Monday 23 April 2012

30 years ago today…


On 23rd April 1982 the ZX Spectrum home computer appeared on the market. It was the start of a battle for the emerging home computer market being fought by Spectrum creator Clive Sinclair and his arch rival Alan Sugar founder of Amstrad. Eventually Amstrad won and bought the Spectrum range in 1986. The Commodore 64 and the BBC Microcomputer were also in the fight and adding to the must have items of the 1980s.

All this new technology was the death nail in the already fragile ‘traditional toy’ market that had already seen the demise of the Airfix company (who at that time also owned several other household names such as Meccano).

Three decades on and we all accept home computers, as must have fittings in our homes (or you would not be reading this) and prices have levelled out. But the teenagers and early twenty year olds of the 1980s are now the returnees of today. This time around with disposable income and time to devote to the hobbies of their youth. Model railways and plastic modelling are going through resurgence at the moment. Things can only get better!

Ralph.

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