These days, everything is about cute packaging and well-crafted brands, but back in the 70s, it was all about schemes, gimmicks, and plastic impulse buys. And somehow, those things didn’t just sell, they became best-sellers. This was the decade when someone literally sold rocks and made a fortune doing it.
You could find these trinkets everywhere: toy aisles, gas stations, fast food counters, and even tucked inside cereal boxes. The 70s were overflowing with junk, and it was impossible to resist. Kids begged their parents for stuff, only to lose it under the bed a week later.
So let’s dig into the drawer of forgotten treasures and look back at 15 of the best-selling junk items of the 1970s.
1
Magic 8 ball
Ask again. Ask Again Later. No. Never (it doesn't work).
2
Clackers
Loud, dangerous and banned.
3
Space Food Sticks
Chewy glorified astronaut food that astronauts didn't eat.
4
Easy-Bake Oven
Eatable clay and probably a fire hazard.
5
Elsie Stix
A low-budget lego that got lost more often than hair ties.
6
Bean Bags
Great for cute pictures, awful for your back after 5 minutes.
7
Garbage Can-dy
People collected these cans after eating the candy and then they vanished into thin air.
8
Sea Monkeys
Shrimp dust everyone, that's it.
9
McDonald's Happy Meal Toys
You play with it once and then never see it again.
10
Mood Rings
The best thing for people who have no emotions whatsover.
11
Pet Rocks
It's a rock. That's it.
12
Chia Pets
Too much responsibility but pretty for a few days.
13
Matchbox Cars
You forgot you had them until you sat on the couch.
14
Stretch Armstrong
Like most toys in the 70s, he just started oozing after a while.
15
Hacky Sack
After playing a whole day with it the leg pain was just too much.
