Rubik's Cube is right up there!

http://247wallst.com/2012/06/29/the-best-selling-products-of-all-time/2/

hmmmm...

My question is, everything else got to include franchises and earlier versions, so why not include at the 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5?

Good point, but I would guess that sales of these follow-on puzzles are negligible by comparison, only a few 10s of millions in total, while book and film series tend to remain almost as popular as the first. Problem is that people got wise and stopped buying once they figured out they had been "tricked" (deceived by its apparent simplicity) and couldn't solve the original Rubik's Cube puzzle.

Besides, the Cube did not need its supporting cast to make number 1. Seriously, of the other seven items on the list that mention number of units, it eclipses them all except for Harry Potter, which is 7 novels(plus a few supplementary books if they are included in the total units).

On the basis of "units" I suppose Facebook should win with 900 million subscriptions. Shame they're not worth anything...

I don't really get this. Define "product". I could list a thousand things that have sold more.

I agree with Tony.
You could make an argument saying that food or water is a "product".

Food is not a product, but spam is. The article just went with their opinion. I'm sure some industrial product has sold billions more.

I think a "product" has to be defined as a unique, branded item, not a general class of products like food, or films, or cars, or whatever. Mind you, I think it has to be defined further, as non-consumable, otherwise bic ballpoint pens or similar would come out way on top. Still I agree the list is very arbitrary, but it's good to see such recognition for the Cube...