The 80s and 90s really were a time.
Back when covid first hit there was a moment in time where the best thing about the year at the time was the Top Gun ‘Maverick’ Transformer action figure.
With no where to go and nothing else to do, it sent us into a nostalgic frenzy, reminiscing about some of the greatest toys from our childhood, a time when it was all so simple and it seems we were pretty easily entertained.
So, we’re going to take a little trip down memory lane.
Tamagotchi
These bad boys were a sign that your parents trusted you with REAL responsibility, not only setting us up to be solid parents, revolving our lives around keeping this little character of pixels alive, but also gifting us with the experience of the tragic circle of life. RIP little friends.
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Polly Pocket
Kids all around the world fell in love with the tiny plastic dolls and their cute portable pink houses that all fit into the case that closes up and can be easily transported anywhere. There were endless options too, from beach, home, garden, amusement parks, castles etc., spurring hours and hours of imagination time for kiddies.
Of course, it was all fun and games until you stepped on one.
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Furby
Did you really own a Furby if you didn’t teach it how to swear?
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Cabbage Patch Kids
If you grew up in the 80’s or the 90’s or even the early 2000’s, chances are you or your sibling loved and cherished a Cabbage Patch Kid.
There was just something about being able to pick your own name, mail it to Babyland General Hospital, where the creator would sign each set of adoption papers… and of course their cuddly and soft nature that set them apart from other big brand dolls, complete with woollen hair, plush bodies, and somewhat chubby fingers.
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Bop It
Twist it, pull it, love it. While some may have never owned their own Bop It, you were guaranteed to find it at a birthday party.
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Etch-A-Sketch
The popularity of this little red, plastic frame can partly be credited to Woody from Toy Story, who used the Etch-a-Sketch to write messages and draw, causing every kid to want one and write their own secret messages throughout the 90s.
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Moon Shoes
A trampoline for children’s feet, Moon Shoes were all about making us feel like there was no gravity, just like on the moon… but they really just felt kind of weird.
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Transformers
Way before the whole Shia LaBeouf/Transformer era (what a movie!), Transformer toys were shit hot. The heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons transformed into electronics, cars, lethal weapons and more, and while the toys were great, there was even a TV show to accompany them.
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Nintendo 64
Half of you probably still have one of these set up in your lounge room (guilty), but the Nintendo 64 was definitely one of the best game consoles on the planet at the time.
Producing some of the most loved characters in gaming history, this retro gaming system was commonly used to play the like of Super Mario 64, Pilot Wings 64, Golden Eye, The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong 64. What a time.
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Nintendo Game Boy & Game Boy Colour
Portable and offering endless entertainment, no family roadtrip was complete without one of these toys.
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Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots
The classic game from the 60s saw battling robots try to knock each other’s blocks, complete with off realistic sounds and jaw-jolting action. An oldie, but definitely a goodie.
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Care Bears
Who didn’t love the cuddly, colourful teddy bears? The 10 original Care Bears consisted of Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, Grumpy Bear, Love-a-lot Bear, Tenderheart Bear, and Wish Bear, and each had a special ‘belly badge’ that represented its personality. The fuzzy, loveable favourites even starred in their own TV series and three different movies in the 80s.
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Magic 8 Ball
This all-knowing 8 Ball quite possibly broke the hearts of millions of kids seeking advice about their playground crush.
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My Little Pony
These magical plastic ponies came with brushable hair and accessories, bringing joy to kids everywhere…. They continue to bring joy to those same kids now, with the rise in Bronies and Pegasisters. Just Google it.
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Pogs
These small circles of cardboard became highly precious and collectable in the ‘swap-shop’ playground culture. Even if you didn’t know how to play the game, where each person stacks their Pogs and then takes turns to knock down one pile and keeping any Pogs that land face up, the addiction of having the most (and the best) Pogs was a thing.
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Atari Gaming System
It’s no Nintendo, but the Atari Gaming System of the 80s was just the beginning. First introduced in 1977, it gained popularity quickly and earned loyal fans of games like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Pac-Man, and Pitfall! in the 80s.
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Mr. Potato Head
Everyone wanted a Mr. Potato Head. A little plastic potato offering endless creative possibilities for kiddies, the charm of Mr. Potato Head still lives on today, probably due to its star role in the hit film Toy Story in the 90s.
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Pogo Ball
Ah Pogo Balls, the cause of most of the twisted ankles and skinned knees of the 90s. A true test of physical ability, the memories of these coloured Saturn-shaped toys are probably synonymous with a few seconds of bliss and an overwhelming number of face-to-face encounters with the sidewalk.
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Walkman
Before the iPod was even a thought, Sony had sold hundreds of millions of its iconic cassette players, with the Walkman becoming one of Sony’s most successful brands of all time, transitioning formats over the years into CD, Mini-Disc, MP3 and finally, streaming music.
Bonus points if you recorded songs from the radio onto your tapes to later repeat over and over at a volume that was completely unacceptable.
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Smurfs
If you lived through the 1980s, chances are you owned, listened to or watched the tiny blue gnomes named The Smurfs, AKA creepy little blue characters.
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Star Wars Figurines
With the initial feature film Star Wars released in 1977 and The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi released soon after, the 80s were filled with figurines from the trilogy. All we wanted was to see a Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Boba Fett figurine under the Christmas tree.
While the average retail value for a common Star Wars action figure now is only a couple of bucks, some sealed Star Wars action figures produced between 1977 and 1985 are worth between $100 and $200, but some are worth up to $1,000, $10,000 or more. As if you’d want to give them up though…
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Troll Dolls
Another creepy little toy, these were plastic doll with furry up-combed hair depicting a troll, also known as a Dam doll after their creator Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam. Apparently, the toys are also known as ‘good luck trolls’… Can’t imagine why.
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LEGO
There was no better reminder that you had a spaceship set that needing completing, than trodding on a LEGO brick in the middle of the night as you made your way to the bathroom. We’ve all been there – right into the heel too. LEGO needs no introduction, those magical bricks have brought joy to millions of kids for generations now, and continues to grow to this day, with its very own TV show and a set for just about every franchise you can imagine. What was your first LEGO set?
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Mouse Trap
The board game of all board games (or was it?). Teaching us all manipulative skills from the get-go, you just couldn’t beat that feeling of satisfaction when you finally caught the cheeky bugger.
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GoGo’s Crazy Bones
GoGo’s Crazy Bones were one of those collectable toy fads in the 90s and people were OBSESSED. They Crazy Bones themselves were tiny plastic figurines, each with different faces and characters which came sealed within a foil wrapper so you didn’t know which GoGo you would receive.
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