Christmas comeback for 80s toys, prices and all
Monday November 16 2009
SOME things don't change. With 1980s staples like Transformers and Sylvanian Families back in the top 10 Christmas toys list, Santa could be forgiven a bout of deja vu.
But prices have also remained amazingly stable since the early 1980s, when shoppers had to save a lot harder to pay for Christmas top-sellers.
Recession-hit parents may grumble at having to fork out over €50 for the latest computer game, but they don't have to dig as deep as they did in the past.
A comparison of bestselling toys now and in decades past shows a mix of old favourites and rapid electronic advancement.
Transformers are back on the wishlist this Christmas after first selling out back in 1985, when they were the must-have toy of the season.
Snoopy was another bestseller back in the 1980s when he could be had for as little as IR£5.95, but soft-toy prices have inflated as they have become more advanced, with lifelike Fur Real cats and Mickey Mouse dancing dolls closer to the €50 mark this year.
Monopoly found its way under Christmas trees then and now, with the deluxe 1980s edition selling for IR£15.99 (€20) compared to €24.99 for this year's 3D edition -- meaning it is actually cheaper today once you factor in inflation.
Action Man figures cost £12.95 (€16.50) in 1982, three times as much as this year's hit Ben 10 Alien Force Figures (€5.99). Controversial video game 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' has been creating queues since it went on sale last week priced at €54.99 -- but back in the 1980s parents had to save a lot harder to buy the latest hi-tech electronic games.
The violence in 'Modern Warfare 2' has caused outrage but there were even complaints about the invasion themes in 1982's 'Space Invaders', 'Astro Wars' and 'Pac Man' games.
One thing that's changed is the relative price of top computer and video games.
The latest FIFA computer game costs €34.99 this Christmas, whereas the Kevin Keegan game popular in 1982 cost IR£43.95 (€56) -- which if you factored in inflation would be over €200 now.
- Aideen Sheehan Consumer Correspondent
Irish Independent
