What is Behind the Trend of Bringing Back Classic '80s Toys?

Have you noticed the trend of bringing back classic 80's toys? In recent years, Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Kids, Pound Puppies, My Little Ponies, etc. have graced the shelves of retail stores once again. What is behind the trend? Is it simply a case of nostalgia or is there something more to it?

As a child, I spent countless hours playing with Cabbage Patch Kids. Imagine, to my surprise, that they are now gracing store shelves once again - and that I, now a 20-something adult, have the ability to purchase one as a gift for my small cousin. How could I resist? Quite honestly, it was one of the most fun gifts I've ever purchased, and I'm sure that I'm not alone.

However, if nostalgia is the only force driving the reemergence of 80's toys, how do you explain their staying power? In other words, if it wasn't a good toy product, children wouldn't fall in love with the toys that their parents' purchased out of nostalgia. In bringing back the toys, manufacturers needed to ensure that they had the same appeal to a whole new generation of children, which isn't easy to do in an era of hyper-stimulation and entertainment. For example, it might be easier to create a new product that caters to the new generation (think of what Bratz Dolls have done to Barbie) of kids rather than marketing older toys to them.

In bringing back the old toy lines, manufacturers not only had to take into consideration their appeal to the new generation, as mentioned above, they had to take into consideration the feelings of the children (now adults) who originally grew up with those toys as well. For example, when the My Little Pony line was reintroduced in the late 1990s, they differed significantly in size and shape. They are now referred to the "anorexic" generation 2 ponies. People my age that had grown up with My Little Pony, many now collectors, were outraged. In 2003, Hasbro reintroduced the line and reverted to the original look; in collector's circles, they are now referred to as generation 3 ponies.

While the Strawberry Shortcake line was brought back in the early 2000s with significant changes (she now wears pants!), there wasn't nearly as much outrage as over the ponies. However, most 80's toys lines have found success simply by bringing back the original toys. Examples include the Cabbage Patch Kids, Care Bears, and Pound Puppies. In recent years, Cabbage Patch Kids have even added Cabbage Patch Babies to their collection (in addition to the Premies, of course!).

Due to the quality of the original toys, the 80's toys lines that have found a resurgence in the 2000s will be around for a long time. Parents enjoy purchasing the products due to nostalgia and children, of course, always know a good toy when they see one. As the this new generation becomes nostalgic for the toys they grew up with in the 2000s, the toys will continue to enjoy new life. In my opinion, Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Ponies, Care Bears, and Pound Puppies will go the way of Barbies and Hotwheels cars - into toy history for years and years to come.