1980s cartoons
The decade the toys came with the shows: robots, warriors, Turtles and bears, plus every playset worth a shelf.
- He-Man
- G.I. Joe
- Transformers
- ThunderCats
- Care Bears
- TMNT
Plus 14 more shows from the decade.
80s and 90s cartoon toys
Collect the cartoons you grew up with
Pick your show to see what the original toys came with, how to tell an original from a reissue or a knockoff, and which new figures make an easy gift. Figures, lunch boxes and animation cels from each show are for sale on its page.
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Pick your show
All guidesThe big four, Transformers, He-Man, G.I. Joe and the Turtles, are where most collections start.
Hasbro, from 1984
Optimus Prime, Megatron and the first Autobots and Decepticons, and how to spot a reissue.
Mattel, from 1982
The first Masters of the Universe figures, Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain.
Hasbro, 1982 to 1994
The 3.75-inch Joes and Cobra, their file cards and the vehicles, up to the USS Flagg.
Playmates, from 1988
The first four Turtles and their foes, the Party Wagon and the Technodrome.
Kenner, from 1983
The original plush bears and Cousins, and how to read the tag on a vintage bear.
Kenner, from 1992
Kenner figures and the Batmobile, plus the McFarlane and Mondo figures fans buy now.
Vintage 80s action figures for sale
Live listings, shown by eBay
Shop vintage 80s action figures
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Before you buy an original
- Read the stamp. The date and maker on a figure usually date the design, not the piece: see action figures.
- Count the parts. Check weapons and accessories against a checklist for that figure before you pay a "complete" price.
- Ask about repros. Labels, weapons and sticker sheets are reproduced openly, and sellers should say so.
- Judge the tin. Look for rust, dents, the hinge and latch, and the matching thermos: see lunch boxes.
80s or 90s?
Many 80s shows were made to sell a toy line, so the figures, vehicles and playsets arrived with the episodes. The big 90s shows started from comic books instead. Each decade page lists its shows with the studio and the company that made the toys.
1990s cartoons
Batman and the X-Men on Fox Kids: the figures sold at the time and the new ones made for fans since.
- Batman: TAS
- X-Men
Plus 9 more shows from the decade.
Vintage 90s action figures for sale
Live listings, shown by eBay
Shop vintage 90s action figures
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Figures, lunch boxes and cels
Any show
Original, reissue or knockoff? What the stamp on the leg tells you, and how to store figures.
Metal and plastic
What to check on a vintage tin: rust, dents, the latch and the matching thermos.
Art from the shows
A real production cel or a sericel? How to tell, and how to keep one from fading.
Beyond the figures
Lunch boxes and art from the shows
Not every collection is plastic. Metal character lunch boxes carried the shows to school, and hand-painted production cels are frames of the animation itself. Each has its own checks: rust and the matching thermos for a lunch box, the studio seal and the drawing for a cel.
Vintage metal character lunch boxes for sale
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Shop vintage metal character lunch boxes
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New guides
All guides
1980s · Title
Care Bears
How to spot an original 1980s Care Bear: Kenner's 1983 plush and the Cousins, what the tag should say, and how to clean and store a vintage bear.
1980s · Title
G.I. Joe
How to date a vintage G.I. Joe figure, what a complete one needs, what to check on the vehicles and the USS Flagg, and the Classified figures sold today.
1980s · Title
He-Man
When the first He-Man figures came out, what a complete vintage figure needs, what to check on Castle Grayskull, and the new figures Mattel makes.
1980s · Branch
Characters
The main He-Man heroes and villains, the year each got its first Mattel figure from 1982 to 1984, and what the first figures came with.
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