'My mum got into a fist-fight': 7 of the best-loved dolls and cuddly toys we grew up with in the 70s and 80s
Did you or your friends have any of these cuddly toys growing up?
- They sold in their millions during the 70s and 80s
- Some were so popular they had parents fighting in the aisles
- How many of these dolls and cuddly toys do you remember?
They provided comfort, companionship and, above all, fun to a generation of youngsters growing up in the 70s and 80s.
These dolls and cuddly toys sold in their millions back then, with some proving so popular they even had parents fighting over them in the aisles.
One came with its own adoption papers, another was spawned by a hit comedy horror movie that was really too scary for children, and a third has been described as a ‘nightmare to deal with’.
But how many of these much-loved playthings of the 70s and 80s do you remember?
Glo Worm
Glo Worm and her glow-in-the-dark companions lit up the lives of many a child during the 80s.
With its plastic head and plush body, which you squeezed to make it glow, the much-loved toy was a big hit upon its launch in 1982.
Glo Worm was a toy and a night light in one, helping keep the nightmares at bay for her young owners.
Hasbro capitalised on its success by bringing out a Musical Glo Worm and Glo Bug in 1984, and a Glo Butterfly in 1985, with more Glo Friends following.
They proved surprisingly durable for a children’s toy, with many owners reporting how they still have theirs, or have passed it onto their children, and it still glows after all these years.
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake began life as a character in a series of greeting cards.
She proved so popular that she got her own TV show and a host of related merchandise, including, in 1979, a doll, made by Kenner.
She was easily distinguishable thanks to her mop of curly red hair and freckles, while her clothes featured a strawberry motif.
Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids were among the biggest phenomena of the 80s.
Launched in 1982, the dolls had a soft plush body and a plastic head.
But their unique appeal lay in the detailed back story, about how they had been found in an abandoned garden and saved from exploitation by the evil gold-mining magnate Lavender McDade.
Each doll came with its own birth certificate and adoption papers, and some children took their responsibility particularly seriously.
One person recalled: “I loved mine. I stood in front of Granny’s Christmas tree with my sister, promising to be the best Cabbage Patch mum ever!”
Cabbage Patch Kids were among the best-selling toys between 1983 and 1987, with many parents battling - in some cases literally - to get hold of one of the dolls for their child as demand soared.
One person recalled: “My mum got into a fist-fight in the toy store over them, but she managed to get me the blonde-haired/blue-eyed one I wanted.”
Another soft toy that appealed to children’s kind nature, Pound Puppies were launched by Tonka in 1984.
Youngsters were asked to rescue the ‘loveable’ pups from the pound and give them a much-needed home.
The cuddly dogs, with their floppy ears and droopy eyes, came in a cardboard container shaped like a doghouse, with an adoption certificate.
Some fared better than others. One former owner recalled: “I had five or six of them, and my real puppy chewed off every single one of their noses while I was sleeping.”
Gizmo
Gremlins was one of the best-loved films of the 80s.
The 1984 comedy/horror movie was not aimed at children, though it did initially have a PG rating despite the violence it contained.
However, the pet mogwai Gizmo was so cute, despite the terror unleashed by the army of gremlins he unwittingly spawns, that a cuddly toy inevitably followed.
It proved to be one of the most sought-after toys of Christmas 1984, though youngsters were sure to keep it away from water, sunlight and late-night snacks.
Baby Alive
The Baby Alive doll, originally made by Kenner from 1973, would ‘eat’ food with a chewing motion before wetting and soiling its nappy.
For some reason, children loved this, though their parents were not so keen, with reports of the food going mouldy in the doll’s ‘tummy’ if not properly flushed out.
Baby Alive came with pouches of powder you could mix with water to make up baby food, which you would spoon-feed the doll, who could also drink water. It also came with a spoon, a bottle and some nappies.
The doll was advertised with the catchy jingle: “Baby Alive, soft and sweet, she can drink and she can eat.”
Not every child was a fan. One person recalled: “My little sister had one. It was kind of a nightmare to deal with.”
Teddy Ruxpin
This animatronic, talking bear was one of the best-selling children’s toys of the mid-80s.
First released in 1985, its mouth and eyes would move while he recounted tales of his many adventures.
Many different versions have been produced over the years, and Teddy Ruxpin remains popular, with a live-action film reportedly in the works.
The stories Teddy Ruxpin told were recorded on cassette tapes, with accompanying books.
Some people remember swapping the tapes as youngsters for those by the biggest pop, rock or heavy metal stars of the day, with predictably hilarious results.
One person said: “As a teen, we would get stoned and put in Metallica tapes and watch ole teddy go metal.”
Did you own any of these toys, or were you desperate to get your hands on one as a child in the 70s or 80s?
If you’re after more 70s and 80s nostalgia, you might enjoy this look back at the sounds you’ll only remember if you grew up then.