While He-Man may remain a relic of the past, a number of popular 80s toys are returning to stores for the 2016 holiday season.
No, we won’t be battling over the last Cabbage Patch Kid and the Transformers have long been on shelves, even if the older transforming robots were more fun than the current models sold. Instead three classic are being brought back albeit in updated form.
80s Toys: Teddy Ruxpin returns
First, Teddy Ruxpin is back. The talking bear used to be considered a technology product as he was one of the first toys which interacted with users rather than basically just playing back recorded phrases in random order. The new Teddy Ruxpin (probably not being called T2 for short), has LCD eyes, a hard drive, and the ability to interact with your smart phone. Consider this either an awesome gift, or the first step toward robots taking over.
80s Toys: Room with a View-Master?
Joining Mr. Ruxpin on store shelves, comes a revamped version of Mattel’s View-Master. The old version was basically just a personal slide show and while it was cool for a few minutes, the fun wore off very quickly. KTNV.com explained how it works:
Now View-Master and Mattel are bringing it into the 21st century with a new VR experience. You can use your smartphone and apps to explore space and even the deep blue sea. With a simple click of the level you can pull up videos, images, fun facts and play games.
View-Master and Mattel are bringing it into the 21st century with a new VR experience. You can use your smartphone and apps to explore space and even the deep blue sea. With a simple click of the level you can pull up videos, images, fun facts and play games.
That still seems like a toy which may not hold up in an age when many kids have smartphones or tablets, but you can’t blame Mattel for trying.
80s Toys: What is a Popple?
Apparently Popples were a thing. They are little, collectible figures that are not quite stuffed animals and not quite action figures. Apparently the new version was brought back for a Netflix show and now they have returned to store shelves in time for the holidays.
The toy was actually created by a subsidiary of the American Greetings card company. So, like many 80s toys, this was a product driven by demographic marketing. The new version may be a little less crass and instead mixes nostalgia with giving young fans of the new show a chance to own their favorite characters.
