Toys · 1993
Plush Collectibles, Card Battles, and Morphin Power
In 1993, playroom floors were transformed by revolutionary trading card games, bright plastic milk caps, and high-tech novelty gadgets. Children clamored for martial-arts superheroes and neon space explorers as toy aisles embraced a vibrant new era of pop-culture fandom.
- Trading Card Game | Wizards of the Coast
Magic: The Gathering
Richard Garfield's revolutionary fantasy game debuted at Gen Con, sparking a global obsession with deck-building and collectible trading cards.
- Action Figures | Bandai
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Action Figures
Coinciding with the breakout television series, these auto-morphin action figures became the undisputed, hard-to-find must-have gift of the holiday season.
- Plush Toys | Ty Inc.
Original Beanie Babies
Ty Warner introduced nine understuffed, poseable beanbag animals at the New York International Toy Fair, laying the groundwork for a massive collecting craze.
- Playground Craze | World POG Federation
Pogs
Adapted from a traditional Hawaiian milk-cap game, these collectible cardboard discs and heavy slammers swept across schoolyards nationwide.
- LEGO Space Theme | The LEGO Group
LEGO Ice Planet 2002
Featuring trans-neon orange saws and ski-equipped minifigures, this frosty subtheme took LEGO Space fans on daring missions across frozen alien worlds.
- Fashion Doll | Mattel
Earring Magic Ken
Designed to give Barbie an updated companion, this distinctive doll featured a purple mesh shirt and faux-leather vest, becoming the best-selling Ken in history.
- Electronic Toy | Tiger Electronics
Talkboy
Originally produced as a non-working prop for Home Alone 2, this voice-changing cassette recorder was engineered into a real product that topped wish lists.
- Board Game | Milton Bradley
13 Dead End Drive
Players navigated a trap-filled mansion to inherit Aunt Agatha's fortune, dropping chandeliers and springing trapdoors on competing heirs.
Enjoyed your trip back in time?