People of all ages love toys. There is just something about a piece of material that resembles something from reality, and our ability for us to use it to play out our imaginations that gets us hooked. Still, there are times when people might have gone a little too crazy for toys, and for some reason many of those times were in the 1990s. We love brightening up the lives of kids with great gifts, but even we were baffled by the craziest toy fads during this decade.
Tickle Me Elmo
It is hard to believe that a little red roll with big eyes and plush fur generated so much buzz. Tickle Me Elmo wasn’t just a fad or craze, it was a pandemic. It retailed for less than $30, but the demand-crazed public sometimes paid thousands for it via the internet in re-sales. It was all over the news, talk shows, and radio. Supplies quickly sold out, and people were left empty handed. Although Elmo is still on the market today, the hype is pretty much non-existent. Maybe it’s for the better, anyway.
Beanie Babies
You might think that little bean bags shaped as animals wouldn’t fetch thousands of dollars at auctions during their heyday, but you’d be wrong. For some reason or another, they lit a spark in the 1990’s that ignited a fire within consumers, and let to perhaps the largest and strangest toy fad of recent times. By artificially limiting the supply and retiring lines, Ty Warner Inc. was able to drive collectors crazy and drive up the price of their toys. Some people invested entire life’s savings into buying them. Nowadays, most sell for just a few dollars.
Tamagotchi
Who can forget the buzz around these fun Japanese toys? Most young kids aren’t capable of taking care of a pet on their own, so these toys were able to fill the void until they were. The Tamagotchi was perhaps the first virtual pet. You could name it, feed it, clean up after it, and tell it to go to sleep. To teach kids a little bit of responsibility, the toy would die if neglected for a long period of time. It seemed like every kid had one at one point in the 1990s.
There is just something about toys that touches our hearts. Some collect them, others play with them, and others just collect them. These craziest toy fads from the 1990s prove that people just can’t get enough. Here at POP! Events we love giving kids toys to brighten up their day – but we make sure that we do it responsibly!