Can you think back to your childhood and remember the one toy you really, really wanted for the holidays? Nothing was better than waking up Christmas morning and finding that very toy under the tree.
If you were lucky, maybe you got a few toys off your wish list. It might seem silly now, but let’s face it, we all had our favorite toys growing up. Even if you didn’t get something brand new for the holidays, it might’ve been a hand-me-down or even something you or a loved one made. Either way, it was special to us as kids, and for sentimental folks, can be special to us now.
So let’s take a trip down memory lane and reminisce over the toys of the past. Unfortunately, a lot of these toys were discontinued after having a good run, but we can thank the toy collectors out there for keeping some of them alive!
You might find some of these vintage toys at thrift stores or antique shops, but if you’re looking to reunite with a toy on this list, you might have to scour the internet for better deals.
If you were a kid in the ’70s, ’80s, or ’90s, some of these toys might take you back to your childhood. Here are the most popular toys each year from 1970 to 2000.
1970: Nerf Football
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Have your parents ever told you not to play catch in the house? Then you probably begged them to get you a Nerf ball, dubbed the first indoor football.
The first product was a foam ball made by Reyn Guyer, the inventor of Twister, according to Mental Floss. The Nerf football was released in 1970 by Parker Brothers and was an instant hit.
1971: Weebles
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Whether you liked it or not, “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down” was a popular catchphrase in the ’70s. It was an ode to egg-shaped toys from Romper Room that would indeed wobble, but not fall down.
The Weebles toys came with a five-person family and a dog, according to Skool Days.
1972: Big Wheel
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The Big Wheel was created in 1969 by Louis and Marx Company, but it wasn’t until the ’70s that it gained momentum and became one of the most popular toys on the market.
People loved its affordable price and that it was considered safer than traditional bikes, according to Pedal Car Planet.
1973: Baby Alive
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We’ve all seen shows or movies where young teens take care of an egg or bag of flour as if they were babies for class. Well, a baby alive doll would’ve been slightly more realistic.
Baby alive dolls were first made in 1973 and were toys that you could feed and it would go to the bathroom, just like a real baby, according to Time. You’d think that kids wouldn’t fall for it, but baby alive dolls were a major hit and are still available today.
1974: Connect Four
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Connect Four debuted in 1974 and was a simple but fun game to play. The two-player game is essentially tic-tac-toe but with colored discs and a grid you can drop them into.
The goal of the game is to get four colors in a row and you win! It’s maintained its popularity throughout the years and is still available in stores today.
1975: Pet Rock
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It’s heartbreaking to think that some children didn’t have pets growing up. Maybe it was because of allergies, or maybe it was because parents didn’t want to deal with the inevitable mess that comes with caring for a pet.
In 1975, Gary Ross Dahl invented the Pet Rock to fulfill the needs of petless kids, and it came fully equipped with instructions to teach it “tricks,” ABC News reported. After its debut, more than one million Pet Rocks were sold in a matter of months.
1976: The Green Machine
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The Green Machine bike rose to fame as the upgrade from the Big Wheel for older kids. Its design was similar to that of the Big Wheel — as a tricycle low to the ground — but was green (hence the name).
Despite the difference in name, it still allowed kids to swivel, twist, and turn, according to commercials.
1977: Atari 2600
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According to the Toy Hall of Fame, the Atari 2600 was a “true game changer.” Because of more advanced graphics and games than other systems, such as Space Invaders, Combat, Pac-Man, and Frogger, the vintage toy was a hit.
The gaming industry, especially for Atari, became a billion-dollar industry.
1978: Star Wars Action Figures
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After the first Star Wars movie was released in 1977, there was a whole lot of Star Wars action figures that took over the toy world.
According to the Toy Hall of Fame, the action figures were about 3.75 inches tall and included more than 100 Star Wars characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and R2-D2. They weren’t just popular with kids, but adults too.
1979: Star Trek Electronic Phaser
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Star Wars wasn’t the only space-based property that launched its own line of toys. In 1979, Star Trek released its first toy called the electronic phaser.
According to Time, kids would “tag” a piece of paper on their opponent’s shirt using the phaser’s red light. This vintage toy acted as the prototype for laser tag as we know it today.
1980: Rubik’s Cube
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Hungarian architect Erno Robik invented the puzzling cube in 1974, but it didn’t shoot up in popularity until it about 1980, The Telegraph reported.
The color puzzle won Toy of the Year in the UK in 1980 and 1981. The vintage toy was challenging for kids to figure out, but still wildly popular and is still sold in stores today.
1981: Uno
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Uno was a card game that was not only fun but easy to learn. It was created by a barber, Merle Robbins, from Ohio.
After marketing the game and selling thousands of copies, a fan of the game Bob Tezak bought the game off Robbins, redesigned it, and “saw [unequaled] sales throughout the 1980s,” according to the Toy Hall of Fame.
1982: My Little Pony
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My Little Ponies were colorful little toys with brushable manes that gained popularity throughout the ’80s. In addition to My Little Pony toys, there was also a TV show.
The original six My Little Pony characters were Snuzzle, Butterscotch, Blue Belle, Minty, Blossom, and Cotton Candy, according to ‘80s Kids.
1983: Cabbage Patch Kids
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In 1976, art student Xavier Roberts designed and created sculptures called Little People, which we would later know as Cabbage Patch Kids. Roberts started gaining popularity with Little People as he entered them in art shows.
By the early ’80s, news outlets reported on the dolls and by 1983, almost 3 million Cabbage Patch kids were sold. In 2015, Vice reported on the popular vintage toys, claiming that artist Martha Nelson Thomas was actually the creator of the doll — but she never saw any money for her work.
1984: Rainbow Brite Dolls
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In the mid-’80s, Hallmark Cards created a crew of colorful characters called Rainbow Brites that were featured in multiple VHS specials. They launched into an entire franchise including coloring books, trading cards, board games, backpacks, and more, HuffPost reported.
Out of all of the Rainbow Brite products, the dolls were probably the best-selling ones and had an advertising budget of more than $35 million.
1985: Teddy Ruxpin
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Teddy Ruxpin was a talking, animatronic bear that could read along with picture books using cassette tapes inserted in the toy’s back, according to CNET.
Within the first year of Teddy Ruxpin’s release, $93 million worth of the product were sold. Teddy Ruxpin isn’t just a vintage toy, either; he’s also a character featured in a movie and TV series. There were also other Teddy Ruxpin products, such as bedsheets and wallpaper.
1986: Lazer Tag
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Lazer Tag was a popular, but controversial, game on the market. Just like the Star Trek Electronic phaser, it used an infrared beam rather than an actual laser sensed by equipment opponents would wear in a game of tag, CBS News reported.
Children loved it and many stores stocked the game, but some toy stores refused to carry it because owners said they thought it was “very violent for children.”
1987: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Action Figures
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From comic books to TV shows and movies, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise was a massive success. Playmates Toys signed on to create action figures of the crime-fighting turtles and started out with the main characters.
They soon realized how popular the toys were and expanded. Now, these toys are worth hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars, The Gamer reported.
1988: Koosh Ball
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The Koosh ball was a soft and stretchy toy that was easy to throw and catch as intended by its creator Scott Stillinger. Koosh sounds like a funny name, but it was called so because of the sound the ball makes when playing with it, according to Time.
The Koosh ball moved on to come in different sizes and colors for kids to enjoy.
1989: Nintendo Game Boy
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Nintendo was—and still is—one of the most popular gaming companies in the world. Back in the ’80s, while most gaming systems were enjoyed at home or in arcades, the Nintendo Game Boy made it possible to game on the go.
According to the Toy Hall of Fame, the Game Boy’s success was from it’s “simple and efficient design, head-to-head connectivity, and scores of intriguing games.”
1990: Super Soaker
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Super Soakers took water guns to the next level. According to Time, they could blast water up to 50 feet. It’s no wonder 27 million units were sold within the first three years of its debut.
You can still buy different variations of Super Soakers in stores today.
1991: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
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As much as we loved the mobility of Game Boys, there’s something special about at-home gaming systems, which is why the Super Nintendo Entertainment System still did well in the gaming market when it launched in the United States.
It offered widely popular games such as Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda, according to Rolling Stone.
1992: Barney Doll
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The adventures of the loving purple dinosaur Barney and his friends started off as characters that entertained kids at parties to a TV Show, as the DallasObserver reports.
Due to the show’s success, it wasn’t long until the characters expanded into toys and ended up in the arms of children everywhere.
1993: Beanie Babies
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Beanie Babies were small, plastic bead-filled stuffed animals that came with their own names and nifty poems. The stuffed animals became increasingly popular throughout the ’90s, not just with kids, but also collectors, according to Time.
You can still find Beanie Babies today, though they look more modern and wide-eyed than the originals.
1994: Talk Boy
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The Talk Boy was a cassette player and recorder that originally debuted as a non-working prop in the movie Home Alone 2. It was later released as a fully functioning toy.
With the Talk Boy, you could record your voice and play it back in different speeds. It was the perfect vintage toy for mischievous kids, just like Macaulay Culkin in the Home Alone movies.
1995: Pogs
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Pogs, or milk caps, was an incredibly popular game that featured cardboard discs with different images. The game required you to use a slammer to try to flip other player’s Pogs, according to Mental Floss.
The game could get especially competitive since many kids would “play for keeps” and take home the Pogs they win during the game.
1996: Tickle Me Elmo
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Tickle Me Elmo was one of the most coveted toys of 1996 and even caused mayhem at a Wal-Mart in Nebraska during the Christmas season. According to People, one employee was trampled by 300 customers looking to get their hands on the new toy for the holidays.
The hype continued especially after Rosie O’Donnell featured Tickle Me Elmo on her talk show.
1997: Tamagotchi
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Tamagotchi were pocket-sized digital pets that started off as an egg that would eventually hatch into a “living” blob that you could feed and play with into its teen and adult years. The game was super simple but caught on incredibly fast.
According to the New York Times, toy store FAO Schwarz in New York City sold out of its first shipment of 10,000 units in just one day after its release in the United States and Canada.
1998: Furby
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Furbies were funny little creatures that spoke in their own language and required kids to take care of them, kind of like a fuzzy, animal-like version of Baby Alive. According to one of the original Furby commercials, Furbies could play games like peek-a-boo, sneeze, sleep, snore, and say “I love you.”
Within the first week of the toy release, there were 35,000 Furbies on backorder and 1.8 million units sold in one year, Time reported. They also sparked some controversy, as some believed that Furbies were agents of the government meant to spy on citizens.
1999: Pokémon Cards
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If you were a child of the ’90s, you know very well how popular the Pokémon brand was. Kids could enjoy Pokémon as a cartoon show and video game, but could also immerse themselves in the Pokémon world by playing IRL with training cards.
The cards are still available with newer Pokémon in the mix, but rare and original cards can go for hundreds to thousands of dollars on online marketplaces.
2000: Razor Scooter
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Forget bikes and skateboards—Razor scooters were the “it” toy of 2000. They were (and still are) an affordable and convenient way to cruise around the neighborhood.
And if you weren’t in the mood to ride it, you could easily fold it to make it compact and carry it around. Razor scooters are still pretty popular today and there are even electric versions too.
