12 Gift Ideas for People Obsessed With the 1980s

Who is the 1980s pop culture enthusiast? They know the name of all four Pac-Man ghosts, quote E.T. unprompted and probably have cassette tapes hiding in a shoebox in the closet. You know exactly who I’m talking about, since they’re obsessed with the 1980s!

I was there for all of the 1980s (well, I turned 30 in 1980 so I spent that funky, neon-colored decade in my thirties). I watched the crazes with an adult’s eye (especially in the toy aisle). My idea of a great Friday night was Domino’s pizza, a 2-liter of Coke (or a glass of wine) and a dash to Blockbuster.

Thankfully many items from the 1980s can be purchased (often from the same company) new today. I’ve included 12 things you can buy today and a bit of information about their history. Prices change as fast as a Rubik’s Cube when it’s in the hands of a whiz, so I’ll leave them out.

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1. A Rubik’s Cube

The original cube was built by Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian design teacher, in 1974 and was known as the Magic Cube. In 1980 it was renamed Rubik’s Cube and took off globally (made available via Ideal Toy). It was a cultural phenomenon, and in those days there seemed to be an unsolved Rubik’s Cube on every coffee table, and anyone who could solve one became an instant minor celebrity. It’s since become a puzzle that can be given to others with little effort, as it takes minutes for the giver but an entire weekend for the receiver.

According to the National Toy Hall of Fame, within two years of its introduction, 100 million Rubik’s Cubes had been purchased worldwide. Rubik’s was acquired by Canadian toy company Spin Master in 2021 and released an updated version in 2026, the Next Gen 3×3 Cube, with a matte finish and a smoother turn. The company also still offers the classic cube, a mini (2×2) cube and a 4×4 cube.

Where to get it today: the classic cube and the smoother Next Gen version at Rubik’s.

2. A Pac-Man Arcade Cabinet for the Den

First released in July of 1980 in Japan, Pac-Man has since gone down in arcade history. When it was brought to the U.S. in October of 1980 (the cabinet was made by Bally Midway specifically for American arcades), Pac-Man racked up over 100,000 units sold in the U.S. alone in its first year. The game became such a craze, it spawned a hit single, “Pac-Man Fever” by Buckner & Garcia, which made it onto the Billboard charts, and in 2005 Guinness World Records named it the most successful coin-operated game in the world, counting a total of 293,822 Pac-Man cabinets installed over the course of 7 years.

Luckily, you can bring this gaming classic home and no quarters are required with Arcade1Up’s full-size, deluxe Pac-Man arcade machine for your den or room. It includes a 17-inch screen, a real-feel joystick, a lit-up Pac-Man marquee and even a pretend coin door (good luck convincing anyone it isn’t real), and it has 14 classic games. Or save some floor space with Arcade1Up’s countertop-size Pac-Man Countercade that includes Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man and Pac-Mania on its 7-inch screen.

Where to get it today: the Pac-Man cabinets at Arcade1Up.

3. The Atari 2600+

Pong was released as a home game by Atari two years before Atari’s famous console was introduced: the Atari 2600. Released in 1977 and reigning supreme in family rooms by the early ’80s, the 2600 was one of the first gaming consoles that allowed players to swap cartridges to play different games. Americans were spending billions of dollars on Atari 2600 related items each year (that’s according to the National Toy Hall of Fame!) and classic games, like Combat, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Frogger kept the system relevant for 15 years.

Now, an updated version of the system is available. The Atari 2600+ will play original Atari 2600 and 7800 games and can be connected to modern-day televisions via HDMI cable. There’s even a widescreen option, an illuminated Atari logo when the system’s in use, a CX40+ joystick (modeled after the original), and a 10-in-1 game cartridge (titles include Adventure, Combat, Missile Command, Yars’ Revenge, and more). It’s a great gift if you’ve got old Atari games languishing in your basement.

Where to get it today: the Atari 2600+ with joystick from Atari.

4. A Casio Calculator Watch

Casio introduced its first calculator watch, the C-80, in February of 1980, kicking off a trend that would see those in the know sporting calculator watches for the rest of the ’80s. At one time, they represented a sort of futuristic flair, an eagerness for answers no matter what (or if!) questions were being asked.

Casio still makes its CA-53W calculator watch as part of its Data Bank collection. The watch has an eight-digit calculator, a daily alarm, a dual-time function and a stopwatch with 1/100-second measurement. Casio expects its battery to last about 5 years.

In the ’80s, a watch like this might have seemed like science fiction on your wrist, and today it looks perfectly practical (black resin body; calculator keys are right there on the watch’s face), maybe even quaintly so. The watch is so lightweight, in fact, you’d probably forget you were wearing one until the time came to use it.

Where to get it today: the Casio CA-53W Data Bank (if Casio’s own store is sold out, major retailers usually carry it).

5. A Portable Cassette Player (the Walkman’s Descendant)

Sony first put its Walkman, the TPS-L2, which ran on two AA batteries, on sale in Japan on July 1, 1979. It didn’t have a speaker, so you had to use headphones, and it featured two headphone jacks, which were labeled A and B so friends could share the experience. It was known as a Soundabout when it landed in America in June of 1980 before Sony began calling all of its personal cassette players Walkmans globally.

Sony sold nearly 400 million of them in various flavors, but quit making the cassette-player version in 2010 and does not make them anymore. But, if you made a lot of mix tapes in the ’80s and would like to listen to them again, FiiO makes a cassette player: the CP13. It’s minimalist, as it can only be used for playback (no recording, no auto-reverse) and is completely analog, but has a rechargeable battery (USB-C cable) with a playtime of about 13 hours.

Where to get it today: the FiiO CP13 cassette player.

6. A Polaroid Camera and a Pack of 600 Film

Polaroid released its 600 film back in 1981, and I’m happy to report that Polaroid Color 600 Film is being made now for your trusty vintage Polaroid 600 cameras from the ’80s and later. Each pack comes with 8 photos and has a battery inside which powers the cameras. So dust off that camera from the attic, pop the film in and away you go! Made in the Netherlands in what Polaroid calls the last Polaroid film factory in the world, the picture will take around 10 to 15 minutes to fully develop.

Nothing beats pulling out your trusty boxy black Sun 660 Autofocus, taking a photo and watching it come out the front for everyone else to watch it develop. The SX-70 film that came before it was nowhere near the speed of 600 film, which was ISO 640, and that is pretty zippy! There’s also a new instant camera from Polaroid which accepts both the i-Type film as well as 600 film called the Now Generation 3 with autofocus, a self-timer and a double-exposure mode.

Where to get it today: the Polaroid Now camera and Color 600 film from Polaroid.

7. A Care Bear

Care Bears have long been a source of comfort and cheer. But did you know these adorable critters were the product of Cleveland, Ohio?

Care Bears were created by greeting card company American Greetings back in 1981. The original characters were painted in watercolor by artist Elena Kucharik. The company’s licensing division Those Characters From Cleveland introduced a cast of 10 bears, including Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Funshine Bear and Wish Bear, each of which represented something and featured a symbolic emblem on its tummy to represent that concept.

The Care Bears have been big business from the beginning, racking up $2 billion in product sales in their first five years. Today, toy maker Basic Fun makes 14-inch Care Bears made from earth-friendly materials.

As an Ohioan, it’s fun to have something to brag about! And I’m glad rainbow-tummied Cheer Bear and her friends will be around to bring smiles to little ones for years to come.

Where to get it today: a Cheer Bear plush from Basic Fun, which makes Care Bears today.

8. Trivial Pursuit Classic Edition

Invented in December of 1979 by two Canadians, Chris Haney and Scott Abbott, Trivial Pursuit is a trivia game for the whole family. Launched on the market in 1981 in Canada and 1982 in the U.S., Trivial Pursuit became a pop-culture sensation in the ’80s with 20 million copies sold by 1984. In 2008, Haney and Abbott sold the rights to Trivial Pursuit to Hasbro for $80 million.

Players must correctly answer questions in one of six colored categories: Geography (blue), Entertainment (pink), History (yellow), Arts & Literature (purple), Science & Nature (green) and Sports & Leisure (orange). Correctly answering a question on a wedge space earns the player the corresponding colored wedge; players must collect all colored wedges to fill in their token and then correctly answer a question to win the game.

Hasbro offers a Trivial Pursuit Classic Edition for 2-6 players, ages 16+. With 2,400 questions and a board that recalls the original version from the ’80s, your favorite family member (who always knew the answers) will want to prove how much they still know.

Where to get it today: Trivial Pursuit Classic Edition on Amazon.

9. The LEGO E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Set

Premiering on June 11, 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an all-time classic. It took the number one box office slot from Star Wars and became the highest-grossing film of the 1980s. It also took home four Academy Awards including one for John Williams’ score. Reese’s Pieces sales increased 65% after the candy appeared in the film and the movie was deemed culturally significant when it was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1994. It’s no wonder that LEGO is paying homage to E.T. with an adorable buildable display from their LEGO Ideas line (LEGO set number 21370).

This sweet and cleverly-designed LEGO Ideas model is begging to sit pretty on display. With a rotating head and a finger for pointing, glowing heart thanks to a light brick and an adorable pot of flowers, this E.T. is sure to keep smiling back at you from your shelf for years to come. And yes, the 1,226 pieces take the kind of patience you have as an adult, and this LEGO Ideas set (for ages 18+) makes for a calming afternoon of building.

Where to get it today: the LEGO Ideas E.T. set (21370).

10. A Cabbage Patch Kid

Remember the Cabbage Patch Kids? Originally, they were a project by an art student named Xavier Roberts, who was studying the folk art of Appalachia in Georgia in 1977, including its soft sculpture tradition. In 1983, Roberts and Coleco started producing them en masse and marketing them as Cabbage Patch Kids. Each doll came with its own name and a birth certificate. At one point, stores couldn’t keep them in stock; in the 1983 Christmas rush, some 1,000 shoppers descended on a Zayre in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, resulting in a stampede and five trips to the hospital.

The store’s 240 CPKs sold out in 30 minutes. By 1990 some 65 million Cabbage Patch Kids had been adopted. Today, there’s still a Cabbage Patch Kids hospital, BabyLand General Hospital (no fight necessary to gain admission, and all employees wear scrubs), located in Cleveland, Georgia, about 75 miles northeast of Atlanta. You can also order 16-inch Vintage Cabbage Patch Kids with personalized birth certificates, as well as one-of-a-kind, hand-stitched CPKs, lovingly made by local artists at BabyLand, via their website.

Where to get it today: the vintage-style Cabbage Patch Kids from the official shop.

11. A Members Only Jacket

The jacket was first designed at Europe Craft, which was run by Herb Goldsmith and Ed Wachtel. During a trip to Europe Goldsmith saw a racer’s jacket which featured a knit waistband and wide cuffs. He had a designer adapt the item for men’s wear and added cuffs, a stand-up collar and epaulets.

Goldsmith got the name for the item when he saw a sign at the gate to the Westbury Country Club which read “Members Only.” Frank Sinatra ordered the jacket in 20 different colors and Johnny Carson also sported the jacket and soon it seemed you couldn’t enter a mall during the eighties without seeing a man wearing a Members Only jacket. Members Only is still in existence today. Its version of the jacket is called the Men’s Classic Iconic Racer Jacket. It comes in a range of colors. There are also jackets for kids and women.

Where to get it today: the Classic Iconic Racer Jacket from Members Only.

12. Nintendo’s NES Classics on a Nintendo Switch

Does anyone on your list happen to have a Nintendo Switch? If so, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription gets them access to a collection called Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Classics. Nintendo first tested the waters with NES sales in New York back in October of 1985 (including a little toy robot known as R.O.B. to convince parents it was more of a toy than a video game console) before its national release in 1986.

Included in this collection are the original Super Mario Bros. (created by video game legend Shigeru Miyamoto in 1985 and the beginning of what would become the most popular video game series of all time), The Legend of Zelda (1986), and classics like Donkey Kong (1981), Metroid (1987), and Kid Icarus (1987). In total, there are more than 100 NES and Super NES titles available through Nintendo Switch Online. Paid members in the U.S. and Canada can also pick up a pair of wireless rechargeable NES-style controllers for their Switch.

Where to get it today: the NES Classics and NES-style controllers from Nintendo.

Your Turn

So what would you most like to open up for yourself from this list? Or did you give or get an ’80s gift not on here? Let me know about that in the comments! It’s always fun to reminisce with friends like you.

If this list got you thinking about the decade, you might also enjoy 12 Things Only People Who Rented From Blockbuster Will Remember and the things inside every ’80s mom’s purse.

Top photo: A row of Care Bears plush toys, each with its own tummy symbol. Photo: John Trainor / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Photographs are in the public domain or used under Creative Commons licenses, as credited in each caption.