Toys from the 80's- Girl's Toybox

Care Bears have been revived with a fervor, just like Strawberry Shortcake

and My Little Pony, so we haven't exactly missed them. HOWEVER....They did look differentback then. I always wanted the brown one with the simple heart on his chest (this picture is not my collection- I only had one: Loves a lot Bear. She was pink with two hearts on her chest.)

I only had one My Little Pony in the 80's: Snuggles. She was gray with pink hair. I was a little disappointed because there was nothing you could do with her! I brushed her hair a thousand times then I was like...OK..is there a Ken or a PJ Pony for her to play with? Is there a stable she can sleep in? Now they got wise and made beauty shops and circuses and roller rinks and ice cream shops. Here is the commercial that I remember very well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9J2vF3Q3o8&feature=PlayList&p=60B732B738DA1651&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=46

Oh wait- Here is Snuggles:

Cabbage Patch Kids were a big deal in 1984. They were cloth and had a little butt and smelled like baby powder! They came with a little birth certificate and already had names, most of which were really horrific, like Levina, my dolls name. I am sure the first 40 dolls had regular 80s names like Jenny, Becky, Holly and Carrie and then they ran out of shit and started coming up with names like Bertha and Ethel.

The dolls were at their height in 1983 and people were straight up rioting over them! My mom went down to fight the crowds at Gemco. My friend Liz had one named Bonnie Christine that looked like the one above, and I wanted to kidnap her and rush the border. Check out the Cabbage Patch commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYh3KGhhjic&feature=related

Above are the one and only Dolly Pops by Knickerbocker. My sis and and I actually had the play set featured below- It was a little town. Remember that one outfit that had a whole bike on it? You could just click the whole thing on the doll. I also liked that little sailor suit.

 Do you guys remember clicking on these little outfits? I loved the wedding dress that had a veil- but it covered the doll's hair.  My favorite dress was the little pink frock with the two bows on the front, and my favorite doll was the dark haired one, because she had straight bangs. I normally liked blond dolls, but not in the Dolly Pop world!

Below is a vintage Strawberry Shortcake doll. She smelled so good. I played with her in our garden when I was a kid. Ahhh, good memories.

I also had the good fortune to have the bake shoppe. It was a big strawberry that opened up and had a little kitchen inside, where you could make little pies and cakes.

Did you guys have one of these? I could never wait for the little cake to cool, I was too impatient. I always burnt the roof of my mouth. And if I actually decided to frost one of these little cakes, the frosting would rip the top off the cake, because it was too hot! It was torture waiting for any baked good to cool. It is like having a huge, white piece of paper and a brand new box of crayons and saying "Don't draw a picture!"

Below are Sea Wees. Yay! My sister and I played with them in the bathtub. They had long hair, which is all that matters when you are a little girl. You just want to sit around brushing hair all day.We used to pretend they were razors and we would shave our legs with their tails. We called them "shaver-leggers."

They came with lily pads that were sponges and little combs (below)

These are Charmkins. They were really tiny and detailed and smelled good. My sister had Brown Eyed Susan (nice name- sounds like a butthole charm). I remember there being a Ferris wheel that you could hang your charms on.

Does anyone remember Poochie? I barely do myself, but I had to include it. It was some failed attempt at a girls' brand that never took off. Someone got fired for that one! I just remember they called it "Poochie for Girls!" I think that was a given, people! I am sure many boys liked Poochie. But I am sure they were doing kick-ball-changes and jazz hands in the school play. Just sayin.

These dolls were creepy. You could get them at the county fair or the swapmeet and they would fall apart easily. They were made of thin wire and some pantyhose and styrafoam. I peeled the face off mine and it was white styrafoam behind it!

Holly Hobbie dolls are really from the 70's, but we still had them in our houses in the 80's, correct? Here are Heather, Holly and Amy.

Barbie: Get it Girrrl

I love looking at close up pics of Barbies from the eighties. Works of art, I tell you. I had Barbies in 1981-84 and those are my favorites, natch. Now they make Barbies lips too big and she doesn't look right.

Barbie and the Rockers Barbie is trying to cash in on Jem's "hipness".
I appreciate the 80s outfit and horrid make up!

Island Fun Barbie doesn't wear a lot of make up because she is out in the water, pretending to look natural, which we all do sometimes. I'll be damned if she doesn't look great anyway.

Dream Date Barbie is going to be totally overdressed on her date. She went easy on her make up as well. I agree with her choice, but she could have worn a bit of lipstick. Her face is washed out and overpowered by the severity of her dress and hair! I cant hold a grudge though, the sequins are too fantastic.

Day to Night Barbie was the one who was with the times of the 80's: the working woman. Please note her hot pink briefcase! She wasn't all business though because she couldn't give up her pink wardrobe. Mattel knew better than to put her in navy, gray, black or beige- fuck that! Barbie worked for a bit and then went right back to her life of luxury, thankfully.

Here is her office! The important office supplies are up front and center: a brush, comb and mirror. A girl after my own heart!

Western Barbie, looking a lot more glamorous than the average down home cow poke. She tried to wear fringe and turquoise though, to her credit.

Below is the best Barbie of all: Golden Dream Barbie from 1980 or 1981.

Here is the wonderful hot pink box with the purple and white writing! Yeah!

Golden Dream Barbie in her original outfit.
Here is the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf_6P7GafpY


Golden Dream Coloring Book


Pink and Pretty Barbie was the one I liked second best. She had an entire wardrobe of furs and skirts and pants and removable jewels.


Pink n Pretty in her traditional outfit, which I adored as a kid.


Here is another Barbie I owned, but did not love as much: Angel Face Barbie. She came with a make up case and after you put on her red blush and green eye shadow, she was as far from angelic looking as could be.


Seventies P*rn Barbie: Lovin' this hair and the meth eyebrows!


Orange County Barbie: Too much spray tan.


Mall Rat Barbie? At least she has a nice fresh face.

The Barbie Dream House!

Another thing I absolutely adored was my Barbie Perfume Maker. It had fragrance sticks that I put into a little jar of water and then cranked a pink spinner thing and voila: I had little jars of perfume. So awesome.

Barbie Perfume Maker


I had this Barbie Stage as well. I would clip Barbie's feet to a clear plastic thing and she would come out and work the run way and do a twirl! It was fierce.