History's Best Selling Toys of 1928

Revisiting 1928 presents a grand parade of toys history, marked by swell Yankee ingenuity and home-front craftsmanship and enduring fan favorites. Unrivaled hits including Yo-Yo, Joy Buzzer, and essential classics took top honors in living rooms and storefronts alike. Master craftsmen from industry leaders like Pedro Flores and Soren Sorensen Adams led the vanguard, engineering high-caliber releases that swept main street from coast to coast as genuine top-flight hits. Dive into the full historical rankings below to see which standout creations won the day.

1. Yo-Yo

   Released in 1928 by Pedro Flores

   On June 9, 1928, the trajectory of a simple, ancient toy was forever changed. On this date, Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant living in California, establishes the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company. While spinners on a string had existed for millennia, Flores's design marked the birth of the yo-yo as a modern cultural phenomenon.

2. Joy Buzzer

   Released in 1928 by Soren Sorensen Adams

   On October 26, 1928, the world of mischievous fun was forever changed when inventor Soren Sorensen Adams filed U.S. Patent 1,845,735 for his 'new and useful improvements in handshaking devices.' This device was the Joy Buzzer, a pocket-sized prank poised to startle and delight generations. In the context of the Roaring Twenties, a decade of social exuberance and innovation, the Joy Buzzer was a perfect product of its time. It captured a spirit of playful rebellion in a simple, mechanical marvel. The filing of this patent on this specific date marked the official birth of a gag that would become a cultural touchstone, legally protecting the clever design before it buzzed its way into the hands of pranksters everywhere.