Colorado Has Grumpy Pants Because We Didn’t Get These Christmas Toys

Are you still emotionally scarred because you didn't get the Evel Knievel Strato-Cycle playset back in 1974? It appears some of us in Colorado still dream of the day when we can finally enjoy that one Christmas toy we didn't get.

Do you remember those adult years you used to dream about? You know, the years that turned out to be not-so-great after all. Some in Colorado still suffer from a severe case of grumpy pants over those never-received toys. Here's a look at a few toy selections that left us heartbroken.

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The Most Popular Toys From Colorado's Childhoods

If you were born in 1970, the most popular toy that year, according to the Chicago Tribune, was the Nerf Ball. Yep, the Nerf Ball. Not the Nerf Football, or even the Nerf basketball set.

If you think that's weird, how about 1975? The most popular "toy" that year was "The Pet Rock." Who doesn't remember the magic that was in 1976? The most popular toy on store shelves for America's bicentennial was none other than Stretch Armstrong. Put simply, this toy stretched. That's it... he stretched. The retail price in 1976 was $5.

The Scarcity Effect at Christmas Time

According to the article "The Psychology of Christmas Shopping: How Marketers Nudge You To Buy" published by Deakin University, there's a reason why some toys were in such high demand, and consequently, why some were hard to find.

Scarcity theory tells us that if we think something is scarce or only available for a short time, our mind will give it more weight. Christmas is a hard deadline, so we are limited in our freedom to delay the purchase decision. - this.deakin.edu

This might explain why it was virtually impossible to find the Weeble Submarine on Colorado shelves back in 1976. Colorado retailers like Kmart, Woolworths, and Woolco couldn't keep the things on the shelves. For those not familiar with Woolco, they were a discount retail chain with hundreds of stores across the United States. Wikipedia reports that American stores were closed in 1983, while stores in Canada remained active until 1994.

Most Desired Toys In Colorado

Judging by the replies on Facebook, the Cabbage Patch Dolls were as much a localized phenomenon as they were a national obsession. While many wanted them, not everyone in Colorado could get them or afford them. The same appears to be true for the various racetrack sets.

The gallery below highlights some of the toys we in Colorado wanted as children but didn't get. Take a close look and you may find you're Christmas list contained some of these as well.