Top 25 "It" products of all time: #23 -- The Magic 8-Ball

When I was in the sixth grade was my peer group went through it's Magic 8-Ball craze. In that simpler time, we asked the all-knowing orb simple questions such as if a girl in history class go out with us, or if our brother would find out we ran his bicycle into a tree. We knew even then that the Magic 8-Ball really could not provide the answers to our juvenile queries, but there was always that sliver of hope that it would confirm the answer we hoped for.

With it's 20 possible responses, ten positive, five negative, and five non-committal, the Magic 8-Ball has never lost its appeal. Today, there are no less than 15 magic 8-Ball knock-off variations, some of which have become quite collectible. There are 8-Balls honoring Bart Simpson, and commemorating Star Wars. 8-Balls come in romantic themes and several different colors. You can even get a Magic 8-Ball which answers in the pirate vernacular of SpongeBob SquarePants. Although it is actually shaped more like a cube than a ball, the basic concept still remains the same.