Toys of the 80s

[lorddunlow]

So I thought I'd stop derailing Carson's G.I. Joe thread and make my own.

Let's talk about 80s toys (as many of us seem to have grown up in this time): cool toys, toys we wanted but never got, toys we still have, toys we're angry with our mother for giving away/throwing out, etc.

I'll go first. Loved Transformers and He-Man. A lot. I think I had every He-Man toy created (until my mother gave them away to my cousin - whose mother promptly sold them for drug money).

I also loved My Little Pony. I really did. Deal with it.

There were these really cool gothic/horror figures (non-articulated, but came with accessories) that had holograms for their faces - really detailed grotesque holograms. They were awesome but I can't remember what they were called.

Boglins. Man I loved my Boglins.

Popples. I know - like My Little Pony, they were girly, but they were like My Little Pony mixed with a Transformer. Again, deal with it.

Captain Power - I'm very excited to hear this is being resurrected. I'll definitely get some "for my son".

[BugsySig]

Big He-Man fan...and my parents kept all my toys.

Also loved Ninja Turtles and had a strange obsession with the short lived Toxic Avenger toys.

I also had a million GI Joes.

And these were more 90s, but I was in London in 1993 and found a complete set of Bucky OHare action figures...I bought them all because I had never seen them in the US...loved that show.

[caniac]

Mask...maybe that was the nineties now that I think of it...

[IMJ]

I had a lot of stuff as a kid too. I saved everything actually and still have a lot of it, but some stuff made for ebay fodder at various points. From Transformers to GI Joe, Roboforce to Marshall Bravestarr, He-Man to Star Wars, I had something from most of it. I probably had a more encompassing collection of GI Joe's than anything. Usually though by the time a line started to abandon it's life, I was out of it by then. I might've been drawn back into Transformers and GI Joe a bit when they revitalized each series with the animated movies, but if you charted my collections on a graph by wave you'd probably find a clear pattern in everything with a matching curve of toys to the popular show seasons with a few stragglers here and there. As for the M.A.S.K. stuff - loved it but only had 7 or 8 vehicles maybe. Sold most of those on eBay several years back now.

I'm glad when I sell stuff completely because I don't typically get back in. Once it's gone, it's gone. But if it's lingering in a basement somewhere I have a tendency to think about how cool it would be to put some sets together with stuff I never had as a kid.

[Elveen]

I'm a bit older, so most of my favorite toys are late 70s: Star Wars, Six Million Dollar Man, Megos, Shogun Warriors, and my favorite toy (and the best toy I ever had) Danguard Ace GA-79.

Of course I like He-Man and also dug Blackstar.

[Heath]

I liked, was aware of, wished for, and played with my friends' stuff for a lot of toy lines. Star Wars, Transformers, Thundercats, M.A.S.K. (that is 80's, btw), Captain Power, etc. (Never cared for He-Man. He always seemed a little gay.) It seems like my cousin had a little of everything and was into something new each time we saw each other. I remember one time he was into these robot things that had suction cup bottoms. I remember sticking one to the underside of a shelf in my grandma's closet and it staying there for a long time. But I digress. Although I loved toys (and still do), we were poor and couldn't afford much. The only Star Wars action figure I had as a kid was Han Solo in Hoth outfit from ESB (that I bought with my own money). The only Transformers I had was Sunstreaker that I got as a birthday present and a Dirge (both G1) that I bought with my own money.

So I didn't get to collect many toy lines, but I got into GI Joe big-time. I absolutely LOVED GI Joe (and still do). I have a complete set of basic figures (not including drivers and mail-aways) from 82-91 and a lot of them after that. I watched the cartoon every morning before school. I had a subscription to the Marvel comic. I kept all my file cards and flag points. I sent off some money and flag points for a Cobra Water Moccasin once. I wanted that little boat so bad! Several months later... nothing. I sent the company a letter inquiring about it and shortly received a refund of the money (but not the flag points, dang it). I still don't have a Water Moccasin. My mom still teases me about making my case for why I needed her to buy me a figure and frequently using the line, "But they don't make this one anymore!" The first GI Joe figure I ever had was a straight-armed Cobra Trooper that I found in box of toys in the nursery at church. I didn't know what it was, but thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen, and slipped it in my pocket. I soon found out what it was and I was hooked. I still have that figure. The first GI Joe figure I bought with my own money was Flint. I never had many vehicles because they were too expensive, but I got a few for Christmases and birthdays and I still have them all. The coolest thing ever was my mom coming home from a grocery trip with a Skystriker for me - "just because." I still remember running around the yard that day holding it up over my head making it fly, and making Ace eject and float down with his parachute. I remember around 1987 going with my dad to an old hardware store in a tiny little town and for some reason they had 1st series (straight arm) Grunt, Short-Fuse, and Breaker on an endcap. It was the only toys they had in the store, and I convinced my dad to buy them. I knew I shouldn't open them and they would be something valuable still in the package one day, but I just couldn't resist it and opened them anyway. I remember seeing Walmart stocked with what seemed like a dozen USS Flags for $100 and begging mom and dad for one, but that was just way out of the question. I remember my cousin would throw away the accessories whenever he got a new figure with the reasoning that "I'm going to lose them anyway." I'd pull my hair out and tell him "Well at least play with them until you do!!"

Well, sorry about the stream of consciousness rambling.

[Burrito Boy]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
He-Man
Transformers
Sectaurs
Battle Beasts
Food Fighters
Spinjas
Construx
Legos
Capsella
Playmobil
Fabuland
Robotix
Erector Set
Air Raiders
Legions of Power
Hot Wheels
Star Wars
G.I. Joe
Go Bots
The A-Team
She-Ra
Centurions
Starriors
Army Ants
Dino Riders
Lincoln Logs
Tinker Toys
MUSCLE

And yes, even Popples. I had a bunch of those.

[Burrito Boy]

By the way, check out this site: http://www.virtualtoychest.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And before pixierosa complains, Virtual Toy Chest is not a site about action figure bewbs.

[IMJ]

I liked, was aware of, wished for, and played with my friends' stuff for a lot of toy lines. Star Wars, Transformers, Thundercats, M.A.S.K. (that is 80's, btw), Captain Power, etc. (Never cared for He-Man. He always seemed a little gay.)

Late I thought that too, but when He-Man was new, so was I and I didn't know, now care about those things, lol!

I remember one time he was into these robot things that had suction cup bottoms.

LOL, Robo Force.

but I got into GI Joe big-time. I absolutely LOVED GI Joe (and still do).

Once they get their hooks into ya....

The coolest thing ever was my mom coming home from a grocery trip with a Skystriker for me - "just because." I still remember running around the yard that day holding it up over my head making it fly, and making Ace eject and float down with his parachute.

Dude you just told my story. My mom did the same thing completely out of the blue, but for me it was Snake Eyes and the motorcycle with the machine gun attached to the side. First GI Joe's I ever got.

[lorddunlow]

StarBrand hit the nail on the head with the hologram horror toys - they were SuperNaturals

[Burrito Boy]

StarBrand hit the nail on the head with the hologram horror toys - they were SuperNaturals

Who? StarBrand?

On a semi-related note, I had a huge collection of gothic/horror-sorta figures that had holograms for faces that were really cool. The holograms were really detailed. Anyone know what those were?

Super Naturals? Visionaries?

[Chiclo]

HARNESS THE POWER! DINO-RIDERS!

All other 80s toys fall short of Dino-Riders.

I still have a couple of Boglins in my closet.

[maraxusofkeld]

HARNESS THE POWER! DINO-RIDERS!

All other 80s toys fall short of Dino-Riders.

I still have a couple of Boglins in my closet.

Dino-Riders are sweet and pretty expensive too!

[lorddunlow]

StarBrand hit the nail on the head with the hologram horror toys - they were SuperNaturals

Who? StarBrand?

On a semi-related note, I had a huge collection of gothic/horror-sorta figures that had holograms for faces that were really cool. The holograms were really detailed. Anyone know what those were?

Super Naturals? Visionaries?

Sorry, dude. That's what happens after posting with no sleep due having to be in the hospital all night long due to some drug addict having a baby last night. Gotta love drug addicts getting pregnant!

[lorddunlow]

HARNESS THE POWER! DINO-RIDERS!

All other 80s toys fall short of Dino-Riders.

I still have a couple of Boglins in my closet.

Never owned a Dino-Rider, but I always wanted one.

[MarkRoseHFX]

I also loved My Little Pony. I really did. Deal with it.

I like how you used past tense to try to hide that you're really a brony

When I was a kid it was all about the Star Wars figures, He-Man, Transformers, G.I. Joe and the WWF wrestler figures. I think I had every single of those old LJN WWF figures and the ring + the cage.

[Carson]

HARNESS THE POWER! DINO-RIDERS!

All other 80s toys fall short of Dino-Riders.

I still have a couple of Boglins in my closet.

Maybe you haven't seen the USS Flagg, so I'll let that one slide

[Carson]

So I thought I'd stop derailing Carson's G.I. Joe thread and make my own.

Let's talk about 80s toys (as many of us seem to have grown up in this time): cool toys, toys we wanted but never got, toys we still have, toys we're angry with our mother for giving away/throwing out, etc.

I'll go first. Loved Transformers and He-Man. A lot. I think I had every He-Man toy created (until my mother gave them away to my cousin - whose mother promptly sold them for drug money).

I also loved My Little Pony. I really did. Deal with it.

There were these really cool gothic/horror figures (non-articulated, but came with accessories) that had holograms for their faces - really detailed grotesque holograms. They were awesome but I can't remember what they were called.

Boglins. Man I loved my Boglins.

Popples. I know - like My Little Pony, they were girly, but they were like My Little Pony mixed with a Transformer. Again, deal with it.

Captain Power - I'm very excited to hear this is being resurrected. I'll definitely get some "for my son".

Love the thread! Great idea. And no worries about detailing 3DJoes, I just appreciate y'all looking at my other die-hard hobby.

Did you all watch my stop motion gi joe animations yet?

[Carson]

Ok, so GI Joe was my obvious favorite, I mean, they've followed me into adulthood (like Valiant) so you know I was big into them.

I also collected DC Super Heroes. I had the hall of justice set, which was pretty cool.

I collected all of the Batman toys from the first Tim Burton Batman film.

I was BIG into ninja turtles. Who wasn't?

I never collected transformers (didn't connect with the whole alien robots in disguise concept). I liked Star Wars, but their articulation was CRAP compared to GI Joe. He man was pretty fruity. I loved Voltron as a concept, but the toys fell short.

Ooh! It was brief, but I LOVED exoSquad! I think that cartoon only ran two years, but the cartoon was decent and the toys rocked!

I think that's about it!

God I miss the 80s.

[Burrito Boy]

God I miss the 80s.

+1,000,000

[lorddunlow]

God I miss the 80s.

+1,000,000

Great decade to be a kid!

I definitely had tons of WWF toys. Those were awesome.

[maraxusofkeld]

Ok, so GI Joe was my obvious favorite, I mean, they've followed me into adulthood (like Valiant) so you know I was big into them.

I also collected DC Super Heroes. I had the hall of justice set, which was pretty cool.

I collected all of the Batman toys from the first Tim Burton Batman film.

I was BIG into ninja turtles. Who wasn't?

I never collected transformers (didn't connect with the whole alien robots in disguise concept). I liked Star Wars, but their articulation was CRAP compared to GI Joe. He man was pretty fruity. I loved Voltron as a concept, but the toys fell short.

Ooh! It was brief, but I LOVED exoSquad! I think that cartoon only ran two years, but the cartoon was decent and the toys rocked!

I think that's about it!

God I miss the 80s.

Exosquad was from the 90s, wasn't it

[Chiclo]

I think Exo Squad was early 90s. I re-watched the whole series on Hulu earlier this year and it holds up better than many of its contemporaries.

[Carson]

Ok, I'm busted.... my toy collecting went on into my teen-age years.

I think I took a break from toys in 1993, when I discovered girls would make out with me

Once I got married I went looking for toys again. Gotta chase something

[Cyberstrike]

The Transformers have been a huge passion of mine for 29 going on 30 years I have over 1000 toys (and that is just a guess) in my collection now from G1 to the present day.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero I had a few G.I. Joe toys no where near as much as TFs I did have the Rolling Thunder.

Star Wars I had a few SW toys nothing major other Rancor monster and Darth Vader's Tie Fighter.

Voltron, Defender of the Universe I had a few toys of them.

Go-Bots I had a few Go-Bots but not many and they were cannon fodder for my TFs. Now I did have quite a few Rock Lords and Crystal Lords though.

Robotech I think my Dad bought a transforming model of the Veritech when we we unable to get to get it to transform we just bought Jetfire instead.