Time travel back to the 90s with us, a time period in which we can celebrate the true pinnacle of children’s toys. Today, whilst toys and games are equally as fun, screen time-related entertainment has taken over and replaced the physical fun of decades past. However, the 90s arent just remembered for just any kind of toy, but rather the collectable kind that stole the heart of so many kids and hurt the wallet of their parents, due to the endless hunt for the next collectable to possess. So, take a journey back with us as take a look at the best of these nostalgia-laden kids’ collectables.
Beanie Babies
If you were a child in the 90s, you couldn’t escape the mania that came from the colourful and cuddly kid’s collectable, Beanie Babies. These cuddly creations came in around 822 different styles, and beanie baby value has truly only gone up since the 90s with the children of the time all grown up and willing to pay large amounts of money to get ahold of the rarer editions of their favourite childhood toy. So, if you’ve got one sitting on your bed or placed in the back of a toy cupboard, look it up online; your former childhood hero might be worth a little more these days.
Furby
Whilst there were cute and cuddly beanie babies, or exciting trading games in the 90s, there were also the unlikely craze of the oh so popular, Furby. The electronic toy was released in 1998 and resembles a small owl, an owl that happens to come in an array of colours. This owl-like toy was a complete phenomenon amongst children, with it being hailed as a must- have toy. In later years, Furby expanded it’s original range and children could research which was their favourite and which would suit them the best. A truly wacky, but still cute and cuddly toy to take home with you.
Polly Pocket
If Barbie was a little too big for you, good news; she can be fun-sized. Polly Pocket became a complete sensation at the beginning of the 90s, with the tiny, literal pocket-size dolls, making them easy to transport to your friends place and even swap her array of accessories. Polly truly gave Barbie a run for her money with all the various sets she came in, with over 200 sets. Polly was the perfect compact girlfriend for your child in the 90s, and if you can get your hands on a set today, she’d be the perfect girl for you to introduce to a new generation of children.
Hot Wheels
Many collectable toys were aimed at little girls, or smaller children. However, back in the 90s the Hot Wheels craze really took off amongst little boys. The matchbox cars have been around since as early as the late 1960s, however, the 90s were a truly exciting time for this toy with many incredible new additions being released, as well as television related packs, such as Hot Wheels and The Simpsons. There are more than 800 additions of this toy to collect, so make sure you clean out your draws, you never know what matchbox sized car is hidden behind a book or two.
McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys
Though McDonalds has been creating Happy Meal Toys for a long time, the toys of the 90s were a truly iconic time for children and collectors alike. During the time period there were such collections as Mini Furbies and Teeny Beanie Babies, which were must haves for collectors of these aforementioned toys, not to mention completely adored by children of the time. This was a truly special time for toys, with the food chain often collaborating to create toys that were truly exciting, be it Mighty Morphin Power Rangers figurines, or perhaps the throwback favourite, Sky Dancers. Regardless of the specific toy, it is undeniable that the 90s was a special time for these special bonus childrens toys.
Yu-Gi-Oh Cards
Returning to another little boy dominated game, Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards were originally created in 1999 and quickly became a complete phenomenon amongst little boys. Today, there are over 11,000 of the cards to collect and trade, with former little children turned incredible collectors willing to pay large sums of money to further their cluster of cards.
No matter your toy of choice, whether it was the compact sized Polly Pocket, or the ever exciting Yu-Gi-Oh cards, it’s safe to say that the 90s were an incredibly unique time for children. Not only were they able to purchase brightly coloured, imaginative toys, but also continue to collect their favourites, and show to their friends and family. These toys, turned collectors items truly invoke a strong sense of nostalgia amongst all of us today, and we can only hope that the collectable childrens toy will have a resurgence in popularity for the next generation of kids.