While many American eras carry significant hardships, the 1990s does not make that list. This decade offered more peace than most. The United States also flourished with economic growth and a solid market due to rapid advancements in technology.
For these reasons and many more, it was a phenomenal time for play. Now extinct stores like KB Toys, Toys R Us, and FAO Schwarts pumped out amazing things to play with.
Read on to learn about six nostalgic toys that every 90’s kid begged for!
- Barbie
While Barbie was not born in the ’90s, she thrived during these years! Little girls everywhere tried to keep up with her fashion, friends, vehicles and forever expanding dream house.
To celebrate her victory over Gem, Matel made a Dance Moves Barbie that totally rocked! Totally hair Barbie also grew on them, with hair that reached her feet and begged for all sorts of awesome styles!
Barbie’s outfits screamed out 90’s! Over-sized sweaters, colorful legging, bold patterns, and neons filled her wardrobe. Of course, every kid who had a Barbie wanted her dressed to impress.
This detail made dolls and accessories from this era super collectibles! They look incredible in a showcase and sell for a pretty penny.
- Polly Pocket
Barbie may sport the most diverse wardrobe around, but can you fit her in your pocket? Little kids fell in love with the idea of a little doll that they could dress and then close up in her own little world.
You could not style her plastic hair, but you could snap her into little outfit changes. She came with imaginative sets, like Mermaid Adventure, Unicorn Party, and Musical, that doubled as a carrying case kids adored.
- Beanie Babies
Some of the most nostalgic toys in the ’90s got tagged by Ty with a name, a birthdate, and a poem. Thousands of different little critters went to kids of all ages.
Stores placed them on racks near checkout lines where kids would beg for their favorite Beanie. They became so popular that McDonald’s came out with a line of miniatures called Teenie Beanie Baby’s that included:
- “Quacks” the duck
- “Pinky” the flamingo
- “Patti the platypus”
- “Goldie” the fish
- “Chocolate” the moose
- “Speedy” the turtle
- “Lizz” the lizard
- “Chops” the lamb
- “Zip” the cat
- “Twigs” the giraffe
- “Inch” the worm
- “Happy” the hippo
- “Scoop” the pelican
- “Mel” the koala
- “Peanut” the elephant
- “Doby” the dog
- “Waddle” the penguin
- “Bongo” the monkey
- “Pinches” the lobster
These toys together made this one of the favorite Happy Meal promotions of all times because kids absolutely adored them. Today, collectors search far and wide for both Beanies and Teenies.
Some want to simply keep them in a collection while others hope to turn a profit. Find out how much somebody will pay for your Beanie Baby by assessing the condition of the stuffed animal and the tag itself. The collection these 90s toys come from makes a difference as well.
- Treasure Trolls
These lovable 1950s creatures turned into a major craze in the ’90s. Whether teenie or tall, kids collected them all!
Trolls had faces that appeared as an unconventional kind of cute. A mix between super old and freshly born.
But, their tall and wild wool hair along with their jeweled pot bellies seemingly entranced children of this decade. You could brush their hair and buy all sorts of outfits, ranging from a karate uniform to a tuxedo.
Kids went wild and collected them like crazy. But, most hold much more sentimental value than currency today.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
These turtles in a half shell sent kids fighting like the Footclan for their parents to buy them. All named after the Renaissance era’s best artists, these dudes loved pizza and defeating Shredder.
Each mutant action figure wore their respective color on their facemasks along with brown belts and pads on their elbows and knees. They also carried their unique weapon of choice.
Kids wanted the turtles, Splinter, their teacher and adopted father, April O’Neil, and all of their infamous foes. Along with the action figure sets, they wanted all sorts of strange ninja turtle stuff, like turtle ooze and costume clothing.
Collectors today want them as well. It can cost you hundreds of dollars per vintage figure.
- Furby
Technology advanced rapidly during the 90s. Robots went from cold metal things to cute, fuzzy critters, and every kid had to have one.
Furby’s came in a number of color combinations. Their ears wiggled, mouths moved, and eyes blinked and lit up.
What really grabbed kids’ attention was their ability to speak. No, not like the baby doll programmed to say two to three lines.
This robotic toy began speaking its own language, Furbish. Pair him with a friend and they would speak to one another!
As they mature, Furby’s speak less Furbish and more of the kid’s language. They also respond to actions.
Pet them and they purr, feed them and they slurp and burp, drop them and they get angry! With a box and Furby in mint condition, you can get over $300 for this toy!
- Toy Story Action Figures
For kids, their favorites always felt real, but the 90s movie, Toy Story, validated the idea. It made make-believe more real than the idea that toys are not alive and made kids feel like their toys needed them.
Of course, this made dolls and action figures of the Toy Story characters popular. Depending on the character, type of toy, and box, collectors can sometimes make a profit with these guys.
Add Nostalgic Toys to Your Collection
In an era where kids would rather touch screens than play with dolls or action figures, nostalgic toys mean more than ever. With toy stores closed, production slowed, and the quality of amazon delivered play things does not match that of the 90s.
You might not play with toys any longer, but you can have fun searching for your favorite. Keep the playful spirit of the 90s alive.
We want to help add charm to your life. Find cool ideas for playing with the kids on our parenting page!
