Voltron Toys and The Lion Force Every 80s Kid Wanted
Five lions. One giant robot. A sword big enough to make a plastic action figure feel like the fate of the universe rested on your shag carpet. For 80s kids,…
Squeezit Drinks and the Squeeze Bottles Kids Couldn’t Resist
Some drinks were swallowed. Squeezit drinks were performed. You didn't sip one like a little grown-up. You grabbed the bottle, twisted the cap, squeezed with both hands, and felt like…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Favorite Foods Food Toys and Games
Ring Pop Candy was Sugar Dressed Up as Jewelry
Some candy disappeared the second you tore open the wrapper. A Ring Pops candy stayed on your hand like you'd just won the sugar lottery. That was the whole magic.…
G.I. Joe Toys and the Real American Hero Craze
Before Cobra was a household name, a 3.75-inch soldier could turn a patch of backyard dirt into a full-blown battlefield. G.I. Joe toys did not ask kids to sit still.…
Posted inPop 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…
Posted inPop Culture Toys and Games Video Games
Nintendo Power Glove and Why the Future Failed in 1989
The future arrived in 1989 wearing gray plastic, a black keypad, and enough attitude to make every kid feel like they belonged in a sci-fi movie. The Nintendo Power Glove…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games
Why the Skip-It Toy Took Over Recess
One plastic hoop, one swinging ball, one badly timed jump, and suddenly the whole playground had an audience. The Skip-It toy looked almost too simple to become a sensation, yet…
Posted inPop 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…
Posted inPop 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,…
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…