Top Ten Toys of 1985

February 18, 2010

midnight

Kansas City Parent Magazine is celebrating 25 years. To mark the occasion we're giving away a $25 Gift Card to Target every week to one lucky eNews subscriber! We're also taking a look back at the world of parenting to see just how much has changed.

For twenty-five years we've been raving and reviewing toys for our readers, so we thought it would be fun to take a look at the hot toys "Then and Now."

Cabbage Patch Kids:
According to the story, a ten year old boy, Xavier Roberts was following a "Bunny Bee" behind a waterfall into a magical valley where he discovered a cabbage patch where Cabbage Patch Kids were born. Each Cabbage Patch Doll was just waiting to be adopted by a loving child. At the height of the craze in 1985, doll sales totaled more than $600 million. The doll is making a come back and in 2008, the company created a doll for each of the Presidential candidates and their running mates. The dolls are still lining toy store shelves as popular presents with 2010 moms who were 1985 girls.
Transformers:
Every boy wanted his own Optimus Prime action figure from Transformers, "Robots in disguise." The action figures transformed from vehicle to robot and back again, and they were marketed with the popular Saturday morning Transformers cartoon. The toy was so popular stores across the country sold out before Christmas 1985. Optimus Prime was one of the first "Hot Toys for the Holidays." Last Christmas, parents were scrambling to buy robotic gerbils (a.k.a. Zhu Zhu Pets) to fill their stockings.
Pillow People:
Pillow People were popular in 1985 with girls arriving at slumber parties with their favorite Pillow Pal in tow. Dolls in the form of pillows were given their own unique personalities and stories. The idea was a fad and disappeared for years, until 2010 when a new company emerged with the creation of Pillow Pets, snuggly animals in the form of a pillow.
Pogo Ball:
The Pogo Ball was invented in 1985 and became an '80s fad under the production of Hasbro. Children stood on the plastic platform, balancing their weight on the bottom portion of the rubber ball, jumping as their parents before them had on pogo sticks. You can still find the toys today in some gym classes. The ball came in different colors and some even featured favorite characters!
Skateboard:
"Back to the Future" was hot at the Box Office in 1985 and it led to the popularity of Skateboarding all through the '80s. In 2010, skateboarding is extremely popular with the many skate parks all across the metro.
G.I. Joe:
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, was one of the first "action figures" for boys. With the launch of its own Saturday Morning Cartoon in 1985, the toy's popularity soared. Last summer, a live action film, "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra" came out as the beginning of a new franchise appealing to today's dads and boys.
Atari:
In 1985 kids could be found playing their favorite video games at the local Arcade or their home Atari system. The introduction of video gaming in the 80s with PacMan, Donkey Kong, Pong, Space Invaders, and Asteroids, led to an American obsession with the latest games now for the Nintendo Wii, XBox, and Play Station.
Teddy Ruxpin:
Teddy Ruxpin, the animatronic talking bear, took the world by storm in 1985. Teddy's mouth and eyes moved as he read stories to children. A cassette tape deck was built into his back, and parents could purchase multiple stories for their children. This was another Hot Toy in 1985 with an appeal for younger children. Today, animatronics are a common feature in kids toys from Hasbro's FurReal Friends to Playskool's Kota the Dinosaur line.
Rainbow Brite:
Kansas City's own Hallmark introduced the popular doll, Rainbow Brite, and her animated series in 1984. Rainbow Brite had a magical flying horse, colorful friends and adventures through books and shows. The Rainbow Brite toys and cartoon program continued in popularity through the '80s earning over $1 billion in sales before the fad came to an end.
Care Bears:
1985 was the introduction of the Care Bears television cartoon and The Care Bears Movie. The colorful teddy bears each had their own special symbol on their belly to tie in with their name and personality. The bears went through adventures of friendship through their stories and the toy became popular all through the 1980s with a rebirth in recent years.