2009 brings on anniversaries, birthday celebrations and the comeback of toys from our past. 

But, WHY?

Simple. 

Once a generation grows up and becomes parents themselves, marketers see this as an opportunity to reintroduce 

fun childhood memories into parenting play. So, when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turn 25, dad not only wants to pull out his own and show Junior the fun he had with them, but buy Junior his own (because no way does Dad want his ruined) and the Ninja Turtle play goes on.

We all have heard that Barbie is 50 so that means grandma, mom and granddaughter can all play together and relive their Barbie moments and make new memories together. 

And the reason these toys become and stay popular is because they are fun. You won't see a comeback of one toy that no one wanted and if you do, that does not "count" as a reintroduction in Toy Tips terms. We screen all the best to make sure they really were fun to start with. 

Some new versions  to look out for this year:

PJ Sparkles is 20

Super Soakers is 20

Candly Land is 60

Star Wars is 30

Anything under 20 years  is not worth a mention because it has not hit that second generation of play yet  but is worth watching. 

I don't think you need to save every toy you own in hopes your toys or your children's toys become classics. Sadly, when a toy  becomes a classic, it does not necessarily mean that it will be worth a  pile of dollars. What a classic toy really  is worth are the memories you preserve and those you share with your children, grandchildren or special child in your life. 

For more information on more classic toys,  check out the Strong National Museum  of Play in Rochester, NY and while you are there,

visit my own Toy Tips exhibit of  Toy Tips "TTT" tested toys, some classics and some you might find reintroduced in the next 20 years!

Follow me on twitter.com/toytips or sign up for our free daily toy tip on toytips.com.

Marianne Szymanski