The best-selling products of the 60s - how many do you remember?
The most popular items from the decade

Braun T3

Yardley Oh! de London

Targeting city-dwelling youngsters, Yardley launched this super-popular perfume in 1962. A must for hip and happening young ladies, the best-selling fragrance boasted an ad campaign fronted by model of the moment Jean Shrimpton. The scent is still produced today under the Tuvaché brand name.
Remington Lektronic

Sony Triniton KV-1210

The first truly "modern" color TV, Sony introduced the Triniton KV-1210 in 1968. The original 12-inch model outclassed the competition in terms of picture quality and ease of use, and was an instant success. Sony went on to sell 100 million Triniton TVs before the company ditched the brand in 2008.
Kodak Instamatic 104

Sunbeam Mixmaster

Kenwood Chef

On the other side of the Atlantic, the Kenwood Chef was the UK's preferred stand mixer during the 60s. A status symbol back in the day, the multi-tasking wonder gadget featured on many a wedding list and retailed for a hefty 30 guineas in the mid-60s, which is around $490 (£400) in today's money.
Pifco Princess

Black & Decker U-100

West Bend Flavo-matic

Chinese Girl by Vladimir Tretchikoff

Along with the unnerving Crying Boy picture by Giovanni Bragolin, this kitsch painting from 1952 graced the walls of countless homes worldwide during the 60s. Prints of the Chinese Girl by Vladimir Tretchikoff sold in their millions, making it one of the best-selling prints of the 20th century. While the original fetched $1.2 million (£982k) at auction in 2013.
Barbie

Sindy

Troll Dolls

The first Troll was designed by Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam in 1959. The wild-haired dolls were launched in Europe in the early 60s and the US in 1963, sparking a major craze. Thanks to the release of the Trolls movie in 2016, the revamped dolls, which are now produced by Hasbro, are becoming popular once again.
Hoover Dial-A-Matic

Western Electric Model 500

GPO Type 706

The GPO Type 706 was the UK's answer to Western Electric's Model 500. Available in seven colors, the phone was introduced in 1968 and adopted by hundreds of thousands of homes in the country. Though officially discontinued, retro-styled versions of the phone are available to buy today.
GPO Type 712

Hawkins Hostess Trolley

If you went to a dinner party in the 60s, you almost definitely came across one of these. The Hawkins Hostess Trolley was a culinary status symbol, allowing you to keep multiple dishes warm at once. The ultimate in modern home dining at the time, it didn't come cheap, with the appliance selling for 36 guineas in the UK in 1964 – that's about £665 ($840) in today's money.
Uncle Milton's Ant Farm

Kids who grew up in 60s America will undoubtedly remember Uncle Milton's Ant Farm. The formicarium, which is still produced today, was heavily promoted in comics and magazines and went on to shift a whopping 20 million units.
Dansette Bermuda

General Electric Automatic Toothbrush

Chatty Cathy

Coppertone

If you needed any further proof that we've come a long way since the 60s, here it is. Coppertone's so-called 'sun creams', launched with the slogan "Don't be a paleface!" were formulated for tanning rather than shielding skin against the sun's rays, as tanned skin became fashionable in the 60s. Thankfully, we've come a long way in understanding the dangers of sun damage, and Coppertone has shifted its focus from sunbathing to SPF 50.
Clairol hair dye

It was one of the most influential cosmetic products of the decade – if not the century. Clairol hair dye revolutionised attitudes around hair dyeing, taking it from being seen as cheap to natural-looking and believable. Along with a highly successful ad campaign, customers bought Clairol dyes in their droves.
Etch-a-Sketch

The real question is, could anyone actually draw anything decent on these? Invented by French toymaker André Cassagnes in the late 50s, Etch-a-Sketch was acquired by the Ohio Art Company and launched in the US market in 1960, priced at $2.99, around $25 (£20) in today's money. The fun yet infuriating art toy was a huge success, selling in the millions, and it's still going strong today.
Phillips EL 3300

Northern Electric Blanket

Belling Bedwarmer

Goblin Teasmade

Another curiously British gadget, the Goblin Teasmade would wake its owner up with a cup of tea in the morning along with a blaring alarm siren. The Teasmade was popular up until the 80s when it was increasingly seen as being old-fashioned and just plain uncool. Miraculously, after being discontinued in 2001, Teasmade rolled out a revamped version in Lakeland stores in 2010, which includes an LCD clock, reading light and rapid boil function.
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature