From Polaroids to Instant Pots: Every Year's Must-Have Shopping Fad Since 1973
Shopping has changed over the years—from small, local businesses to big-box stores with global supply chains and the ease of online shopping—but one thing has stayed the same: American consumers don't want to miss out on the next big thing. In fact, Americans spend an average of nearly $1,500 per month on nonessential items and make an average of five monthly impulse buys, according to a 2019 survey by OnePoll for Ladder.
Sociologist Juliet Schor says the impulse to spend comes from a need to feel valued within reference groups—people who matter to a specific consumer, like family and friends. When mass production began in the 1920s, American consumer culture started to blossom. When more products can be made, more can be purchased.
According to Schor, this movement stalled in the wake of the Great Depression and World War II but jump-started in the 1950s. Since then, season after season, Americans have found themselves searching and, more recently, clicking "buy" on the hottest items on the list, which has included objects that offer simple entertainment like pet rocks or Pogs to items that showcase a consumer's shifting priorities, such as the rise of the more ecologically friendly oat milk, for example.
CouponBirds compiled a list of the most popular shopping trends over the past 50 years and discovered a purchasing history that speaks to a country's state of mind. This list was developed using information and data from various sources, including Newspapers.com, Google Search Trends, and news sites like CNBC and the New York Times. Keep reading and take a walk down memory lane with must-have shopping fads for each year since 1973.
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1973: Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle
Stores sold out of the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle, a toy version of the stuntman with his famed motorcycle, during the 1973 holiday season for various reasons. Not only was it one of the most requested children's gifts that year, but supplies were also limited due to a plastic shortage. Those who could get their hands on the product loved this reproduction of Knievel on his motorcycle, which shot out from the base, mimicking the daredevil's tricks. The Stunt Cycle was so popular it was rereleased in 2020, made with the same steel molds used to create the original.
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1974: Polaroid SX-70
Edwin Land was inspired to create the Polaroid SX-70 when his daughter wanted to see photos the moment they were taken. This one-step instant camera was widely released in the fall of 1973, and by mid-1974, its popularity had skyrocketed, with over 700,000 units sold. Even pop art icon Andy Warhol loved to use his Polaroid.
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1975: Mood rings
Mood rings were all the rage when they were first released in 1975—a spike of popularity they would enjoy again with their 1990s revival and a third resurgence in 2023. The originals used special photo paper, which changed color based on temperature and bonded to glass or plastic to create the ring's faux stone. Although these color changes weren't actually influenced by mood, that didn't stop consumers from snapping them up, paying as much as $45 per ring.
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1976: Pet Rock
The Pet Rock, a gag gift packaged on a bed of straw inside a container with breathing holes, sold for about $4.95 each but generated $1.1 million in sales by 1976. The smooth stones were collected from Mexico's Rosarito Beach, where they had been "washed from volcanic slopes in the glacial age."
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1977: Star Wars action figures
Toy manufacturer Kenner had no idea "Star Wars" would become the second highest-grossing movie franchise of all time. Had they known, they probably wouldn't have delayed toy production until after the film's release. This post-release strategy backfired, as there wasn't time to produce enough toys to meet consumer demand before Christmas 1977. Instead, they released 500,000 empty boxes with certificates for "Star Wars" action figures that could be redeemed early the following year—and these empty boxes were still the hottest gift of the season!
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1978: Designer jeans
In 1978, fashion designers kicked denim up a notch with more tailored, high-end designs. Many of the names featured on the back pocket of these designer jeans are still popular today, including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gloria Vanderbilt.
1979: Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, also known as the Atari Video Computer System, revolutionized gaming in the late 1970s. Still a novel invention at the time, the system connected to a TV, allowing users to play real Atari arcade games in their homes. "Superman" was one of the popular games released in 1979.
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1980: The Official Preppy Handbook
As defined by the Britannica dictionary, a preppy is "someone who dresses or acts like a student at a prep school (such as by wearing neat, somewhat formal clothing or by using particular words and phrases)." In 1980, "The Official Preppy Handbook"—which sold over 1 million copies—offered a tongue-in-cheek guide to dressing, talking, and acting in this fashion.
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1981: Rubik's Cube
The Rubik's Cube was originally created in 1974 by Erno Rubik to demonstrate an algebraic theory. The puzzle comprises 26 smaller cubes, which rotate to make each face of the larger six-sided cube a solid, matching color. In 1980, the Rubik's Cube was released as a toy in America. By June 1981, 30 million cubes had been sold worldwide.
1982: Diet Coke
In 1982, an idea over 20 years in the making came to fruition as Coca-Cola introduced Diet Coke to the world. The company's massive marketing campaign was highly successful, making Diet Coke the top diet soda in the U.S. by the end of the following year.
