1990s Retro Gifts: Toys, Records And Party Kit

Tamagotchis and Pogs, Britpop singles on CD and vinyl, and a party in clashing primary colours.

Someone turning 30 to 40 now grew up in this decade. This is the buying guide: what is worth getting, what is only worth getting if it is the real one, and how to put it all in a box without spending a fortune.

Straight answer first: we don't sell retro toys or records. We draw and print cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers in the UK, and we stock party decorations. Everything else below is advice on where the genuine items come from.

Years covered in the 1990s

• 1990 - Thatcher resigned, Gazza cried, and the country spent a fortnight thinking England might actually win it. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1990
• 1991 - Bryan Adams would not get off the top of the chart, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and Freddie Mercury died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1991
• 1992 - Black Wednesday, a general election nobody predicted correctly, and the Premier League arrived. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1992
• 1993 - Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, which is somehow not the strangest thing about the year. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1993
• 1994 - The Lottery started, the Channel Tunnel opened, and Wet Wet Wet would not leave the number one spot. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1994
• 1995 - Blur against Oasis on the Six O'Clock News, and Toy Story changed films for good. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1995
• 1996 - Football came home, nearly, and the Spice Girls arrived and took the entire decade with them. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1996
• 1997 - A landslide in May, a death in August, and the best-selling single in British history. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1997
• 1998 - The Good Friday Agreement, a World Cup sending off nobody forgave, and Furby. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1998
• 1999 - An eclipse over Cornwall, a millennium everybody was quietly worried about, and boy bands everywhere. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1999
• That is every 1990s year we have written up so far: 1990 to 1999.

Best 1990s retro toys

• Tamagotchi, Furby from 1998, Pogs, Beanie Babies and Polly Pocket.
• Game Boy, Mega Drive, SNES, PlayStation from 1995 and the N64 from 1997.
• Sylvanian Families, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.
• Sky dancers, yo-yos in the 1998 craze, and Buzz wire games.
• Board games: Crossfire, Grape Escape, Screwball Scramble.

1990s records worth buying

• CD singles dominate, but Britpop vinyl pressings exist and look far better as a gift.
• Britpop: Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Suede.
• Dance: the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim.
• Pop: Spice Girls, Take That, All Saints, Steps.
• A Now That's What I Call Music CD from the right year is cheap and gets more laughs than any reissue.

1990s party kit

• Colours: primary brights, clashing on purpose.
• Food: Party Rings, Wagon Wheels, Sunny Delight, Vienetta, WKD.
• Music: Britpop and pop, with one dance section late on.
• Props: a Game Boy, a stack of CDs, a disposable camera on each table.
• Games: a 90s quiz, a theme tune round, a guess the year round.

Build a 1990s hamper

• Sweets: Freddos, Hubba Bubba, Panda Pops nostalgia, Chomps.
• A song lyric print from their year.
• A milestone card naming the year.
• A printed 90s quiz sheet.

How to buy retro without being ripped off

• Boxed doubles or triples the price. Unless they collect, buy loose and spend the difference on something else.
• Reissues are fine for toys and games. They are not fine for records - the whole point is the pressing they owned.
• Charity shops, car boots and eBay beat any retro gift website for genuine items, and the search is half the present.
• Check the year, not the decade. A lot of what people file under one decade actually arrived in the next.
• Pair one proper item with three cheap nostalgic bits. The cheap bits get the reaction; the one proper item gets kept.

Shop prints and posters

Milestone birthday cards

Blank inside, kraft envelope, printed in the UK.

Decorations for a decade party

Banners, balloons, cake toppers and confetti, plain enough to take any era theme.

Pin badges and stickers

Cheap, small and genuinely kept - good hamper filler and party favours.

How to write it so it lands

• Buy for the year they turned eighteen, not the year they were born.
• One real item plus three cheap nostalgic bits makes a better hamper than one expensive present.
• Print the look back page for their year and put it in the box - it costs nothing and people read it all night.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1990
• Look back to 1991
• Look back to 1992
• Look back to 1993
• Look back to 1994
• Look back to 1995
• Look back to 1996
• Look back to 1997
• Look back to 1998
• Look back to 1999
• 1990s party playlist
• 1990s trivia: fun facts
• 1990s calendar: year by year
• 1990s fashion: clothes, hair and accessories
• 1990s shopping guide: clothes, books, music and tech
• Decade shopping guides by era
• Decade fashion guides by era
• 1990s holidays and travel
• Decade travel guides by era
• 1950s retro gift guide
• 1960s retro gift guide
• 1970s retro gift guide
• 1980s retro gift guide
• 2000s retro gift guide
• 90s kids' TV shows
• 90s quiz questions
• Toys of the 80s and 90s
• Video shops and late fees
• Look back to the 1990s
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Retro party playlist by decade
• Guess the year quiz
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Milestone birthday cards
• Posters and prints
• Enamel pin badges
• Party supplies
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are the best 90s retro gifts?

A working Game Boy, a Britpop single, a bag of Freddos and Hubba Bubba, and a print from the year they turned eighteen. Tamagotchis have been reissued, so they are easy to find new.

Is 90s music worth buying on vinyl?

Yes for Britpop and dance, which were pressed properly. Most 90s pop was CD only, so a CD single or a Now album is the honest choice there.

Do you sell 1990s toys or records?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers, and we stock party decorations. For the toys and records, charity shops, car boots, eBay and independent record shops are the honest answer.

How do I pick the right decade for a birthday?

Work from the year they turned thirteen to the year they turned twenty-five, not the year they were born. That window is the one they actually remember.