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Toys from the '80s launch comeback
By Natasha Warzecha
Published:
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Walking through a department store, you see toys upon toys of Care Bears, My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake. You turn down the next aisle and find Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Micro Machines. You might feel that this is a memory of your childhood in the '80s, but it's not. It's now.
In 1983, Kenner and Hasbro released two classic brands of toys for little girls. They were simple, innocent and caring. The toys did not possess the fast-paced, crazy action of today's toys. They did not have all the gadgets and gizmos. They simply included creativity and imagination.
Well, guess what? They're back - along with other '80s inspired toys designed to attract today's generation of children and possibly return them to a simpler time.
This summer, 20 years after their original release, Care Bears and My Little Pony seized the department store shelves from toys with themes that revolved around fashion and make-up. With the holiday season nearing, these old but new toys will win the hearts of children; they will also abduct many college students into a trip down memory lane.
"Toys are so complicated now; they're so overwhelming. Toys almost come with their own agenda. The thing about toys of the '80s is that they're so uncomplicated. You have to be creative to play with them. If you play with My Little Pony, you have to come up with a story - you have to think for yourself. I think that's why we are attached to toys from our childhood," senior Christine Fetterley said.
In July, Hasbro released a new line of My Little Pony. Stores and customers saw the undemanding, yet entertaining toys for the first time since 1992, when Hasbro decided to discontinue the original line of toys.
"Believe it or not, we started thinking about bringing the My Little Pony brand to little girls all the way back in December of 2000," said Valerie Jurries, vice president of the Girls' Toys Division at Hasbro via e-mail. "At that time, there was no brand that celebrated the innocence of just being a little girl. For Hasbro, My Little Pony was about celebrating the moment that little girls live in. We found a solid place to re-launch the brand, something that was missing," Jurries said.
According to www.mylittlepony.com, the new My Little Pony line includes 12 new ponies and two new play sets. The brand also has a vast line of My Little Pony licensed products ranging from story books or visual entertainment to bedding ensembles.
"We offer a look that little girls gravitate to. Look at the ponies -pink, purple, orange and so sparkly-- everything they adore. Everything we have done with this brand has been for that 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-year-old," Jurries said.
Care Bears, another '80s toy, also arrived on shelves in July. Care Bears were originally produced by Kenner, but now Play Along, Inc. manufactures the new line.
According to www.care-bears.com, American Greetings, Inc. created the Care Bears characters in 1981 for use on greeting cards. When the bears were transformed into a toy and product line in 1983, they kept the caring, greeting card-like messages. Redesigned symbols on the stomachs and colored heart pads on the feet and paws are a few changes the new line made to distinguish the new from the old.
"I love Care Bears. I grew up with them. They're great for kids. Care Bears are genuine toys that send a good message," junior Ellie Engstrom said.
The toys of the '80s are more focused on life's lessons than the action-packed toys of today. In a press release, president of Hasbro's U.S. Toys Group said the My Little Pony encourages values such as kindness, thoughtfulness and the importance of friendship.
Care Bears products are everywhere. If you look through a Sunday ad from Shopko or go to you nearest Target store, you might find Care Bears plush with video, Care Bears color & activity desk, Care Bears trike and various other items.
So what's next? Will the store shelves be graced with Popples? Pound Puppies? Or will Pillow People make a comeback? No matter what manufacturers decide to bring back into the marketplace from the '80s decade, it's bound to concentrate more on the innocence of childhood rather than the flashy consumerism of today.
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