80's Toys and Characters Making a Come-Back.

For a few years now, I’ve been noticing that some of our beloved 80’s toys and characters have been coming back into the market, for a new generation to enjoy and fall in love with. However, as happy as I am that they’re back, I’m a bit disappointed in how different they are.

The first time I noticed that they were manufacturing My Little Ponies again, was a couple years back when my 6 year old step sister showed me one of hers. It just didn’t look right. It didn’t have the scent, it was a different size, and it had a completely useless magnet on the bottom of one of it’s hooves. I even asked her what that stupid magnet was for. She had NO clue, but thought that it was kind of interesting to stick paperclips on it.

It was virtually the same situation when they brought back Teddy Ruxpin for a while. He was smaller, his clothes weren’t right, and so on. Considering how very obsessed I was with my Teddy Ruxpin, that one really got under my skin.

The Care Bears they’ve reissued though, those I am happy with. They have all different kinds, and apparently they’re are more popular now then ever before! They even have one Care Bear toy that tells stories, along the lines of Teddy Ruxpin, and comes with a book to read along. Unlike the original story telling stuffy, dear old Teddy, this Care Bear doesn’t need tapes, she uses more sophisticated technology. Well, I suppose they couldn’t keep EVERYTHING the way it was. They had to keep up with the times. Still, the new Care Bear line actually impressed me.

Is it just me, or has G.I Joe and the Transformers lost their touch in the toy world though? Those two seem dramatically cheaper, less interesting (fewer things you can do with them), and smaller to boot. It’s like they’re making the Polly Pocket version of Transformers now! With the obvious exception of the really big ones you may be able to find on occassion.

I’m waiting, desperately, for He-man and She-ra to make a come back! I really want to be able to go to Toys R Us and pick up Castle Grayskull! That would rock. Although, thinking about how disappointed I’ve been with some of these comebacks, I’m not sure I could handle being disappointed in one of those.

And, for a while there, McDonalds had some He-man toys. It was around 2002, when they tried to bring He-man back. So, I was pretty excited to buy my daughter a Happy Meal and get a Battle Cat/Cringer toy! That actually made my day!