The Files G33Z3R Toy Files
The One You Never Got
The toys of the '70s, '80s and '90s — the ones you had, and the ones on the list every year.
Every Gen X kid had two piles: the toys under the tree and the toys in the Sears Wish Book that never made it there. Cabbage Patch riots, the Teddy Ruxpin that stopped talking, the Power Glove that didn't work. Each file has the record — who made it, when, what the craze looked like, whether it's still made — and one question: did you have one? Then tell us about the Christmas you did or didn't.
👕 Wear the memory
The toy files you can still put on: the shirt walls at 80sTees for the subjects in this room.
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The files
Dolls & plush · 8
Dolls & plush · 1983–1990
Why did people riot over Cabbage Patch Kids?
Introduced: 1982 (mass-market), based on Xavier Roberts's 1978 Little People
Dolls & plush · 1985–1990
How did Teddy Ruxpin work?
Introduced: 1985
Dolls & plush · 1982–1992
When did My Little Pony come out?
Introduced: 1982 (a year after the bigger My Pretty Pony)
Dolls & plush · 1983–1989
When did Care Bears toys come out?
Introduced: 1981 on greeting cards; plush toys in 1983
Dolls & plush · 1984–1990
When did Pound Puppies come out?
Introduced: 1984
Dolls & plush · 1996–1997
Why was Tickle Me Elmo so hard to find?
Introduced: 1996
Dolls & plush · 1989–1998
When did Polly Pocket come out?
Introduced: 1989
Dolls & plush · 1982–1990
When did Glo Worm come out?
Introduced: 1982
Action figures · 6
Action figures · 1982–1988
When did He-Man toys come out?
Introduced: 1982
Action figures · 1984–1990
When did Transformers toys come out?
Introduced: 1984 in the U.S.
Action figures · 1982–1994
When did the 3¾-inch G.I. Joe figures come out?
Introduced: 1982 (the 3¾-inch line; the 12-inch original dates to 1964)
Action figures · 1976–1985
What was inside Stretch Armstrong?
Introduced: 1976
Action figures · 1987–1996
Who was the Micro Machines fast-talking guy?
Introduced: 1987
Action figures · 1978–1985
What was the Star Wars Early Bird box?
Introduced: 1978 (the figures); the Early Bird certificate sold for Christmas 1977
Electronic & handheld · 8
Electronic & handheld · 1978–1990
When did the Simon game come out?
Introduced: 1978, launched at Studio 54
Electronic & handheld · 1978–1990
When did Speak & Spell come out?
Introduced: 1978
Electronic & handheld · 1997–1999
When did Tamagotchi come out?
Introduced: 1996 in Japan; May 1997 in the U.S.
Electronic & handheld · 1998–1999
Why was Furby banned by the NSA?
Introduced: 1998
Electronic & handheld · 1986–1990
When did Lazer Tag come out?
Introduced: 1986
Electronic & handheld · 1977–1985
What was the first handheld electronic football game?
Introduced: 1977
Electronic & handheld · 1992–1996
Was the Talkboy a real product before Home Alone 2?
Introduced: 1992, after the movie — the prop came first
Electronic & handheld · 1996–1999
When did Bop It come out?
Introduced: 1996
Video games · 4
Video games · 1977–1984
When did the Atari 2600 come out?
Introduced: 1977 (as the Video Computer System)
Video games · 1985–1993
When did the NES come out in the U.S.?
Introduced: October 1985 in New York; nationwide in 1986
Video games · 1989–1998
When did the Game Boy come out?
Introduced: 1989
Video games · 1989–1991
Did the Power Glove actually work?
Introduced: 1989
Outdoor & active · 3
Outdoor & active · 1990–1999
Who invented the Super Soaker?
Introduced: 1990 (as the Power Drencher; renamed 1991)
Outdoor & active · 1985–1995
When did Skip-It come out?
Introduced: Early 1980s; the counter version in the early 1990s
Outdoor & active · 1970–1990
When did the Big Wheel come out?
Introduced: 1969
Fads & collectibles · 4
Fads & collectibles · 1980–1983
When did the Rubik's Cube craze happen?
Introduced: Invented 1974 in Hungary; worldwide launch 1980
Fads & collectibles · 1995–1999
Why did people think Beanie Babies would be worth money?
Introduced: 1993
Fads & collectibles · 1993–1996
How did Pogs work?
Origin: Hawaiian milk-cap games; the name comes from a passion-orange-guava juice cap
Fads & collectibles · 1987–1995
When did the Koosh ball come out?
Introduced: 1987
Questions
- What are the Toy Files?
- A directory of the toys of the '70s, '80s and '90s — each with the record (maker, year, the craze, whether it's still made), a vote on whether you had one or only wanted one, and a Memory Wall for the Christmas-morning and birthday stories.
- What were the most popular toys of the '80s?
- By sales and by riot: Cabbage Patch Kids (1983), Transformers and Masters of the Universe (1984–85), Teddy Ruxpin (1985), the Nintendo Entertainment System (1985–86), Pound Puppies, My Little Pony and Care Bears. Each has a file here with the record.
- Where do the facts come from?
- Public references, mainly the Wikipedia article for each toy, linked on every file. Prices are only given where they're documented. The stories are ours.
- Can I add my own memory?
- Yes. Every file has a Memory Wall. No account needed — tell us who gave it to you, what you did with it, or the year you asked and it didn't come.
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