Products From the 1700s: History's Best Sellers

Extra! Extra! On the home front and across the nation, 1700s saw a swell surge of swell Yankee ingenuity and home-front craftsmanship in the world of items! Leading the charge were mighty, top-selling marvels like The Piano, Pianoforte, Gravicembalo col piano e forte and Toy soldier, capturing the public’s fancy in grand fashion. Distinguished creators from industry leaders like Bartolomeo Cristofori and Various proved their mettle with essential classics, delivering craftsmanship that swept main street from coast to coast as genuine top-flight hits. Step right up and inspect our complete, rank-ordered historical archive below!

1. The Piano, Pianoforte, Gravicembalo col piano e forte

   Released in 1700 by Bartolomeo Cristofori, Medici Family

   Invented in Florence, Italy, at the turn of the 18th century, the piano revolutionized western music by bridging the gap between dynamic control and acoustic volume. Originally called the gravicembalo col piano e forte ("harpsichord with soft and loud"), it allowed players to seamlessly vary their volume based on the force applied to the keys—a feat impossible on the widely used harpsichord.

2. Toy soldier

   Released in 1700 by Various

   Toy soldiers, an iconic and enduring category of playthings, did not have a singular "launch" in the way modern toys do. Instead, their origins are deeply rooted in human history, evolving over centuries from rudimentary figures to sophisticated, mass-produced miniatures. While the concept of miniature warriors dates back to antiquity, the widespread commercial availability and popular appeal of "toy soldiers" as we know them truly blossomed in the 18th century. They quickly became a cultural phenomenon, serving as both educational tools and powerful catalysts for imaginative play, allowing generations of children to recreate historical battles, stage grand campaigns, and explore themes of strategy and heroism within their own homes.