Blog - Totally the 80's

Why the Sears Wish Book Was the Catalog Kids Waited For

The mailbox used to carry actual suspense. Not bills, not coupons, not junk, but the Sears Wish Book, thick as a winter sweater and loaded with possibility. If you were…

Pop Culture Arcade Classics Toys and Games Video Games

Atari 2600: The Console That Took Over Living Rooms

Before downloads, save files, and giant launch trailers, one wood-paneled box made the family TV feel like pure possibility. The Atari 2600 didn't break into homes by talking to hobbyists…

Pop Culture Toys and Games

Why the Glo Worm Toy Belonged Beside Every Pillow

Some toys shouted for attention. Glo Worm whispered. If you grew up in the 80s, you can probably still picture that little glowing face waiting on the bed, tucked near…

Pop Culture Toys and Games Video Games

Why the Game Boy Was the Handheld Every Kid Wanted

You didn't need to own a Game Boy to know who had one. You heard it in the back seat, saw it at recess, and spotted that gray rectangle peeking…

Pop Culture Arcade Classics Discontinued Treats Food Toys and Games Video Games

Pac-Man Cereal and the Ghost Marshmallows We Still Miss

Some cereals fed you. A few gave you a whole little Saturday morning mood. Pac-Man cereal did that with one bright, goofy, brilliant move: it dropped Pac-Man and his ghost…

Pop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends

Rainbow Brite Dolls and the Colorful World Kids Couldn’t Resist

Some toys asked for attention. Rainbow Brite dolls practically glowed. If you were a kid in the 1980s, you probably clocked them in a split second. Bright yarn hair. Candy-colored…

Pop Culture 80s Mixtapes Commercials Music Trends

Sony Walkman Memories and the Cassettes We Wore Out

You didn't just own a Sony Walkman. You carried your whole mood around with you. Before phones turned every pocket into a jukebox, that little cassette player felt like freedom…

Discontinued Treats Commercials Food Pop Culture

Donkey Kong Cereal and the Barrel-Puff Breakfast Craze

Some cereals gave you flakes. Some gave you marshmallows. Donkey Kong cereal gave you barrels. That was the hook, and what a hook it was. In the early 1980s, when…

Pop Culture Discontinued Treats Favorite Foods Food

Fruit Wrinkles Snack and the Stretchy Lunchbox Obsession

Some snacks disappeared in two bites. Fruit Wrinkles made a whole scene out of it. If you packed a lunch in the late 1980s or early 1990s, you probably remember…

Food Discontinued Treats Favorite Foods Pop Culture Retro Recipes

Magic Middles Cookies and the Gooey Center Kids Loved

If you ever stood in a supermarket cookie aisle as an 80s kid, you know the feeling. Most boxes promised chocolate, crunch, or creme. Magic Middles cookies promised a surprise.…