Toys From the 70s and 80s: 25 Classic Toys Every Kid Wanted
Stretch Armstrong, Simon, Cabbage Patch Kids, Transformers and more. A nostalgic look back at the most popular toys from the 70s and 80s.
Remember tearing open the wrapping paper and finding exactly what you circled in the Sears Wish Book? These are the toys that defined childhood in the 1970s and 1980s, and many of them are now prized collectibles.
Toys from the 70s
- Pet Rock (1975): an ordinary stone in a box with "care instructions," and somehow a million-seller.
- Stretch Armstrong (1976): the gel-filled action figure you could stretch to several times his size.
- Simon (1978): the electronic memory game of flashing colored lights and tones.
- Speak & Spell (1978): Texas Instruments' talking learning toy.
- Star Wars action figures (1978): Kenner's figures became one of the best-selling toy lines ever.
- Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle (1973): wind it up and watch it fly.
- Shrinky Dinks (1973): draw on plastic sheets and watch them shrink in the oven.
- Weebles: egg-shaped figures that wobbled but never fell down.
- Atari 2600 (1977): brought arcade games into living rooms.
- Big Wheel: the low-riding plastic tricycle every kid wanted.
- Mood rings (1975): stones that "changed color with your mood," or really with temperature.
- Lite-Brite: pushing glowing pegs into a lit board.
Toys from the 80s
- Rubik's Cube (1980): the puzzle that frustrated a generation.
- Cabbage Patch Kids (1983): came with "adoption papers" and caused holiday shopping frenzies.
- Care Bears (1983): each with a symbol on its tummy.
- My Little Pony (1983): colorful ponies with brushable manes.
- Masters of the Universe (1982): He-Man and Skeletor battled for Castle Grayskull.
- Transformers (1984): "robots in disguise."
- Pound Puppies (1984): floppy-eared plush pups that needed a home.
- Teddy Ruxpin (1985): the storytelling bear powered by a cassette player.
- Nintendo Entertainment System (1985): Super Mario Bros. and the Zapper light gun.
- Glo Worm (1982): a plush bedtime buddy whose face lit up when squeezed.
- Micro Machines (1987): tiny cars advertised by a very fast talker.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures (1988): heroes in a half shell.
- Garbage Pail Kids cards (1985): gross, hilarious and banned at many schools.
Are your old toys valuable?
Some vintage toys, especially in their original, unopened packaging, are sought after by collectors. Condition, completeness and original boxes matter enormously. Check completed sales on auction sites rather than asking prices to get a realistic sense of value.
Feeling nostalgic? Take our 80s trivia quiz or read 15 things every '80s kid remembers.
