Toy trend for 2015: 8 of the best retro toys
This year's Toy Fair revealed a very clear theme - toys from the 60s, 70s and 80s are making a big comeback
Thunderbirds Tracy Island - due out soon
The original 1960s puppet superheroes are making a comeback this year with a new Thunderbirds Are Go series launching on ITV in April. The visible strings might have been ditched in favour of slick CGI characters but no matter… Tracy Island is back and better than ever!
This Interactive Tracy Island Playset, £79.99, boasts smart technology within the set so it ‘knows’ which craft is launching, playing the appropriate sounds at the right time. It's also got those all-important collapsible palm trees to keep the island a secret from the rest of the world. Well, it puts the Blue Peter one we made out of toilet rolls to shame anyway.
Care Bears - out now
There is nothing more 80s than Care Bears – but this year they're making a big comeback following a successful animated series currently airing on Tiny Pop. The cuddly bears each have a tummy symbol that represents their personality. The collectible plushes are available in a variety of sizes and start at £7.99.
Clangers - due out soon
There's something about these pink knitted mice-like creatures that really captured our imagination as kids, so we can't wait to introduce a new generation to the Soup Dragon! The original series about the whistling characters ran in the 60s and 70s and a brand new one will air on CBeebies in July. Figures, playsets and cuddly toys will be available with prices from £2.99 to £24.99.
Scooby Doo - out now
It's the dog that never goes away. Originally created at the end of the 60s, the Hanna Barbera TV series ran throughout the 70s and 80s. It was given a new lease of life in the 90s when Cartoon Network ran endless repeats, and then in 2002 Scooby hit the cinemas with a live action movie and a successful sequel. The mystery-solving team are now back again - this time on CBBC - looking good at nearly 50. A number of retro Scooby toys are being promoted this year including a Crazy Legs Scooby-Doo, £29.99 and Mystery Machine Playset, £19.99. Yikes!
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Fisher Price Classics - out now
The last time we saw the Chatter Telephone, he was helping Woody break out of Sunnyside in Toy Story 3. So we love that you can now buy the phone that was originally produced in 1961 all over again for £14.99. We also like the kitsch Two-Tune TV, £29.99, Camera, £22.99 and Little Snoopy dog too.
James Bond model car - out now
If collectibles are your thing, then you'll love the Corgi James Bond Aston Martin DB5. It was the biggest selling toy of 1964 in the wake of the classic Goldfinger film starring Sean Connery as 007. Now you can get your hands on the reissue of the model from Hornby – in original retro packaging.
Lego Classic - out now
If you long for the days when playing with Lego didn't mean building a painstakingly perfect scale replica of the Millennium Falcon – then these Lego Classic bricks will be right up your street. Your child's imagination can run wild without the 20 page building manual, or you can always check out some building ideas online on the Lego site. This Medium Creative Brick Box, £24.99, includes 35 different brick colours to let your creativity flow.
BoxKart - out now
We have to admit, soap box racing might have been a bit before our time, but we love this retro-style ride-on. The BoxKart, £99.99, is brought up to date with pneumatic tyres (oh yes), working brake and solid birch plywood frame. It's also fully adjustable for the whole family – so you'll have to wrestle it off the kids to take your turn racing down the street!
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