it became the best-selling toy of 2008.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Star Wars
Is anyone surprised that Star Wars is one of the best-selling toys of all time? The force has stayed strong with these Star Wars figurines - which first went stratospheric in the 1970s. Half a century on, these figures have racked up a crazy £10 billion worldwide. No doubt, the film franchise's recent reboot and films like The Last Jedi have contributed to this. With new characters like Kylo Ren and Rey now available to add to treasured collections.
View at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Emily Stedman is the Features Editor for GoodTo covering all things TV, entertainment, royal, lifestyle, health and wellbeing. Boasting an encyclopaedic knowledge on all things TV, celebrity and royals, career highlights include working at HELLO! Magazine and as a royal researcher to Diana biographer Andrew Morton on his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. In her spare time, Emily can be found eating her way around London, swimming at her local Lido or curled up on the sofa binging the next best Netflix show.
-
-
Thrifty mum shares 'wonky tin' hack on TikTok for saving money at the supermarket
The money-savvy mother says shoppers need to be 'cheeky' if they want to get the discount
By Emma Dooney • Published
-
How many children does Jennifer Lopez have and who is her husband?
Ahead of JLo's new movie Shotgun Wedding being released we look at all you need to know about her family life.
By Selina Maycock • Published
-
Lollipop Smart Baby Camera Review
The Lollipop Smart Baby Camera is a really portable WiFi baby monitor with excellent video quality and an easy-to-use smart phone app
By Heidi Scrimgeour • Published
-
ergoPouch Cocoon Swaddle Bag Review
Read our very own Editor's review of this brilliant, breathable Swaddle Bag from ergoBaby
By Heidi Scrimgeour • Published
-
GreenPan 6L Slow Cooker review
Fuss-free, easy-to-use slow cooker by GreenPan. Ideal for large families and bulk cooking, this 6L slow cooker features smart settings with slow cook function up to 24 hours...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
KitchenAid Stand Mixer review: Design Series 4.7L Blossom Artisan
A contemporary stand mixer designed by KitchenAid with a lush thyme-green finish, unique hammered copper mixing bowl and must-have stainless steel attachments...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
Best reusable nappies of 2023 - top washables for all budgets
Thinking of reusable nappies? Here's everything you need to know
By Isabel Deibe • Published
-
Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker review
A multi-functional frozen dessert maker by Ninja Kitchen with seven pre-set programmes and Ninja Creamify Technology...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
Best kids' winter boots 2023: perfect pairs for cosy toes
Beat the Arctic blast by kitting the kids out in boots made for more than just walking
By Heidi Scrimgeour • Published
-
KitchenAid Artisan 1.5L Kettle review
A modern, sleek kettle designed by KitchenAid with easy-to-use temperature control and efficient boiling function…
By Jessica Dady • Published