ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, December 16, 1996              TAG: 9612170095
SECTION: NEWSFUN                  PAGE: NF-1 EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

TIMELESS TOYS THESE CLASSIC PLAYTHINGS PROBABLY ENTERTAINED YOUR PARENTS, AND MAYBE EVEN YOUR GRANDPARENTS

If you don't expect to find Tickle Me Elmo or a Nintendo 64 system under the tree this year (we hear Santa Claus is running low on those particular items), don't despair.

Santa Claus might have to rely on the classics or toys that have been around for many years. Here are 10 classics that have been entertaining kids ever since your parents, or even your grandparents, were young. You might be surprised how things in the toy world have changed, but also stayed the same. See if you recognize any of them:

G.I. Joe

Price: $4 in 1964; $5.99 for the 5-inch model today, $24.99 for the 12-inch model.

Number sold: More than 300 million.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1964, G.I. Joe was 111/2 inches tall and his face was a combination of 20 winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Over the years he shrank to 8 inches, and then to 33/4 inches. Now he comes in two sizes: 5 inches and 12 inches.

Easy Bake Oven

Price: $15.95 in 1963; $19.99 today.

Number sold: 14 million.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1963, the Easy Bake Oven was planned to be a minipretzel maker. That idea evolved into the Easy Bake Oven, which used 100-watt light bulbs to cook real cookies and cakes. Excluding dolls, the oven remains the No. 1 toy activity for girls.

Twister

Price: $6.99 in 1966; $13.99 today.

Number sold: 19 million.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1966, Twister got off to a slow start until Johnny Carson, who used former late-night talk-show host, played the game on his show with an actress. Sales began to take off.

Monopoly

Price: $2.50 in 1934; $10.99 today.

Number sold: 160 million.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1935, the game is published in 25 languages. I

Slinky

Price: $1 in 1945; $1.99 today.

Number sold: More than 250 million.

Historical note: Introduced in 1945, Slinky was invented by a shipyard engineer, who accidentally knocked a torsion spring off a table - and watched it bounce back and forth. He figured the spring could probably walk down steps, if he made a few changes. He was right.

Barbie

Price: $3 in 1959; $6 to $900 today.

Number sold: About 1 billion.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1959, Barbie was largely ignored by toy buyers who thought parents wouldn't allow such a grown-up doll for their daughters. They were wrong. Ken was introduced in 1961.

Hot Wheels

Price: 59 cents in 1968; 80 cents to $1 today.

Number sold: 1.5 billion cars.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1968, Hot Wheels quickly outran Matchbox as American kids' favorite miniature cars. The first Hot Wheels car produced was a 1968 Chevy Camaro. The Corvette is the most popular Hot Wheels vehicle.

Mr. Potato Head

Price: $1.99; $9.99 today.

Number sold: 50 million.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1952, Mr. Potato Head featured 28 face pieces and accessories that children stuck into a real potato. The plastic potato was introduced in 1964. In 1987 Hasbro dropped the toy's signature pipe - and handed the pipe over to the U.S. Surgeon General at a press conference for the Great American Smokeout.

Etch a Sketch

Price: $3.98 in 1960; $10.99 today.

Number sold: Over 100 million.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1960, the Etch A Sketch was based on a handmade French toy called L'Ecran Magique, or ``The Magic Screen.'' As Ohio Art struggled to produce them on an assembly line, one out of four Etch A Sketches had to be tossed out.

Candy Land

Price: 95 cents in 1949; $5.99 today.

Number sold: More than 35 million.

Historical tidbit: Introduced in 1949, Candy Land was invented by Eleanor Abbott of San Diego, who was recuperating from polio. To amuse herself, she invented games for younger polio victims, including Candy Land, a game for kids so young that they don't have to read or count.

LENGTH: Medium:  100 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ERIC BRADY/Staff. Roanoker Jonathan Wooddall-Gainey, 6, 
          challenges his sister, Clare, 9, in a game of Monopoly. Monopoly, 
          which has been around for more than 60 years, is published in 25 
          languages. color.