Weird shit from an 80s childhood

[CandidFruit]

Reading through the retro sweets thread reminded me of some other random stuff from growing up in the early 80s.

Who else remembers the garbage pail kids? (I mean, Cabbage patch kids was bad enough!)
Now that is some seriously weird shit!

Mind you, I bet anything if you have the full set, you’ll probably be able to pay off your mortgage 😂

Ah the Coca Cola & sprite yo-yos everyone had in school !
I’m still quite good with yo-yo tricks as I found out when my son got one for Christmas 🤣

OMG I had completely forgotten about this - googled it and it all came back!

Each pack came with a chewing gum! Can almost remember the smell too!

I remember Garbage Pail Kids! They were gross but funny. My brother collected them and he would show them to me in secret because our ultra-religious parents would have disapproved.

I used to love Quattro drink and some green and white minty chewy sweets called Pacers.

I used to collect the Panini stickers for the albums too - my brother had the Mexico '86 World Cup one. My favourites were the Care Bears, Short Circuit, Back to the Future and Basil the Great Mouse Detective ones. I used to LOVE the smell of the stickers when you opened their packets.

I also remember a real craze for collecting scented and novelty erasers. I had a few, but some of my friends' collections were epic.

Did anyone else's family not own a tele in the 80s? We actually rented one for many years until we got our own in the 90s. That was very fancy as it had a remote control.

The day we got a VHS video player was possibly the most exciting day of my childhood.

The day we got an automatic washing machine was probably my mum's favourite day.

Also remember being instructed not to look at the microwave when it was on as we would go blind or get cancer or both.

I had my own Panini football sticker album. a football league one, and can still remember the excitement when I got a 'shiny'.

I collected both novelty rubbers and soaps - Avon were great for the latter for a while. I had a big ice cream tub full of rubbers, my favourites were a chocolate swiss roll and a biscuit that was like a bourbon-shape/size custard cream, they both smelled heavenly.

I read Bunty and Debbie and later Smash Hits, but as a pony-mad kid - never had one, always wanted one - my favourite magazine was Horse and Pony, and I religiously entered the WH Smith 'Win A Pony' competition.

Did anyone else's family not own a tele in the 80s? We actually rented one for many years until we got our own in the 90s. That was very fancy as it had a remote control.

Yep, from Radio Rentals or Rumbelows!

That's not controversial at all.

Sindy was clearly way better.

I had "My Petite Office" !!! Thanks for the flashback

Also "Dogtanian & The Three Muskehounds" theme tune is second only to Ulysees

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I remember how it was quite normal for TV's just to stop working. The screen would go all fuzzy and you'd have to fiddle around with the aerial to try to get things moving. This would happen quite regularly. I can't remember now the last time my telly just stopped working. It doesn't seem to be a 'thing' anymore.

I remember a neighbour got a VHS player and we thought it was amazing high tech. Imagine being able to record programmes the same way you'd record music off the radio!

It's actually amazing how fast technology has developed in the past few decades. The thought of even having to wait a whole week to see an episode of a TV series is alien to the yoof these days. Let alone not being able to watch it at all if you happened to be out when it was aired.

I still miss Pacers and no one else ever seems to remember them.

@SoundTheSirens I used to get Horse and Pony magazine too! I had posters of Fred all over my bedroom door! Smash Hits too - but H&P was my favourite. I think I've still got the hoof pick freebie they gave away with one edition - despite never having owned an actual horse (or pony).

@MarkWithaC same here! And no-one else seems to remember the drink that came out at the same time as Um Bongo, made by the same people. It was a blackcurranty one called Moonshine, with a cartoon hillbilly on it. I can still remember the advertising jingle - "Moonshine, Moonshine, Looks pretty weird but it tastes just fine...". And the advert from the Mushroom Marketing Board with cartoon marching mushrooms singing "Make Room for the Mushrooms".

I've got a photographic memory. It's a nightmare.🙄

Anyone else remember cheesecloth 'peasant' style skirts in pastel colours?

I used to think of them as the height of grown up fashion and really coveted one.

Well only explain to them how it works.

OMG you just made me sing the "Make room for the mushrooms" jingle in my head!

@Scorchio84 May I also put in a good word for the theme tunes to Around the World with Willy Fog and The Mysterious Cities of Gold? I think you could write to Andy Crane in the BBC Broom-cupboard and get a printed song sheet with the lyrics on.

I remember moonshine, the carton and the advert.

Hehe, sorry about that.

Thank the lord; I was beginning to think it was just me.😓

Oh yes, and stories on cassettes with an accompanying book. There was a beep on the tape when you had to turn the page. My brother had loads of A-Team ones.

Absolutely loved Garbage Pail Kids!!

Definite yes to the disregarding of film age certificates, I had to have a tooth out for some reason when I was about 7, my Mum bought me Dirty Dancing on video as a reward, I'm sure it was a 15, I LOVED it!!!!!

I remember Moonshine. I loved it, and Um Bongo, and the ads, but they would be cancelled now; the imagery and music were pretty... questionable.

Anyone remember a hapless cartoon horse/sheriff called Quick Draw McGraw? Or Undercover Elephant? Those generally make people back away slowly when I try to explain them

I remember Moonshine. I loved it, and Um Bongo, and the ads, but they would be cancelled now; the imagery and music were pretty... questionable.

"Um Bongo.

They drink it in The Congo."

Yikes!

I had a massive crush on the model in the Quattro advert. He was the epitome of 80s beauty.

I have to attend an 80s festival in the summer. My memory of 80s fashion was pastel coloured pedal pushers. A baggy white t-shirt cinched in with a matching pastel thick belt. Have I imagined this? Sometimes worn with matching stiletto court shoes?