2000s Retro Gifts: Toys, Records And Party Kit

Bratz and Beyblades, indie landfill on 7 inch, and a party themed on MSN, flip phones and low-rise everything.

Someone turning 25 to 35 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 2000s

• 2000 - The Millennium Dome, the fuel protests and Big Brother arriving from nowhere. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2000
• 2001 - Foot-and-mouth, 11 September and the first iPod. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2001
• 2002 - The Golden Jubilee, the death of the Queen Mother and Pop Idol fever. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2002
• 2003 - Iraq, a record-breaking heatwave and England winning the Rugby World Cup. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2003
• 2004 - Strictly and The X Factor both started, and the year ended with the tsunami. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2004
• 2005 - The Olympic bid, the 7 July bombings and the Ashes coming home. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2005
• 2006 - Arctic Monkeys, the Wii and another World Cup penalty shoot-out. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2006
• 2007 - The iPhone, the smoking ban, the floods and the run on Northern Rock. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2007
• 2008 - The banking crash, a brilliant Olympics and Lewis Hamilton on the last corner. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2008
• 2009 - Recession, MPs' expenses and a Christmas number one campaign that worked. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2009
• That is every 2000s year we have written up so far: 2000 to 2009.

Best 2000s retro toys

• Bratz dolls, Beyblades, Bionicle and Robosapien.
• Nintendo DS from 2005, PSP, Xbox and Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and Wii from 2006.
• Webkinz, Moshi Monsters at the end of the decade, and Build-a-Bear.
• Heelys, scooters and the yo-yo revival.
• Board and party games: Articulate, Cranium, Buzz quiz games on the PS2.

2000s records worth buying

• Indie 7 inch singles from 2004 to 2008 are cheap and very of their time: Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, the Libertines.
• Pop: Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Amy Winehouse, Gnarls Barkley.
• Vinyl was near its low point, so many 2000s releases were reissued later - check the pressing year.
• A burned CD in a wallet is the genuinely authentic object for this decade, even if it is not a gift you can buy.

2000s party kit

• Colours: silver, hot pink and denim.
• Food: Pop Tarts, Dairylea Lunchables, Smirnoff Ice, Sunny D.
• Music: indie and pop, heavy on 2004 to 2008.
• Props: an old flip phone, an iPod on the table, an MSN nickname board.
• Games: an 00s quiz, a music round, and a guess the year round.

Build a 2000s hamper

• Sweets: Freddos, Millions, Mini Eggs, Dip Dabs.
• A song lyric print from their year.
• A funny milestone card for a 30th.
• A printed 00s 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 2000
• Look back to 2001
• Look back to 2002
• Look back to 2003
• Look back to 2004
• Look back to 2005
• Look back to 2006
• Look back to 2007
• Look back to 2008
• Look back to 2009
• 2000s party playlist
• 2000s trivia: fun facts
• 2000s calendar: year by year
• 2000s fashion: clothes, hair and accessories
• 2000s shopping guide: clothes, books, music and tech
• Decade shopping guides by era
• Decade fashion guides by era
• 2000s holidays and travel
• Decade travel guides by era
• 1950s retro gift guide
• 1960s retro gift guide
• 1970s retro gift guide
• 1980s retro gift guide
• 1990s retro gift guide
• 00s quiz questions
• Dial-up, MSN and MySpace
• Adverts we can still recite
• Look back to the 2000s
• 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 suits a 2000s themed party?

Indie and pop from 2004 to 2008, silver and hot pink decorations, Pop Tarts and Sunny D on the table, and an MSN nickname board by the door.

What is a good 00s gift for a 30th?

A 7 inch indie single from their teens, a print from their birth year, a funny 30th card and a handful of Freddos and Dip Dabs.

Do you sell 2000s 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.