Trends - Totally the 80's

Why Swatch Watches Were the Wrist Candy Every Kid Wanted

Before phones took over our pockets and our attention, your wrist could do a lot of talking. If you grew up anywhere near the 1980s or 1990s, you probably remember…

Pop Culture Toys and Games Trends

Strawberry Shortcake Dolls and the Scents We Remember

One whiff of strawberry scented plastic can send an 80s kid straight back to a bedroom floor covered in toys, coloring books, and tiny plastic shoes. Strawberry Shortcake dolls weren't…

A packet of colorful popping candy next to a fizzing glass bottle of cola on a table.

Pop Culture Discontinued Treats Food Trends

Pop Rocks Myth and The Schoolyard Soda Scare

A tiny packet of popping candy could turn your whole mouth into a fireworks show. That was the magic of Pop Rocks, and for 80s kids, it came with one…

Pop Culture Action Figures Fads Toys and Games Trends

M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures: Tiny Wrestlers, Huge 80s Fun

They fit in your palm, vanished under the couch, and somehow became the most important professional wrestling athletes in your bedroom. M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were small, pink, weird, and ready to…

Pop Culture Toys and Games Trends

Madballs Toys and the Gross-Out Craze We Loved

You didn't ask a Madball to look good on your shelf. You asked it to look like it had survived a toxic-waste accident, lost a fight with a lawn mower,…

Pop Culture Fast Food Favorites Toys and Games Trends

Why McDonald’s Boo Buckets Were the Trick-or-Treat Pails Kids Wanted

Some kids wanted the fries, and some wanted the toy. What they really wanted, however, were the McDonald's Boo Buckets. If you grew up during the 1980s, or caught the…

Pop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends

Koosh Ball: The Toy Everyone Had to Squeeze

Some toys asked you to imagine a whole world. The Koosh Ball asked you to pick it up once, and that was enough. If you were anywhere near a toy…

Pop Culture Arcade Classics Fads Fast Food Favorites Food Toys and Games Trends Video Games

ShowBiz Pizza and the Birthday Party Every Kid Wanted

Before bounce houses and party packages took over, one birthday flex ruled the 80s: ShowBiz Pizza. If your name was on that cake table, you were the main character for…

Pop Culture 80s Mixtapes Music Trends

How Columbia House Sold 12 Tapes for a Penny

A penny for 12 tapes sounded like a dare. Yet there it was, tucked into magazines, newspaper inserts, and those little reply cards that seemed to find every living room…

Pop Culture Discontinued Treats Favorite Foods Food Retro Recipes Trends

Jell-O 1-2-3, the Dessert That Felt Like Science

Some desserts disappeared because they tasted good. Jell-O 1-2-3 stayed in people's heads because it looked like a trick. You beat one powder mix with cold milk, slid it into…