MyStory

In line with creating new toys for our children, toymakers in Japan cleverly breathed new life into the age-old toy – the spinning top. By removing the traditionally benign quality of tops, Beyblade went on to sell over 100 million units in the world from 2000 to 2005.

For starters, the idea of fighting tops, à la cock fighting, attracted legions of youth who never had the opportunity to partake in pugnacious poultry combat. By equipping weights and attack rings to the top, Beyblades battled for supremacy in the Beystadium. The myriad of modifications one could make to the toy ensured that Beyblade would be a huge money spinner. From additional weights to improve stability, to attack rings which could emit sparks, children experimented with various technical alterations to create their ultimate winning Beyblade.

In Singapore, the overwhelming popularity of the toy spawned numerous dubious China imports to the heartlands. With limited budgets and savings, many were attracted to the cheaper alternatives despite their inferior quality. When some unfortunate children suffered minor injuries as a result of the aggressively spinning top, many were quick to put the blame on the imitations.

After the intense publicity and marketing campaigns had died down in 2004, Beyblade quickly disappeared from children’s wish lists.

Article migrated from original My Story Portal 2007.
Author. Mantou28