During the 1980s, the doll industry in the US was booming. In the stores, there were many toys for children and adults that were extremely popular. The dolls were not just gender specific (though some were made for all genders equally), but also very colorful and could be easily identified by their outfits or other physical traits.
Overall, the 1980s was a decade of popular dolls and toys. Aside from the typical Barbie doll line, here are some of the most popular dolls in the 80s:
Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls
These adorable dolls were introduced in 1982 by Coleco Industries. They had a wide variety of facial expressions and their bodies were made from either cloth bodies or vinyl. While the signature editions were made from cloth bodies, vinyl was later incorporated to make these dolls more durable.
The Cabbage Patch Kids were one of the most popular doll lines of the 1980s, with reportedly over 30 million dolls sold by the end of 1983 alone. This incredible number was likely due to the fact that the dolls were comparatively cheap.
Care Bears Dolls
Care Bears were a line of plush toys that were produced in the early 1980s. They varied from the stereotypical pink, cutesy bear to more realistic characters with various expressions and outfits. They were adapted from animated bear characters that were commonly featured in greeting cards manufactured by American Greetings.
These dolls are some of the more well-known between their other 80s counterparts. Since their relaunch in 2002, over 70 million of these Care Bears dolls have been sold.
American Girl Dolls
American Girl Dolls were conceived in 1986 by Pleasant Company as a line of dolls that could be “played” with. These dolls were created to teach the buyers about various different aspects of cultures around the world. They were meant to teach girls about different periods of history, including a variety of ethnicities, classes, races, faiths, and more.
American Girl Dolls are one of the most well-known doll lines of the 1980s. In fact, they have expanded so much since their conception that there are now over 88 different dolls available for purchase. Since 1986, there have been approximately over 32 million dolls sold through retail, both online and offline. There has even been a series of films adapted from the dolls, the most recent one being released in 2017.
My Little Pony Dolls
My Little Pony dolls were created in 1982 by the American company Hasbro. They are one of the most famous 80s doll lines and have been featured in various television shows, movies, and commercials. The reason this doll line is so well-known is due to the fact that they are extremely popular with both young girls, even as well as grown adults. Even today, the My Little Pony franchise has quite the cult following.
The My Little Pony dolls have sold over 150 million units throughout their 1980s run, making them one of the most successful doll lines of all time.
