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What era do you think of when you hear the word “retro?” The ’90s? The ’50s? As it happens, you’ll find toys from both of those decades and several in between on the market today. Before we get into the best retro toys, let’s talk about the lingo.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “retro” as meaning: “relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past: fashionably nostalgic or old-fashioned.”
Now, to be sure, that definition doesn’t cast retro things in a pejorative light, but it does certainly allude to them being out-of-date, even if not without merit. Today, though, we’re taking things in an entirely positive direction; the items featured on our list of the best retro toys may be classics from the past, but they are just as much fun today as they were when they first hit store shelves (or were wrapped and tucked under the tree) all those many years ago.
In other words, while a Nintendo Switch or a 3Doodler 3D Pen might make an awesome gift for a kid (and hey, a Snapmaker 3D printer might make an awesome gift for you…), you won’t see anything like that here, because those devices haven’t stood the test of time. But the retro toys below sure have, so you can count on them to make great gifts this holiday season just like they have for years—or even for decades.
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