1999: Pokémon merchandise

In the 1990s, Pokémon established itself as one of the biggest franchises in the world. The GameBoy game in 1996 was one of the most popular on the platform, and the anime TV show debuted in 1998. In 1999, the franchise reached fever pitch. Between the games, trading cards, and other merchandise, it had the most toys sold during holiday season that year.