The return of batwing sleeves, pedal pushers and ra-ra skirts, while quintessentially 80s, are not the only high street items that are dipping into the past to help push sales.
In a reversal of the ever increasing push for the new this year’s top toys for Christmas have a distinct 80s flavor.
According to research from the British Association of Toy Retailers, favorites from almost 20 years ago are making a comeback, among them are the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, back from the sewers of New York and riding on the wave of their re-aired cartoon series.
Also in the top 50 is the long-locked My Little Pony, muscle bound He-Man and for those who had trouble putting them together the first-time round, Transformers, which made the Krypton Factor look easy, make a return.
Val Stedham, chairman of the BATR said: “Like fashion, the popularity of toys goes in cycles. Brands are important but the success of a toy relies on its playability. So it’s not surprising that those which thrilled children twenty years ago can still appeal to kids today.”
The nostalgia weary, however, need not worry because while the top 50 may feature old favorites, albeit with a modern spin, the top 10 is distinctly contemporary and includes Bionicles from Lego along with the timeless Barbie, who gets a fairy tale makeover in the form of Barbie Swan Lake.
Additionally the Beyblade phenomena, which many may argue are glorified spinning tops from another century, is kept current with radio control features this year.
The impossibly complicated Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards, with their weird rules, retain their popularity with the introduction of new characters and even more decks to collect.
