Bethie Doucette had a cherished troll doll collection in her bedroom in 1970. Troll dolls were incredibly popular in the 1960s, even running competition with Barbie. They were cute and quirky and were supposed to bring good luck. They certainly were way cuter than the Pet Rocks that came along in the 1970s and left just as fast. Trolls had wild colorful hair spiking straight up and rubbery naked bodies with gemstone navels. I don’t think kids had collectibles before the 1950s. It’s interesting how collectibles have changed over the years since then. In the 90s, there were the Beanie Babies, that seemed to be more popular with the mothers who fought over them than the children who weren’t allowed to play with them.
Now in 2025 we have these ugly Labubu plush monsters with enormous eyes, pointy ears and sharp teeth that are marketed at exorbitant prices to stupid rich women who hang them on their clothes like charm bracelets around their waists. (What does this say about their post-apocalyptic mental state—is there a Shrink in the house?)
Aren’t there any wholesome collectibles for this new generation of kids anymore? I wondered. So I did some browsing and it turns out there are. Some are still more creepy than cute. But I feel certain that if Bethie were around today, her grandchildren would surely have some Squishmallows sitting next to those trolls and maybe some Lego figures and Pokémon cards to trade with their friends, too. Bridge that generation gap and ask your grandparents what they played with when they were young.