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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