One’s squishy. The other’s rock-tough. And following their induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame, both Tonka trucks and Silly Putty can be considered true American classics.
The Tonka brand’s distinctive metal trucks first were marketed in 1947. More than 250 million have been produced since then.
“Kids love going to construction sites and watching the work,” says Chris Byrne, a New York-based toy industry analyst. “It’s very empowering for the kids when they can replicate that in the sandbox. It’s really cool for a kid to be able to say, ‘I get to drive the truck.'”
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