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1980s toys are making a big comeback

1980s toys are making a big comeback

By ADELE UPHAUS

Date published: 12/15/2003

By ADELE UPHAUS

If you were a little girl in the 1980s, you probably hugged a Care Bear before you went to bed, slept on Rainbow Brite sheets, and watched the "My Little Pony" cartoon before you went to elementary school.

If you were a little boy in the 1980s, you probably played with GI Joe action figures, thought Optimus Prime was the coolest name, and didn't know Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael were actually famous Italian artists and not teenage crime-fighting turtles.

Twenty-somethings who fondly remember their childhood toys are in nostalgic heaven, as this year sees the reissue of all the above toys and more.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, and the Masters of the Universe series are all being reborn, in both classic and updated incarnations, and are expected to be the Furbys and Tickle-Me-Elmos of this year's holiday season.

The difference is that, often, these toys are not being bought for children.

"Care Bears are going crazy--it's hard to keep them on the shelves," said a toy associate at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Central Park. "And it's mostly 20-somethings who are buying them."

"I'd say more than 50 percent of the people who buy the retro toys are adults buying for themselves," said Shannon Lien, assistant manager at Hot Topic in Spotsylvania Mall. She said all the retro brands the store carries are selling extremely well.

The relaunch of these beloved toys, most of which were retired by the early 1990s, is part of a general 1980s pop culture saturation. From VH1's hugely successful "I Love the '80s" series, to J.Lo re-creating Jennifer Beals' "Flashdance" look in a recent music video, to a New Wave influence in the music of current bands like Interpol and Stella-starr*, the era of shoulder pads and neon ankle socks is back in a big way.

Executives at companies overseeing the relaunch of these retro toys and employees of toy stores see many reasons fueling the trend.

"Post-9/11 there has certainly been a move toward things that are safe and comfortable," said Jedd Gold, director of brand marketing and promotions at DIC Entertainment, the new parent of Strawberry Shortcake. "The 1980s resurgence is bringing back very comfortable and safe brands that people love."

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Date published: 12/15/2003