Whether a child of the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s it is likely you spent many a break-time swapping the latest toy craze to sweep the playground. From Care Bears to Beanie Babies we all saved our pocket money to get our hands on the latest crazes.
Years later, you may stumble upon these collectable items crammed in boxes in the garage, under the bed or in your parents’ attic. If you have children, then you will be well aware that the summer holidays are just around the corner. Why not take the opportunity to sit down with them and share old fads? Be warned, they may be shocked at how old fashioned they seem!
Here are some of the biggest crazes to ever sweep the UK:
Speak & Spell (1970s/1980s)
Kids are often accused of having their eyes glued to an iPad, Xbox or smartphone, but a love of technology is not new! Before computers advanced, we loved a voice synthesiser or handheld keyboard. Speak & Spell helped with the spelling and pronunciation of over 200 commonly misspelled words. Way more than just a learning tool, hi- tech kids loved being congratulated by the Stephen Hawking-esque voice when correctly guessing the Mystery Word.
Although hard to come by now, those with keen ears may have heard the distinct sounds of Speak & Spell featured on Coldplay, Limp Bizket and Röyksopp tracks.
Cabbage Patch Kids (1980s)
Unlike the cute dolls that preceded them, Cabbage Patch Kids had pudgy faces and stumpy arms and legs.
A clever marketing strategy saw them become one of the most popular toys of the 80’s. First showcased at an art exhibit, the dolls were offered up for adoption by staff wearing maternity ward clothing, complete with “official” birth certificates and adoption papers.
Demand was so high that there were riots and even police intervention as shoppers fought to get their hands on the cloth dolls, much like the hype Frozen has generated in recent years.
Beanie Babies (1990s)
The nation went crazy for these soft toys when they invaded shops in the late 90s. With over 2,000 to collect, kids begged their parents to spend £5 upwards on a variety of creatures (including a unicorn and an octopus).
Although the majority are now worth less than a pack of gum, be aware that a select few could certainly make you a bob or two. Earlier this year newspapers reported that a couple listed a first edition Princess Diana bear on eBay for £62,500, so it may be worth checking before handing down to over-eager children to pull apart.
Furbies (late 1990’s)
These hamster/owl like creatures spoke their own language Furbish but were programmed to start speaking their owner’s language over time. Unfortunately, not many people could stand hearing wee-tah-kah-loo-loo in the middle of the night and switched them off before the Furby started to make sense. Furbies were quickly banned from any US National Security Agency buildings amid fears of a security breach.
Weirdly the Furby did make a comeback in 2012, making the Top eleven toys of Christmas 2013 list. To save your sanity (and potentially your security) we recommend locking these up in your Shurgard self-storage unit, battery disconnected!
As well as stirring up fond memories, getting them out of hiding should free up some space and give you a nudge to do a well overdue clear out. If you can’t bear to get rid of them but need the space at home, you can always keep them safe in a self-storage facility.
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