PDA

View Full Version : Best Selling Christmas Toys of the 80s...


rodmonster
07-26-2011, 05:59 AM
Which did you have?


1980
Rubiks Cube, invented by Hungarian designer Erno Rubik over 100 million of these tricky little puzzles were sold between 1980 and 1982.
1981
Lego Train. Lego launches their first electric ‘train set’ which featured strangely enough blue rails!
1982
BMX Bikes, everybody went BMX crazy, BMX is short for Bicycle Motocross. ZX Spectrum, the first ‘affordable’ home gaming computer arrived in households.
1983
My Little Pony, based on an Animated TV series there was an entire world of small plastic horses and accessories to collect. My Little Pony went on to become one of the most successful girls toy concepts of all time. Boys did not miss out this year as they got He Man & The Masters Of The Universe which followed the same based on animation format and became one of the most successful boys toy concepts of all time.
1984
Care Bears. Following the successful ‘toys from an animated series’ format from the previous year the Care Bears arrived from Care-a-Lot. Shortly before Christmas Cabbage Patch Kids, created by artist Xavier Roberts also arrived and created chaos in toy shops across the land as parent competed to buy one of the sought after dolls. The Board game Trivial Pursuit was the best selling board game in 1984 and dolls based on popular Pop Stars Michael Jackson and Boy George was also big hits.
1985
Transformers, robots in disguise. These ‘action figures’, which transformed from vehicle to robot and back, again confounded parents and delighted children. Optimus Prime was THE toy to have in 1985 and lead to huge shortages of product.
1986
In this World Cup year the playground graze was Panini Football stickers. If you managed to complete an album you were a playground hero.
1987
Sylvanian Families, a range of cute and cuddly animals with play-sets and vehicles. Rubiks Magic, a follow up to the Rubiks Cube.
1988
Ghostbusters, based on the popular movie and animated series, children across the land strapped on ‘proton packs’ and set out to capture ghosts. Slimer, one of the lead characters was also a firm favourite in toy shops, along with the vehicle Ecto-1.
1989
Another hit movie, another toy shop success. The Tim Burton movie ‘Batman’ breathed new life into an old favourite.

whitney37354
07-26-2011, 07:41 AM
I had a Rubiks Cube & a Cabbage Patch Doll. I didn't get them the year they were popular though. I got the the year after! My mother was smart & wouldn't fight people or pay crazy money for a toy. DH & I do the same thing with DD. If it's popular for Christmas, she will get it the next spring when quantities are high & prices are down.

My sister had a Care Bear & My Little Ponies. Now my DD has the same toys as they have made a comeback. She also has a Cabbage Patch Doll & we still play with my Cabbage Patch Doll. He is only missing the shoestrings from his shoes.

snowflake22
08-05-2011, 12:04 PM
I had a Transformer (robots in disguise!), Cabbage Patch Doll, My Little Pony, and a Coleco Vision console. Loved them all. Wish they still made toys so memorable!
:rudolph:

trackrebel
08-06-2011, 03:15 PM
I had My Little Ponys.....but later than then.....prob in 89 or in 90....plus it probably wasnt the original

my bro had a rubic s cube .....I loved all the stuff mentioned in your post rod....and played with it all...just didnt own it all

oh....and I still collect Soccer Stickers every two years when the big soccer tournements come around!!!

ScottCalvin
09-14-2011, 12:53 PM
Which did you have?


1980
Rubiks Cube, Yup got it about 83
1981
Lego Train. Got lego almost every year not the train set though
1982
BMX Bikes, got one in 85 ZX Spectrum brothers got one, although I remember my Uncle had it once tried to crack Jet Set Willy played for hours making a huge map of each room we went into and where they led.
1983
My Little Pony, Sister
1984
Care Bears. Other Sister
1985
Transformers, didnt get one
1986
Pannini
collected every year (In US these would be cards like Baseball players etc) remember standing in school play ground while looking for swaps, going got, got, got, got, got, need, need,got, got, need.
1987
Sylvanian Families, a range of cute and cuddly animals with play-sets and vehicles. Rubiks Magic, a follow up to the Rubiks Cube.
1988 nope
Ghostbusters, based on the popular movie and animated series, children across the land strapped on ‘proton packs’ and set out to capture ghosts. Slimer, one of the lead characters was also a firm favourite in toy shops, along with the vehicle Ecto-1. nope
1989
Another hit movie, another toy shop success. The Tim Burton movie ‘Batman’ breathed new life into an old favourite.

no