This holiday season it’s all about Hatchimals — last year it was Star Wars droids.
But let’s rewind a bit: Do you recall whichtoys werethe must-haveswhen youwere a kid?
Brace yourself for a wave of nostalgia — and a bit of sticker shock.
I (okay, fine — my assistant) dug deep into the web to find the costs of themost sought-after toysfrom 1983 through today — and then tallied them up. (Note: prices are approximate and shown in that year’s dollars.)
The final sum might surprise you… it certainly did us!
1983: Cabbage Patch Kids — $30, though many shoppers paid $60–$100. Can we talk about how odd these dolls were?
1984: Transformers — $9.95–$20.99, depending on the model. Today some of these fetch up to $600!
1985–86: Teddy Ruxpin — $69.99, plus about $20 for the cassette and book. Most reports put the total near $100.
1987: Koosh Ball — Currently sold for $4.99 each (original price hard to find). I bet a few of these still hide in your junk drawer.
1988: Nintendo Entertainment System — $89.99 without a game, $99.99 with Super Mario Bros, and $149.99 for the Action Pack with two games and an extra controller.
1989: Game Boy — One of the all-time bestselling handhelds, it launched at $89.99; games were about $30 each, so expect roughly $120 total.
1990: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures — $19.99 apiece. There were four distinct turtles (obviously), and accessories ran about $3.99. No pizza included.
1990: Super Nintendo — $199, with games near $50. So roughly $250 for the console and one title. (Yes, the original infographic oddly listed 1990 twice and skipped 1991.)
1992: Barney doll — $24.99. Includes painfully earnest hugs.
1993: Talkboy — Sparked by its appearance in the classic “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” this cassette recorder sold for $29.99.
1994: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers toys — Action figures cost just $4.99, which helped them vanish from shelves fast in ‘94.
1995: Beanie Babies — $5. Anyone else hoard way too many?
1996: Tickle Me Elmo — $27.99. This bizarre doll sold out instantly, sparking fights and enabling scalpers to fetch hundreds.
1997: Tamagotchi — $17.99. One of the only cool toys I actually owned (albeit the knock-off version).
1998: Furby — These oddball electronic pets went for $35, but resale prices sometimes climbed to $300 due to demand.
1999: Pokémon — Whether cards, video games or plush, Pokémon was everywhere. Card packs ran about $10–$20 per pack; Game Boy Pokémon titles were around $30.
2000: Razor Scooter — $99–$149, depending on model.
2001: Bratz Dolls — $9.99–$22.99, price varied by character.
2002: Beyblades — Hard to locate original MSRP, but current eBay listings show $5.99–$30. (Also, wow.)
2004: Robosapien — This two-foot programmable robot debuted at $99.
2005: Xbox 360 — Microsoft rushed this console in 2005 to get ahead of the PlayStation 3. It launched at $399, with games around $60 — so a new setup would cost roughly $460.
2006: PlayStation 3 — Pricier than the Xbox 360, the PS3 started at $499 for the base model and $599
for the larger-memory bundle. Adding a $60 game brought the total to about $560–$660.
2007: Nintendo DS — More handheld gaming: the DS, the second-highest selling system after the Game Boy, went for $149. Games were roughly $40, totaling $190.
2008: Nintendo Wii — This innovative console sold for $249.99, with titles at $30–$50. Extra controllers were about $40. Console + game + an extra controller ran about $340.
2009: Zhu Zhu Pets — These wind-up robotic hamsters had an infographic price of only $9, but surging popularity pushed resale prices to $60. For a hamster.
2010: iPad — Launched at $499 up to $699. Over 300,000 units moved on release day.
2011: LeapPad Explorer — This kid-friendly tablet sold for about $100.
2012: Wii U — The console hit the market at $349.99, with games at $60 — so roughly $410 for a starter setup.
2013: Big Hugs Elmo — Because the world needed an Elmo that could “hug you back,” retail price was $59.99.
2014: Elsa Doll — A few years back you likely gave in and purchased a Frozen doll for about $19.99.
2015: BB-8 Star Wars toy — This small remote-controlled droid debuted at $149; initial stock sold out in one day.
2016: Hatchimals — Yep. I’m confused too. Retail price was only $60, but resell prices have at least doubled. For example, Walmart listed them at $189–$289.
2016: NES Classic Mini — This nostalgia-packed mini console retailed for $59.99, and a second controller was $9.99. Good luck finding one — the limited launch sold out in minutes.
If you managed to track down every item at original MSRPs — which, as noted, was often tricky — the sum would be…
$3,969.
While it’s unlikely anyone bought every single toy on this list, the total is still eye-opening.
Yes, there’s huge value in delighting your kids, but remember that most “it” toys end up lonely in a closet after a few weeks.
Consider buying gently used toys — or follow tips to save on christmas shopping for kids — and funneling the saved cash into a 529 college account or your retirement plan. That money could grow into something meaningful by the time they’re old enough to appreciate it.
Want a visual recap of all the toys (and to relive the good old days)? Check out the entertaining infographic below.
Your Turn: Which of these was your favorite?
Alexandra Green, senior writer for Savinly, is always hunting for budget-friendly adventures. Editorial intern Jamie Ortiz unearthed prices and trivia across the web — and even spotted a few wildly overpriced Beanie Babies along the route.
