The Energy Drinks explosion of the 2000’s

Power Horse energy drink in can

And as their name implies, “energy drinks” promise to give you an extra dose of energy. With no regulatory control, their popularity exploded in the early 2000’s and were especially trendy with minors and young adults.

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The 3-D Movie Craze of the 1950’s

3D movie audience reacting to film

The introduction of the first color 3D movie set off a chain reaction of 3D movies that served Hollywood’s purpose well. Movie goers came back to the theaters in droves to see the new technology which itself triggered several new inventions in film making, many of which are still in use today.

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The Hacky Sack footbag fad of the 1980’s

Footbag World cover photo

Hacky Sacks, or footbags, were popular with youth in the United States during the 1980’s. During the peak of the fad, several million Hacky Sack footbags were sold each year. Surprisingly, the Hacky Sack had been invented nearly a decade earlier and footbags in general have been enjoyed by the public for many centuries.

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The Smurfs craze of the 1980’s

Smurf village

Popular in the 1980’s, they appeared on television, t-shirts, miniature models, games, burger boxes, and in toy stores throughout the United States. Many may not know it, but the Smurfs were created over a decade before their surge to success.

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The history of the Lemon Twist (or Footsie) toy fad of the 1970’s

Vintage Lemon Twist toy 1975

Rarely has a toy reemerged over and over again as a hit “new toy” like the Lemon Twist (or Jingle Jump, Footsie, Skip-A-Roo, or Skip It). First introduced in the late 1960’s as the Footsie toy, it became immensely popular for several few years before gradually fading away into obscurity. Then in the mid-1970’s the…

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