7 toys that caused holiday insanity

The holidays are upon us, and there are only so many shopping days between now and Christmas. Buying the hottest toys wasn't always as easy as it is now. There was no Amazon or eBay to alleviate holiday lines. Instead, parents lined up for hours just for the chance to grasp the latest fad ... and occasionally to punch each other out. But did you know that the big-ticket item of 1977 was a cardboard box?

It's true, because that cardboard box was the product of desperation. Star Wars was unleashed unto the world in May 1977, and it was such a huge hit that the demand for toys was enormous. The problem was that it was impossible to get enough to stock the holiday shelves. Therefore, some clever Kenner employees came up with the idea of an empty box that gave kids the chance to get a four-figure Star Wars set by mail as soon as it became available. And thus a legend was born.

However, it wasn't just the action figures that drove parents into a holiday frenzy. The original Nintendo Entertainment System brought new life into the video game craze, and it hasn't really died down in the last 34 years. But in 1985, you'd swear that the lives of the parents rested upon their ability to return home with one of these consoles. Even the recent NES Mini proved that the staying power of those games is unmatched.

For the rest of the toys that caused absolute insanity during the holidays, check out the latest episode of Toy Masters!