Five Products They No Longer Make from the '80s

I am a child of the 1980s. I love the music (hello, Madonna and Michael Jackson). I love the television shows; in fact, I can recite whole episodes of "Who's The Boss?," "Cheers," "Growing Pains," and "Full House." I love the movies. (E.T. call home). I also loved the toys and products my generation enjoyed at our youngest. Here are five products I miss that they used to make, yet have now discontinued.

1. I miss Dixie's Diner. Yes, I had a dollhouse (the Lunby kind with real lights), but--luckily, for children of today--they are still making those dollhouses. However, the Dixie's Diner play set is no longer made. One of the things I also loved was playing with this toy diner, which was miniature. Dixie's Diner was a miniature replica of a diner from the 1950s. Rather than be a "themed" diner, the play was set back then, with dolls from the 1950s as well who wore cute fashions like poodle skirts and prom dresses. As Ghost of the Doll reports, the original diner play set came with a Dixie Doll, a counter, stools, and some stickers. Her friends and additional diner furniture and accessories were sold separately. You could even buy a miniature 1950s convertible for the dolls.

2. Candy cigarettes were among the many types of candy I loved as a kid. I loved them, yet I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. While I agree that smoking should not be marketed to young kids in any way, I do have to say that I miss the way that they taste. I have not found any other candy with a similar, albeit odd, taste.

3. Wuzzles were the bomb. Yes, they were quite remarkable. Disney's Wuzzles were featured in a mid-1980s cartoon, and they were stuffed animals. Now, they don't make the show or the toys. Wuzzles were a mix of two different animals, and they all sported wings on their back.

4. Astro Pops probably did not sport the smartest design for a candy bar ever known to man. Targeted to young kids, the lollipop-type candy came to a sharp point at its top. It's now discontinued, but it is among my most missed types of candy from the 1980s. There were multiple flavors in each Astro Pop that were swirled.

5. "Teen Steam" was a great workout from the 1980s that is completely discontinued. I loved it and used to do it frequently. It starred Alyssa Milano in all her 1980s teen glory in her room with her two friends. Rather than the other stuffy, workout videos with trainers barking you through the moves, this one was fun and personable. They make '80s jokes about Michael Jackson and talk about teen troubles. It even featured an original song sung by Alyssa about the pressures of being a teen and a magical break from the workout room where you get to dance with kids in an alley whose fashions very much date this fun video. Even when my teen years were ahead of me, I loved working out with Alyssa, and I want it to be in print again so other kids can enjoy its fun.

Sources cited:

"Dixie's Diner," Ghost of the Doll