10 Toys That Defined the 1990s

Ask anyone who was a child in the 1990s about the toys that defined the 1990s and the same names come up again and again. They were small, collectable or surprisingly clever, and several of them caused real shortages in the shops. This list picks ten, in rough order of arrival, and gives a price wherever we have a source for it.

A Furby, one of the toys that defined the 1990s, which sold for about $29.95 in 1998. — Photo: danieljordahl, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Where we have not been able to confirm a launch price from a reliable source, we have left it out rather than guess.

1. Game Boy (1989, popular throughout the decade)

Nintendo’s handheld launched in North America in 1989 at under $100, and it was the machine on which many children first played Tetris and, later, Pokémon. PBS reported 40,000 sales on the first day. See the Game Boy price page.

2. Super Soaker (1990)

Invented by the engineer Lonnie Johnson, the pressurised water gun turned a summer pastime into a small arms race in the garden. It is a good example of a toy that came from serious engineering rather than from a licensing deal.

3. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers action figures (1993)

The television series reached American screens in 1993, and the figures followed. Shops struggled to keep them on the shelves, which was an early sign of how closely toys and television were now linked.

4. Beanie Babies (from 1993)

Small, soft and sold in limited editions, Beanie Babies turned collecting into a mainstream hobby. Many families kept every tag, believing that a retired design would one day be worth a fortune. For most of them it was not.

5. Tickle Me Elmo (1996)

Tyco’s laughing doll was released in July 1996 at a recommended retail price of $28.99. Stock sold out the day after Thanksgiving, and Tyco ordered another 600,000 on top of the first 400,000. Resale prices of up to $1,500 were reported by the end of the year.

6. Nintendo 64 (1996)

Although it is a console rather than a traditional toy, the Nintendo 64 was top of many wish lists. It launched on September 29, 1996 at $199.99, as described on the Nintendo 64 price page.

7. Tamagotchi (1997)

This egg-shaped virtual pet reached the United States in May 1997 for $17.99. Children had to feed it, clean up after it and put it to bed, and some schools banned it because pupils kept checking on it during lessons. Read the Tamagotchi original price page for more.

8. Furby (1998)

Tiger Electronics launched Furby in 1998. The Christian Science Monitor reported shops selling it for $29.95 in November 1998, though some sellers asked far more. Its page, the original Furby price, explains the reports and why we use the lower figure.

9. Game Boy Color and Pokémon (1998)

The Game Boy Color arrived on November 18, 1998 at $79.95, only weeks after Pokémon Red and Blue reached American shops. The Game Boy Color price page has the details. The trading cards that followed turned the playground into a marketplace.

10. PlayStation (1995)

Sony’s first console was a toy only in the sense that children wanted one. At $299 it was a large purchase, equal to about 70 hours of minimum-wage work at the time. Our PlayStation price page explains the price.

What these toys have in common

Most of them were cheap enough that a child could save up, or ask for one at a birthday. Many relied on scarcity, whether real or created by clever marketing, and many were tied to a television programme or a video game. The exceptions, Tamagotchi and Furby, spread by word of mouth and by playground comparison.

Play it yourself

If you remember any of these, see how well you remember their prices. Price Time Machine is a free daily price-guessing game, and you can challenge your friends to beat your score.

Questions about toys that defined the 1990s

What was the most popular toy of the 1990s?

There was no single winner. Tickle Me Elmo in 1996, Tamagotchi in 1997 and Furby in 1998 each caused shortages in the shops, and Beanie Babies were popular throughout the decade.

How much did a Tamagotchi cost in 1997?

The Tamagotchi cost $17.99 when it reached the United States in May 1997.

How much did Tickle Me Elmo cost?

The recommended retail price was $28.99 when it launched in 1996, although scarcity pushed resale prices far higher at Christmas.

What did a Furby cost in 1998?

The Christian Science Monitor reported shops selling the original Furby for $29.95 in November 1998.