Hopefully you've had a chance to listen to my most recent episode where Brian from Totally Toys joined me as a guest. We had a lot of fun sharing stories about growing up in the 80s and 90s and comparing notes on our favorite toys from childhood. I thought I would share our respective lists here with some additional information.
Brian's List (in no particular order):
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: born out of a comic book series that started in the 1980s, the TMNT
- Pee Wee Herman Doll: This was a pull-string doll created during the infamous TV series run. You could pull his string and he would utter several classic Pee Wee phrases.
- Mighty Max playset: Step aside Polly Pocket, Mighty Max is the boy's version! Mighty Max was a small play set, perfect for the car or dinners out with your family!
- Proton Pack from Ghostbusters: Brian owned this toy and I wanted one SO BAD but sadly never got one. My cousin had it and he showed it off at a family gathering, even the adults wanted to play with it! This was hands-down one of the best toys of the 80s/90s.
- Nintendo: The gaming system that took the world by storm. Brian mentioned that Nintendo really led him to develop a decades-long love affair with video games which continues to this day. If you want to learn about the history of Nintendo, you can check out my episode on it!
- Monster in my Pocket: You know you were a kid in the early 1990s if you played with toys that were neon in color! And yes, they were pocket-sized! Collectors pay quite a penny for these nowadays.
- Tombstone Tackle : This was a character from the "Real Ghostbusters" Animated Series. When bent over, Tombstone Tackle turns into a monster! This was one of Brian's very favorite toys growing up!
- Beetlejuice Vanishing Vault: I don't have strong memories associated with this toy but Brian certainly does! He told me about how this toy was essentially a magic trick. Kids could place the small Beetlejuice in the vault, close it, and then when it was re-opened a larger one would appear! Brian apparently used his so much that his Dad often had to fix it.
- Grapplebelt Batman: I can't say that I had this particular Batman, but I can completely understand why Brian loved his so much. Who wouldn't want to play with a toy that could shoot out a grappling hook?!
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Party Van: this had to be one of the most coveted action figure vehicles of all time. The TMNT Van/Party Van/Party Wagon was a wish list item for any kid who loved the TMNT. Brian shared how he got it one year for Easter - how awesome is that?!
- Ghostbusters Firehouse Playset: some of the coolest toys from the 80s and early 1990s had to have been the ones related to Ghostbusters. Brian mentioned that this is one of his all-time favorite toys, he still has one in the box and he will never sell it! I totally understand his emotional attachment to this toy as it was so much fun!
Amy's List (also in no particular order):
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (great minds think alike!)
- Fisher Price Dollhouse: One thing that both Brian and I agreed on was just how durable Fisher Price toys were (and are) and this dollhouse was no exception! Me and my sister played with our dollhouse constantly and to this day, I still have our original playhouse and many of the accessories. If you want to learn more about the history of Fisher Price, check out my episode all about it here.
- Veriflex Skateboard (originally came with handlebars): I grew up when skateboarding was really at its peak in the mid-1980s and again in the mid-1990s. I got my first skateboard out of the back of a garbage truck (true story) and later received one that had handlebars attached to it. I eventually took those off and started my lifelong love affair with skateboarding.
- Legos: Need I say more?
- Nintendo (great minds think alike, again!)
- Cabbage Patch Dolls: I think me and my sister bi-passed the super crazy years with Cabbage Patch Dolls, but we loved them nonetheless. We loved taking care of our dolls, brushing their hair and later having the dolls that could be safely used in the bathtub. Everyone we knew had Cabbage Patch Dolls! You can hear a little bit about the Cabbage Patch Dolls on an episode I did about the top Holiday toys of the 1980s, check it out here.
- Viewmaster: By looking through a binocular-like toy, you could view 3D images of your favorite movies, cartoon characters, animals and so much more! I distinctly remember looking at our friend's Viewmaster slides from the music video, Thriller by Michael Jackson, and being absolutely terrified when I saw the pictures of him transforming into a werewolf! Later I had a viewmaster that projected onto the wall. I was in heaven!
- Pogo Ball: If you wanted to roll your ankle or pop a ball and fall down in front of your friends at the playground, look no further than the Pogo Ball! This short-lived playground toy was all the rage in the 1980s. I was the recipient of one after I did a good job of being a flower girl at a wedding. Totally worth it! Honorable mention - the Skip It!
- Anything by Nerf: Somehow in the early 1990s I acquired a ton of nerf guns and bow and arrows and I was ecstatic to say the least! Me and my friends re-created one of the competitions from the American Gladiators TV show with the help of my extensive nerf gun collections. To this day, I have never forgotten how much fun we had playing that game.
- Care Bears: Who doesn't love a group of cartoon teddy bears that live up in the sky and spy on people who have problems? Me and my sister both had at least one Care Bear, as well as tall drinking glasses with them on it, a Care Bears sleeping bag and probably several other items with their likeness on it. If you want to learn more about the Care Bears, check out this episode.
If you want to learn more about Totally Toys, check out Brian's Facebook group here.
You can find his Instagram account here.
Follow him on Tik Tok here.
Don't forget to check out episode #71 of the Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast to hear more about all of these classic toys.
What were some of your favorite toys from the 80s and 90s? Please comment below or send me an email: amy@popcultureretrospective.com
