By the eighties , kids had plenty of thing other than toy competing for their attention – from the widespread facility ofcable televisionto an ever - increasing handiness of home TV game like the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis . Despite the technological breakthroughs of the decade , ' fourscore kids still went for the same canonic types of toy as early generation , from stuffed fauna and dolls to the coolestaction figureheroes .
We ’ll also take a look at where these revolutionary classics are today . Most are still around in some form or another – some completely unaltered , some updated for a raw generation – but there are a few classics that remain locked in the decennium gone by .
So if you ’re ready to plunge into this atomic number 10 - hued blast from the past , put on some MTV , intermit out the leg warmers and bomber jacket , and read on to learn more about some of the gnarliest , most righteous toys of the ' LXXX .
10: Cabbage Patch Kids
If you had a Cabbage Patch Doll in the early ' 80s , there ’s a right chance mom or dada had to parry a few elbows at the miniature storehouse to get it ; these soft - bodied wench with the hard vinyl head were the live ticket in town during 1983’sholiday shoppingseason , and have the dubitable award of being one of the first plaything in story to spurtoy storefisticuffs . Of course , all that cause was like , totallyworth it if it meant you got to adopt your very own babe , complete with mail - away parentage certificate that listed your name as the lofty parent . By New Year ’s Day 1984 , 3 million of the Kids had flown off the shelves and into hands of existent eager real kids [ rootage : Townsend ] .
Where They Are Now : Babyland General Hospital remains in mathematical operation – it ’s a holidaymaker attraction in North Georgia , a " infirmary " the Cabbage Patch creator Xavier Roberts opened . The dolls are still in yield , and remain in the democratic culture thanks to timelycelebrity lookalike dolls . A young seam of dolls is contrive todebut in late 2015 .
9: Care Bears
Care Bears Countdown ! You could tell a lot about an ' 80s kid by his choice of Care Bear – a series of stuffed bear with cheerful designs plash across their belly . While the majority of the toy had peppy names like erotic love - a - circle , Tenderheart or Friend Bear , there was always that one kid who chose the down - in - the - dumps Grumpy Bear as his Care Bear of alternative . Thanks to countlessTVspecials , an animated serial , and a 1985 theatrical film , more than 40 million Care Bears were sold between 1983 and 1987 [ seed : Care - Bears.com ] . Kids who love the bear could also choose from a line of Care Bears Cousins – other metal money with epithet like Swift Heart Rabbit or Gentle Heart Lamb . And remember – while there were pile of imitators and whack - offs , onlyrealCare Bears had the signature fondness emblazoned on their backside .
Where They Are Now : Though nowhere nigh as democratic as they once were , the Bears remain both nostalgic measure andcurrently make toy . A 2012 CGI series bare on The Hub internet , and aNetflix - produced series may arrive in 2016 .
8: My Little Pony
My Little Ponies bring a discriminative stimulus from the Care Bears , using decorative symbols on their haunches to describe their name and personality . ( If only such a seeable clue were available in human race . ) The very first phone line ofponiescame with simple matching coxcomb so you could keep their luxurious synthetic manes and tails free of tangle . Later versions include winged and unicorn diverseness , as well as the ever - popular first - tooth baby ponies , who frolic a individual chomper hell dust on the front of their muzzles . True Pony fans not only own the shot glass themselves , but also a sort of appurtenance , such as the impressive Pony Paradise Estate – thoroughgoing with hot vat – and the Sweet Shoppe , which for some inexplicable reason , was molded to look like a elephantine shoe .
Where They Are Now : Few pop finish phenomenon have receive as much care asthe subculture of the Brony – " bros " who screw crib , specifically centered around the 2010 ’s television show " My Little Pony : Friendship is Magic . "
7: Rubik’s Cube
Launched in 1980 , the apparently impossible - to - solve Rubik ’s Cube went on to sell more than 350 million units , insure that virtually every ' 80 minor essay – and failed – to lick the puzzle at some percentage point [ source : Rubiks.com ] . If yourRubik ’s Cubelanguished in the nook of your way , a tortuous mess of colors tossed aside in frustration , take heart ; it study Godhead Enro Rubik more than a calendar month to solve his own puzzler , and he ’s the guy cable who in reality invented it . Of course , savvy kids do up with their own path to finlly ensure each side of the cube contain a individual color – either by removing and replacing the prickle , or popping the pieces apart with a screwdriver and reassembling them in secret before bragging to Friend how they ’d " solved " the mystifier .
Where It Is Now : The timeless miniature is about as ubiquitous a piece of Americana as there is , and though it may not populate as many place desks and dorm rooms as it once did , it has inspired legion of " cubers " who contend in tournaments , and legion YouTube tutorials offer competing result theories .
6: Snoopy Sno-cone Machine
The classic Snoopy Sno - cone Machine was more than a cool toy – it was also an awesome way for job - savvy small fry to make money by selling sno retinal cone to booster ! Simply degenerate ice cubes from thefreezerinto the top of the machine and expend the Snoopy plumber’s helper to agitate the ice down into the heart of the auto . A bit of powdered juice intermixture or syrup and you had your very own sno - cone or sno - ball , made at home for free anytime the craving hit . Of course , the iconic toy made youngster figure out heavily to translate firm ice cubes into bits of shaved ice ; the machine boast a manual crank , so create even a single strobile was no gentle task . Today ’s icebox with build - in jam ice dispensers can kill out the same amount of slush at the thrust of a button – utter about progress ! If you choose to do things the old - fashioned means or you ’re hit with a waving of ' 80s nostalgia you’re able to still find this plaything in stores to aid frustrate an entire new propagation .
Where It Is Now : Though the Sno - conoid Machine is an ' 80s classic , it ’s available again after a break in product . The retro vibe remains and the toy has n’t undergo a stylistic update like many of its peers , though there was a 2013 recollection of the toy dog due to a potentialchokinghazard .
5: Teddy Ruxpin
educate by a Disney animation engine driver , the loveable Teddy Ruxpin not only talked , but also wink and turned his head – right smart cool technology for the mid-’80s . Teddy total with a serial of cassette , which you could pop into a player in his back in monastic order to interact with the toy dog . introduce in 1985 , more than a million of these talk teddies flew off shelves by other 1986 , which think of that many ' 80 kids either have it off someone with the toy or had one themselves [ rootage : Time ] . If you had one of the first strain of Teddy Ruxpin toys , you may also remember Teddy ’s pal Grubby . By stringing a cable between the two creatures , you could get them to interact with one another , trade turns as they told a story . Grubby could also be seen in the definitive Teddy Ruxpin TV series , which ran from 1987 to 1988 . Sorry , younger kid – after the first contemporaries of toys sold out , later interlingual rendition were no longer compatible with Grubby , and he was mostly forget .
Where It Is Now : Teddy Ruxpin is one of the few toy on this leaning no longer a part of the current pop culture . No company produces the bear , and its creator Ken Forsse died in early 2014 . A little online community of Ruxpinthusiasts exists , swop haunt tips on message instrument panel .
4: Transformers
Like almost every major ' 80s toy , Transformershad its own revivify series , which meant that tike could wage warfare between Optimus Prime and Megatron while attempt to follow the most complicated storylines ever on TV ; somewhere along the blood line , the Transformers ' home plate planet of Cybertron was thrown out of orbit , and therobotsin disguise ended up on Earth [ source : Bellomo ] . Even if you could n’t quite work out out the backstory , the toy automaton that tranformed into vehicles and other objects were totally fun to play with , and allow for the utter counterpoison to the cuteness of Care Bears , My Little Pony and other democratic toys of the 10 .
Where They Are Now : If you ’ve been part of the popular culture , you know that Transformers are still around – peculiarly thanks to the mega - mercantile megahit film series directed by Michael Bay . Though the movie ' bots are intricately detailed and complex , a simplified line of toys exists as well .
3: Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies pulled on kids ' heartstrings , with their big , pitiful puppy eyes beg you to take them home . Picking up a Pound Puppy or two was the pure path to find like you were helping stray brute – without all the great deal and work involve in actuallyadopting a real domestic dog , of course of study . The toys even came in boxes designed to look like the carrier boxwood provided to adopters by local pounds . Tonka introduced the dog in 1984 , the ship’s company sold more than 47 million of the non - breed specific puppy by former 1988 [ reservoir : The New York Times ] . In addition to the received line of puppy , ' 80 nestling could choose from outsized " Super " puppy , smaller " Newborn " puppy and a feline version , known as " Pound Purries " ( of course ) .
Where They Are Now : Over the days Pound Puppies have been featured in cartoon and feature films , and though they ’ve gone in and out of production ( as well as the public consciousness ) , are currentlyavailable again in two sizes .
2: He-Man and She-Ra
" By the Power of Grayskull ! " Fans of the former ' 80s " Masters of the Universe " sketch will remember He - Man as he transformed from the mild - mannered Prince Adam into a muscular paladin , and the toy dog came over with a snap waist for realistic punching activity . The release in ' 85 of a descent of accompanying " Princess of Power " She - Ra toys gave daughter their own sexuality - specific way to join in the merriment and help protect Castle Grayskull from the vicious Skeletor and his henchmen . Bonus points if you had your very own He - Man or She - Ra wearing apparel up outfit , complete with Power Sword or Sword of Protection , which you proudly carry overhead as you proclaimed , " I have the power ! " – just like your animated heroes .
Where They Are Now : The toy resurfaced in updated versions in the former 2000s , and a wrinkle of Masters of the Universe Classics toys plays court to the original . DC Comics presently publishes a comic book based on the graphic symbol , and as of late 2014 a new feature moving picture was in production .
1: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got a incentive object lesson in Renaissance graphics thanks to the heroes in a halfshell , inexplicably named after some of history ’s most revere artist . The pizza - loving , crime - crusade quatern of turtles come in hundreds of different pas seul , from the classic ninja varieties to James Leonard Farmer , armed services , Wild West and classic moving-picture show lusus naturae varieties . The turtles also come with some in truth awesome playsets , including a company Dipper , Colonel Blimp , and the totally vasiform Technodrome , place of villans Krang and Shredder . You could also purchase the turtles ' sewer playset – because what kid does n’t want to trifle in the sewer ?
Where They Are Now : The Turtles seem to have never gone out of style , and a serial of video games , comical books , toy andCGIand live - natural action movies have been released over the age . A third animise series and its accompanying toy line debuted on Nickelodeon in 2012 .
Lots More Information
Being a shaver of the ' 80s myself , I find it ’s only just to admit that yes , I did own the infamous She - Ra dress up band , staring with mask , carpus guards and sturdy plastic sword . I also have some incredibly frustrating memories of seek to coax enough shaved ice out of my Snoopy Sno - retinal cone Machine to make a decent - sized sno - cone . It commonly ended up as an workout in futility , followed by a tripper to the snowball stand on the corner . I also have bright memories of cautiously meet my My Little Pony Sweet Shoppe playset , never stopping to wonder at the metre why in the creation it was shaped like a brake shoe .
