There were a plethora of dolls made in the 1980s.
If you were a child in the 1980s, there was never a dull moment when it came to having fun, playing games and choosing from the wide variety of toys that debuted. Girls and boys had an abundance of toys to choose from, many of them spawning from hit television cartoons or lingering from previous generations, like the Barbie Collection. One thing that rang true of this era, there was an overabundance of dolls to occupy young kids' time and their parents' pockets.
Cabbage Patch Dolls
Cabbage Patch Dolls became one of the most sought after dolls ever during this decade. The popularity and limited availability of these "adoptable" dolls made their mark in 1983, causing near chaos around the country. These little potato-round-shaped face dolls came in boy and girl, were made with a variety of ethnic backgrounds and yarn hair colors. The dolls also came equipped with adoption papers where children pledged to take care of them as if they were their own real babies.
Barbie
The legend of the Barbie doll dates back to the late 1950s, however in 1980, Barbie took on a many varying personalities, including rocker and stewardess and she proudly invited her entire entourage and doll associates with her. She was popular during this time period because of the array of accessories, outfits and personalities that were available.
Strawberry Shortcake
Cartoon legend Strawberry Shortcake was made in doll form as well as more than a dozen of her yummy themed friends and their animal friends like Rhubarb the monkey. The more the merrier became the theme in the 80s where it wasn't enough to simply have one doll character to adore. It became trendy to have the main character's group of friends made into dolls as well.
Care Bears
From Bedtime Bear and Good Luck Bear to Grumpy Bear and Tenderheart Bear, the Care Bears were all the rage following their 1980's ABC TV show debut. The concept behind the show and the dolls that followed was their emblem across their chests, representing the different personalities that make us all special. The point behind Care Bears was to showcase how wonderful we all can work together while embracing our differences.
He-Man & She-Ra
The warriors of the 80s -- He-Man and She-Ra -- came from two different cartoons. She-Ra was a spin-off to her big brother, but both battled the bad guys to save the universe. These muscle-bound protectors came in doll form to serve the needs of little boys who wanted to play fight with the toys and little girls who weren't into the fluffy, daintier toys.
Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies pretty much started the trend for collectibles of plush toys -- the Beanie Babies of the 1980s. Pound Puppies represented differences in personalities, including a sleepy one, the Southern belle and the do-gooder cheerleader, among others. Also based on a television show, they were more of a hit in the plush.
Tags: Care Bears, Pound Puppies, Cabbage Patch, Cabbage Patch Dolls, doll form, dolls made, during this