We never forget our childhood toys and there’s been a few big anniversaries lately for 80s & 90s kids that have included retro designs. If you grew up with characters like Hello Kitty, Pokemon and Care Bears, these picks will definitely get you feeling nostalgic – plus some tips for vintage toy shopping.
This post was partly inspired by the re-release of the original life-size Pikachu plush in his chubby 90s form! It’s always fun to see how character design changes over the years but OG fans will remember this version well. The Welcome Home Pikachu plush will be released for Pokemon’s 30th anniversary later this week and is already selling fast – Japan Figure (JP) & Aitai*Kuji (JP) both currently have preorders up but you can shop around.
Sanrio fans of a certain age will also recognise the original design Hello Kitty in this classic plush from Sanrio (US), complete with her teddy bear. With all the collabs and new designs every month, it’s easy to forget that back in the day, almost every product used the same illustrations! I still have a few things featuring Hello Kitty in exactly this design.
While San-X came along a bit later, I still have very fond memories of their early days and especially their increasingly weird promo videos that made Sanrio look very boring in comparison. It’s been great to see the San-X shop (JP – requires forwarding service) bringing back these characters for new retro collections and the latest Always Together plush keychains includes familiar faces like Nyan Nyan Nyanko, Tarepanda & Mamegoma plus the more obscure Nagomi Makuri and Pinny Moo.
Monchhichi were massive in the 80s and don’t seem to have aged a day! They have much more kawaii designs now though, and ARTBOX (UK) have lots in stock, including four different animal outfits.
On the other hand, Care Bears have had some changes over the years to match modern trends but without losing their charm. The Classic plush (UK) are still very recognisable, just with more fun features, like these glitter belly designs.
Even if you’re not a big Disney fan, everyone grew up watching Disney movies. The Cozys Collection at GUND (US) have a plush for all of us, including Dumbo, The Aristocats, Winnie the Pooh and The Lion King. I love this Bambi & Thumper pair.
I can’t get over the Yoshitoku’s retro plush toy collection at Oshoppu (UK) as they have such a nostalgic look. These could have come straight out of a time capsule with features like felt tongues, plastic noses and retro outfits. The rest of the collection is just as cute with a bunny, dog and mouse, Sanrio collab and even mini gachapon versions.
80’s Plush Green Rabbit at Jeepers Squeakers (UK) / Plush cat at Surrey Treasures (UK)
You can also still pick up older plush from vintage toy sellers on Etsy and individuals on Ebay, Vinted, Mercari etc. If your favourite childhood friend is long gone, Little Guy Mart on tumblr has a great guide for how to find toys when you don’t have a character or brand name. We also have a guide to Shopping for Kawaii on Vinted.
Leave a Reply