A look back at holiday hot toys

FAIRMOUNT PARK - November 20, 2012 (WPVI) -- Did you have a favorite toy growing up? Was there something you just had to have come the holidays...maybe the hot toy that was out of stock everywhere?

29 years ago, Action News covered near-riots at stores that had run out of Cabbage Patch Dolls. While things haven't been that intense more recently, interactive toys like Furby and the new-generation Elmo have been scarce for Christmases past.

We thought it'd be fun to talk with adults about their must-have toys, and many of them are on display at the Please Touch Museum.

The museum provides play experiences for younger children, accompanied by adults. Around the premises, there are several exhibits of toys parents and grandparents are sure to remember.

Some, like a Schoenhut play piano, were made right in Philadelphia. So what do today's adults remember wanting? Barbie dolls were always big for girls. Electric trains rated high for boys, along with sporting goods.

One Germantown man's must-have was Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. They were originally manufactured by Marx but another company owns the rights and still sells them.

Most toys haven't had that long a history of success, but, if you're persistent, you can still find them. Online sites like eBay are popular places to look, and there are antique toy stores around.

The Please Touch Museum is located inside historic Memorial Hall, 4321 Avenue of the Republic in Fairmount Park. It's open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For information, visit the Please Touch Museum or phone 215-581-3181.

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toys, children, please touch museum, holidays, fairmount park, philadelphia, local/state

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