The 10 Most Popular Toys Of The 1990s
Ahh, the ’90s… when good times were had by all – the release of the Internet as a public service, Harry Potter’s debut, arguably the best Disney movies ever to be released, and the awesome cartoons we’ll never forget. Yes, the ’90s represented some great times, despite some of the regrettable fashion choices. But possibly, the most nostalgia-inducing memories of the ’90s come from the epic toys.
Whether you were lucky enough to have all of the best ’90s toys, or you just wistfully played with your friends’ cutting edge toys, it’s hard not to look back to the simpler times, when toys were fun, and cell phones were bricks- some things that future generations will never get to appreciate in quite the same way. Sit back and prepare for some serious nostalgia, as we take a stroll down memory lane, with 10 of the most popular toys of the ’90s…
Tamagotchi
The Tamagotchi was the sought-after digital pet that every kid wanted. It gave kids the opportunity to try to care for a pet of their very own. Some very responsible kids were able to keep their virtual pet until they grew bored of it and gave it away. However, most kids weren’t up to the responsibility of remembering to feed their virtual animal. Needless to say – there were a lot of dead first-generation Tamagotchis.
Moon Shoes
Moon Shoes presented a new way for kids of the ’90s to hurt themselves. If wearing seatbelts and drinking from the hose weren’t bad enough, we all thought it was brilliant to strap tiny ‘trampolines’ to the feet of clumsy kids. It’s a wonder any of us survived the ’90s.
Pinpression
Pinpression wouldn’t entertain a five-year-old for more than two minutes these days. But back in the ’90s, kids thought this simple toy was one of the coolest things around… and it was!
Nintendo 64
This should bring almost any ’90s kid into nostalgia overdrive. Nintendo 64 was my very first video game console. If you had one of these, you were probably the most popular kid in your neighborhood. Unless everyone in your neighborhood had one, in which case you lived in a pretty cool neighborhood.
Polly Pocket
While yes, technically, you can still buy Polly Pocket sets today, there’s nothing like the original Polly Pocket sets to turn a ’90s girl nostalgic.
American Girl Dolls
American Girl dolls were launched in 1986, but they really became mainstream in the 1990s. American Girl Dolls were a must-have for every little girl, despite their high sticker price. Today, the vintage dolls can sell for upwards of $1,200, and a new Doll starts at $60. American Girl Dolls are still highly popular due to their uniqueness and American-made quality.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Everything
Whether you loved Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Raphael, or Donatello, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a kick-butt superhero gang. They made a long-term impact on the fictional superhero world, and are still popular today. From costumes to action figures, you can find Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys, apparel, and games in almost any form.
The Easy-Bake Oven
Originally introduced in 1963 by Kenner Products, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based company, the Easy-Bake Oven was a huge success. It even offered a one-of-a-kind model to the winner of the 5,000,000th Easy-Bake Oven Sweepstakes in 1972.
In 1991, Kenner Products was purchased by the popular toy company Hasbro. Hasbro continued to produce Easy-Bake Ovens, and in 1993 they introduced The Easy-Bake Oven and Snack Center. Needless to say, it was a huge hit. Hasbro’s Easy-Bake Oven and Snack Center took the ’90s by storm, and left an ever-lasting impact on the way kids learned to cook. Easy-Bake Ovens are still in production, and are wildly popular to this day.
Skip It
Skip It was mass-bruising shins and ankles since the ’90s. For whatever reason, every ’90s girl HAD to have a skip it, despite the fact we all had to explain to our teachers and parents that the inevitable bruises on our legs were due to our favorite toy. We all remember the basic Skip Its, but did you know new Skip Its are being launched? With LEVELS and LIGHTS. We all thought it was amazing when Skip Its could count our jumps, and now they’re electronic. Modern technology is kind of insane!
Furby
Partly inspired by the Tamagotchi, Furby was the fuzzy electronic pet you could snuggle, and it took the very late ’90s by storm. Furby has been creeping out kids and parents alike since 1998. You can pick up your very own creepy, bug-eyed fuzzball from your local retailers.
From Furbys to Moon Shoes, the ’90s were a decade of crazy new toys and gadgets. Every other commercial was a toy ad (and we’ll take those over Big Pharma drug ads any day of the week, right?), which made it easier for kids to beg for a new toy by name. Hope you enjoyed the nostalgia brought on from seeing some of the coolest toys of the ’90s. Perhaps it even inspired you to hop online, and order a favorite vintage toy using present-day money.