Christmas shopping 1983 | From the WNEP Archive

[@ugaais]

I was 13 in 1983 got a Coleco Vision as the main gift…a few game cartridges..lots of cassette tapes..Quiet Riot, Def Leppard, Van Halen etc….cloths etc..but what I remember the most was the amount of family still alive we had over 40 relatives over for dinner…loved being a teen in the 80’s

[@jasonreese4573]

I was also 13 in 1983, ah the beginning of the "metal years!"...Early MTV!...middle school...concerts! WE DONT KNOW HOW GOOD WE HAD IT !😊

[@KB-ke3fi]

And Reagan was president...it was a great decade.

[@Majax2]

@@KB-ke3fi He destroyed the middle class. It was not a great decade.

[@soniagill5958]

sounds awful to be honest

[@Gr8thxAlot]

Imagine a 1980's rec room with a juke box and pinball. That family was living it up!

[@maccagrabme]

We had a fruit machine and pinball in the dining room in the mid 70s, UK, it was great.

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

Easy-Bake Oven, Lite-Brite, batons, "Rock-em Sock'em Robots", bicycles. "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" 1973, Christmas time(the mall has been demolished, Eastifeld Mall, Boston Road, Springfield, MA), Pogo-sticks. We had to be extremely careful with the Easy-Bake oven, very hot bulb. I remember that time fondly!

[@brigidlander1775]

Good times! I was 18 in 1983. Such fabulous memories. I miss the 80’s especially how life has changed 💯. My generation 🥰.

[@garyfrancis6193]

Yes the recession then the worst since the 1930’s was charming. I guess you weren’t aware of thousands of people who were flipping houses riding the real estate inflation in the 70’s suddenly got caught out with houses they couldn’t sell. They ten lost their shirts.

[@sarahlynn7894]

@garyfrancis6193 What is wrong with you? Did your mother not give you enough hugs when you were little? Did you not have a father? Why are you leaving such vile miserable comments on everyone's nice and happy comments? Are you a sociopath? Seek help buddy.

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

18, 1982.

[@je862]

@@garyfrancis6193 well, you win some, you lose some.

[@greglee1174]

I was 13 at Christmas time in 1983. My brother and I got a Coleco Vision game system. It had the racing module with it. We loved it and played it nonstop until Christmas break was over. I still have it after 40 years. Thanks Mom & Dad. ❤️

[@robertcovino4889]

I got that too 😂 🍻

[@francoisregis2155]

Got the Atari2600

[@tonymoretti2347]

Turbo by Sega

[@kjw7556]

I was -2

[@seththomas9105]

Yep, I was the same age. 8th grade and looking forward to high school. It was a fun Christmas.

[@mindfulnessbytheocean]

I just turned 4 that Christmas of 1983. I got He Man and a lot of the MOTU figures- and Castle Grayskull! So glad I got to be a kid in the 80s.

[@Mom2my4blessings]

I turned 7 in 1983. All I wanted was a Cabbage Patch Kid. It’s nice seeing how life used to be. People out shopping, socializing, and being together and not staring at their phones.

[@francoisregis2155]

My cousin got one plus clothes to go with it Xmas shopping was fun you met people malls were jam pack you didn’t have zombies on their cell phones no amazon either those were the good old days

[@doobette5554]

I was 5 that Christmas and got a Cabbage Patch Kid; my mom got one of the last ones on the shelf. It was a boy named Barry Alfie - I'll never forget that name. 😂

[@seththomas9105]

I was in jr. high and all us guys laughed like hell at the Cabbage Patch BS!

[@lql1094]

I was 9 and never understood the hype over Cabbage Patch dolls. They were ugly to me.

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

I wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid with pigtails, but I only got a baby and a preemie. I was glad to have them and loved them, but I had to hide my disappointment at not getting one with hair. I made sure to thank my grandparents and my aunt who bought them for me. I didn’t want them to know they got the wrong one.

[@janetbaker8312]

I miss these days. Such simple and good days

[@libbygarcia3554]

You are right. I was born in 1993

[@francoisregis2155]

Same no stress we had lots of fun growing up in the 80’s

[@lolagarcia1142]

the cabbage era was such a icon time ... my best friend's mom went to sears and got her one and she still has it to this day and we r both 53 years old now. gosh if we can go back just one more time🥰🥰🥰

[@darlenegattus8190]

❤

[@jerellewynn2855]

Aww the golden eighties. I was 13 in 1983 . The nastalgia and memories of my childhood. The toys of the eighties were the best. Times were simple and family was close. The times of the early 80's will never be duplicated. What a great time to be alive. Even the music was better too. Thanks for posting. Aww miss the 80's.

[@dougmorris9317]

I was 21 years old in 1983, working at Murphys Mart and a couple weeks before Christmas we got a surprise delivery of Cabbage Patch dolls. Our manager kept them under wraps until the next morning then told us employees we could have first dibs before the store opened and they were put on display. My baby sister was 6, so I bought one (and made my mom cry with happy surprise when she saw it). But when the store opened for business, there were none left! Our manager was upset, he didnt understand how 40 people needed 200 dolls. Until that night, on the way home from work he passed the guy from Automotive selling them from the back of his pickup in front of the Courthouse for $100 each. Um... that young man (my age) was fired a week later.

[@garyfrancis6193]

Which one was fired?

[@dougmorris9317]

@@garyfrancis6193 The guy who bought and sold all the dolls from his truck. But I'm not sure if he was fired or asked to leave.

[@thetaekwondoe3887]

Conflicted on this one. Kind of the manager's fault for not setting a one per employee limit. I mean, granted, he expected there to be decency from the employees and not taking advantage of his generosity in letting people get what they need, but people see an opportunity and take it.

[@Gragerardo]

❤️

[@angelasmith4133]

Dang, I miss the good old days. The 80’s were magic. Would give anything for a time machine.

[@celebwrestling]

Thanks for making my childhood full of wonder, Dad! I miss you ❤

[@mksolid82]

I was only a year old at this time but I was lucky enough to enjoy the mid to late 80s and all the great things that it offered. It’s sad how time keeps marching forward. The world just keeps getting crazier by the day. I miss the simple times of the 80s and 90s. Some days when I look back it really bums me out.

[@LiLgPnoy15]

I agree. My childhood was more in the 90s, but the 80s were good too. I don't remember anything, but I watch videos now, and life was more enjoyable.

[@danceswithcomicbooks7733]

The 80s and 90s were a special time. It was after the Vietnam War. We did have the cold war but people didn't seem overly worried and Reagan took care of it at the end of the 80s. Times were simpler. Technology was booming but wasn't overly permeating are social lives. People on the whole dressed better for the most part. What I mean by that is parents dressed in more grown up mature styles than their kids. Now you can't differentiate between the parents and kids styles. Parents are dressing just like their kids. Lol.

[@bobbykiriakidis9753]

I was just reminiscing myself and I find that I cherry picked most of my good memories from my teen years in the 80’s. The reality is we were in tough most of it up to the late 80’s. Money wasn’t good most places in North America up until 87

[@danceswithcomicbooks7733]

@@bobbykiriakidis9753 money was way better than today. After the disastrous Carter policies it took Reagan a few years to get things back on track. But by 82 or 83 things already started to look brighter and we also had the technology boom happening.

[@bobbykiriakidis9753]

@@danceswithcomicbooks7733 no offense to your conservative leanings, but, time and again “trickle down economics “ was totally shown to be a big fraud. Greatest growth was under Bill Clinton 92 and beyond. Carter years by the way we’re carry over from NIXON FORD failures

[@sarahlynn7894]

I was turning 6 that December and I can’t believe this was 40 years ago! Many of these people are gone now. 😢 Pretty cool to go back in time. Thank you!

[@garyfrancis6193]

You were turning six how many times? I think you may have done it only once so a past continuous verb is ludicrous. You just need Simple Psst as it is a completed action in the past that was not repeated. So it’s simply “ I turned 6 that December.” Don’t you have any clue about English verb tenses? How about asking Santa Claus for a book on grammar?

[@sarahlynn7894]

@garyfrancis6193 I think your comment says more about you than anything! What miserable individual you are and a complete dishonor to your parents! First, YOU need to check your own grammar, but let's talk about vocabulary. Clearly VIRTUE is not in your vocabulary. It's obvious that you're an individual that narcissisticly prides themselves on picking the lowest fruit on the tree of virtue while submerged in self deeming delusions of intellectual superiority. How about you seek mental help immediately and go regurgitate your psychotic misery somewhere else. ☺️

[@KB-ke3fi]

I was 25 and it was great. And Reagan was president.

[@cj4021]

Put down the meff pipe and chill dude. Your lack of sanity is showing

[@sarahlynn7894]

@cj4021 Gary didn't get enough hugs from his mother. It's not his fault.

[@doug2078]

I had just turned 20 .I miss the 80's

[@LaughingWolf18]

Imagine having a huge jukebox in your house back in those days to now where you can literally play music anywhere in your house, your phone via Spotify and stream apps like that. Wow, we came along way.

[@jnstange]

Thank you for sharing these classic clips from the archives. I look forward to watching them and reminiscing.

[@Bartokomous]

Same!

[@anadthebarbarian]

Star Wars & He-Man was my '83 christmas. fantastic memories

[@danjohnson4082]

And GI Joe for me.

[@richardhazdra29]

I sure do miss these days! All the stores around me are closed or closing down. It’s nice to be able to watch footage like this and relive those days 👍

[@sweetrobertos]

Thank you for the walk down memory lane. I was a 15 year old Sophomore in High School at the time. Probably the most fun decade of my life.

[@seththomas9105]

I was 13 and in 8th grade. The 80's rocked.

[@notsure8338]

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

[@miketemple7686]

That was hilarious to see the one toy store owner keep people back with that aluminum baseball bat.🤣 All over Cabbage Patch Kids😂.

[@Lunafalls]

People really were just that desperate, that first Christmas for them in 1983. People lined up for hours.

[@seththomas9105]

Cage match!

[@Mister_Listener]

That happened at Zayre Department store on Mundy Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I remember it all!

[@joaquinalexander9]

Brings back some memories! Haha.

[@sethburkhart1021]

I was thinking the same thing! Just when I was about to comment on how calm and self controlled people were even as recently as 1983.

[@nigelcarren]

I chuckled when the toy owner seemed upset that kids aren't buying so many Pershing missiles this year! Nothing says Christmas like nuclear capable weapons! 🇬🇧🎄🇺🇲

[@garyfrancis6193]

Me too. I miss the holiday mushroom clouds.

[@homerthompson416]

Should have come with a copy of Threads on VHS

[@darrinwilson8484]

how about the mom talking about how her son loves all the miltary action in Grenada during the section on the popularity of camoflauge

[@michaelmartino16]

I was born in 83. Cool to see this stuff

[@ironleeFPS]

I was 10 in 83. I want to go back to that time and stay there, forever. I seriously hate nowadays.

[@QueensNativeNYC]

I know what you mean.. Sad we had to get old and now we're living in dreadful times.. At least when we were young times were normal..

[@carlos_marcello]

Such an innocent time. Man I miss those days. 😢

[@classicgamer1968]

It was a great time to be alive. Consumer home electronics was booming and it was a magical time to be growing up with home video games and the early computers.

[@BobbyBoca]

Put me in a Time Machine and take me back to 1983 pleaseeeee . 🙃

[@XenobiaWinterWolfMoon]

I was born in 1986 I had 4 years of this great decade.

[@rapman5363]

You don’t know what you missed!! Good old Ronnie Regean was running things and the US was the best!! Take a good look!! It’s all done. 😢

[@mattf.1233]

You probably dont remember the 80’s

[@cj4021]

Same, born in Dec of 86. Don’t remember much of the decade but I’m glad I lived through three years of it

[@donaldshannon6793]

I was 14 that Christmas and I was surprised they didn't mention anything about Star Wars Return of The Jedi toys? Especially action figures. Also popular was Dungeon's & Dragons & Atari home Video games with those cartridges.

[@francoisregis2155]

I had got the atari 2600 on xmas 1983 boy I played with that console

[@RighteousRhythm]

I was 6 in 1983 and I asked Santa for Star Wars ROTJ toys. Got the Ewok village, a green light saber and a Y-Wing Fighter. Great memories.

[@ProBreakers]

Man, I would have been about 6 then and would have gone crazy for those he-man box sets

[@buckeyefangirl1976]

My kids were very young in the 80's and it was such fun at Christmas ♥️🌲😁 I miss those days. Thanks for sharing this.

[@brendamonett]

I was 3 years old back in 1983. I don't really remember a whole lot about back then. So it's nice to watch this, to see how things were back then.

[@countrydj2]

I got an Atari when I was in seventh grade . Now I have the 40th Anniversary game console.

[@alyssa0411]

I love the tattoo artist wearing no gloves. Especially back in the 80s when the AIDS virus was exploding. It makes you wonder what other safety precautions she used. The toy safety lady reminds me of Candice Bergen when she interviews Dan Akroyd playing dangerous toy maker, Irwin Mainway on SNL.

[@KB-ke3fi]

Can't get AIDS from not wearing gloves.

[@Jennsylvania]

I remember so many of these toys (and that classic 16 logo on the microphones!). Thank you for posting! 😊

[@jamespero6803]

I was 6 I remember this Christmas vividly, it was a he man Christmas that year

[@LosMSR]

I wasn't even born at the time, that's why I love this video, this ia a piece of history on my case, I didn't know GIJOE were popular at that time.

[@seand67]

GREAT video.....I miss the 80's

[@allegrarivera5383]

I was 2 years old….miss the 80’s.

[@kimporter1744]

I think I just saw the original Ron Burgundy news man!!😂😂

[@KellehNikole]

Watching this is a little depressing. Times really have changed. I wasn't even born yet but it was so different even when I was a kid. I love old traditional Christmas so much.

[@jayaCatLvr-ys5ix]

Me and my friends were on welfare so we got each other small gifts costing about $1-$1.50. I got a cheap 4ft tree-cost about $10, some cheap ball ornaments and a pack of tinsel. No lights cuz that would raise the electric bill. I got a cheap box of Xmas cards for a $1 to pass out to my friends. We had a potluck. We put Xmas music on the radio, watched some Xmas specials on TV. We sure had fun. I miss those days.

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

I was a very poor kid in a trailer park and I had some of these. I had my own dedicated phone line. I only had one Swatch, bought for Christmas by my grandfather. I always wanted two. We had two VCRs so we could copy movies. My friend had a pool table in the basement and wasn’t very well off. My other friend had Guess jeans, but her mom bought them at the consignment shop. My neighbors in the trailer park got their clothes from JCPenney and Belk. I thought you’d mention computers. We always had one! My dad was poor, but he saved up like crazy to make sure we had a killer stereo and a computer.

[@hamamotodesigns]

I remember getting an atari, and stuff from E.T. and pac-man related stuff

[@djbone604]

4:10 shout out to the Def Leppard “Pyromania” t-shirt hanging on the right. Takes me back to my youth 🤟🎵

[@lynn_ni_pablo]

I'm 41 now and that year of 1983 I was only 1 year old nowadays GenZ gadgets like the iPhone, and computers are IN, and even months old toddlers and babies are now hooked to the internet like they just want to watch Peppa Pig or Ms. Rachel

[@RottenPopReviews]

You know what's hilarious is that I grew up with Dorothy Lucey as my morning news anchor, but not on WNEP but on Fox 11 in Los Angeles. She was the morning host for Good Day LA when that show was at its prime. She is so great.

[@kevinkelley3906]

It's when Christmas was an event. Family parties, lights, snow, tv specials and presents.

[@Torrestorres2624]

2:20 looks like we just found the grinch. I bet she’s a blast at a picnic.

[@francoisregis2155]

She could be the first Karen filmed 😉🤣🤣🤣

[@MikeyMike-uu3fe]

LOL She just might be wonder how her children turned out

[@ChrisRoth1972]

I remember one thing that one toy that was popular in 1983 the Coleco Table Top PAC-Man,Galaxian & several more.A lot of the toys they are bringing up sure were also so popular. When I watched this video,it made me think how fast life goes.A lot of these Adults on here sadly are probably not with us or very old. Anyway Thank U 🙏 for this video going down memory lane.

[@johnjordan6032]

BEAST-MAN was my very first action figure! I still remember his bright orange fur and blue cheeks. I picked him over HE-Man and my dad was like "are you sure you want that guy, don't you want He-man?" 🤣🤣

[@alexander2685]

Awsome brings back the good old days.

[@communityprepper6153]

The absolute best toy I every received in 1983 was called "The Gas-Powered Sharp Thing". as to quote, the best, Norm McDonald!

[@cbtf3student]

I was not born that time but I often watched similar videos at childhood. It's somewhat interesting for today.

[@tommybottoms372]

I got my first TV for my room I loved it it was black and white but I loved it

[@Brian-li5up]

Awesome footage!

[@christopherlussier4383]

"THEIR NOT DOLLS!!! THEY ARE ACTION FIGURES!!!!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mc10guru]

Ahoy, I was surprised at no mention of video ganes and home computers. In 1981 I had received a ZX-81 kit. I used it until in 1983 we got a TI99/4a. I got hold of that and never looked back. Thanks for the video, daveyb

[@jamie-gy6bd]

1983 I got Stretch Armstrong & Etch a Sketch

[@kittygaillot2286]

I was six during that year, and one of my must have for Christmas that year was the baby skates doll. Unfortunately, my baby skates never got the hang of skating, even when I would place her on a hard surface.

[@bigbadsteve8063]

I'm intrigued by the Army/Navy store selling Def Leppard shirts

[@jaysons8050]

Oh boy... 1983. I was still in a reguee camp playing with sticks and mud at 4 yrs old

[@mnyce16]

Nobody's gonna say antying about the kid trying to back over the other kid in the play area? The lady at the 2:30 mark is where things started going downhill for us..."its not safe"...no, you fall off one time and you figure out how to ride it

[@francoisregis2155]

Yeah thats the type of bubble wrap lady Its normal to fall off you get hurt cry 5 min get back on it thats called living

[@Mister_Listener]

Back then, Kids used to ride these devices on one lane train bridges suspended above the Susquehanna River. For fun.

[@StevieDrawStuff]

I had that tank and the gi joe canteen set

[@erinnicole5748]

Ah the 80's. A woman doing terrible tattoos out of her house is not only fine, but gets featured on TV. lol

[@LannieLord]

4:22 Hey Buddy! The Welcome Back Kotter look is 8 years old now !

[@DrummingMan1]

brings a tear to me eye! reminds me of the tickle me, Elmo craze!

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

The first image reminded me of my maternal grandparent's wire rope in the cellar!

[@bobs.381]

That kid crying his eyes out sitting on Santa's lap, I could see him now about 40 years old saying, oh my god, what was me? I was such a brat!

[@robertmielke6196]

Better Days Indeed! Ah, to be 17 again!

[@RISCGames]

It would have been unreal to receive a jukebox for Christmas let alone a pinball machine!

[@rocknroller77]

Holy Krap! KTLAs Dorothy Lucy! Loved watchimg her and Steve.

[@GNewcomb-q9v]

I was I school during the 80’s on the west coast & no one out there was into camo clothing! We were into the latest styles or metal shirts & jeans!

[@theusher2893]

That's because the west coast might as well be another country

[@decepticonzerora]

I've never seen that MOTU three pack of Heman and Skeletor. Those are awesome! Wonder what they're worth today if anyone has a three pack?

[@macroevolve]

2:20 made me think of Honda Motorcycles in 1988. The US banned ATC's (All Terrain Cycle) for the same reason as that Toy, which forced Honda to design the now popular ATV's. Stupid Parents would let their young Kid ride a 300 LB. ATC, and of course a Kid will throw caution to the wind... and 2:53 reminded me of the Department Store in 'Christmas Story' from 1983 I believe🎅😫

[@tictacmothma]

I see some toys here that I got that year -- and I still have them!

[@echohunter4199]

I graduated high school in 1983 and most of our toys growing up could be dangerous if we tried hard enough, lol. I remember tying a pipe filled with a few bottle rockets to our bicycles and then charge at each other as they fly all over the place. Growing up then was fun and hilarious, we blew up or set most of our old toys on fire for fun. These days if kids try to do what we did they’d have a criminal record before they’re 13 since everyone is so sensitive and won’t let boys be boys.

[@whipchick90]

I graduated in '83 too!♥️

[@Nothing-fp7jg]

Nice try Lights Alive, nothing beats Lite brite.

[@Packer1290]

2:38 This was how every 50+ year old lady sounded back in the day. 😄 They all had been smoking since they were 12.

[@undertheyarrowbear]

This is truly a hellscape.

[@depalma13]

My parents won several thousand dollars from the PA lottery right before Christmas in 1983. We got everything on on wishlist that year.

[@darlenegattus8190]

Fun look back 😄

[@Del-Canada]

I had a remote control German tank. We couldn't get it working so I went to sleep but while I was asleep my dad and my brother found out why. The turret also needed a 9 volt. So once all batteries were in I was rocking. This was in 1979. Wish I still had it.

[@jjacoby1010]

Love that it's PA centric!

[@videosuperhighway7655]

Ooooh that Pershing missle looks cool.

[@1TN1]

My left ear enjoyed this.

[@Taco.bells_palsy]

The woman behind Garfield’s head is everything

[@jvon3885]

And what's funny is that most of these people are all far younger than they look.

[@johnfoltz8183]

People who survived the video game crash oh 1983 suffered a shortage of Cabbage Patch kids dolls

[@sk-wj4lx]

Take me back.

[@jakeviolet2195]

Back when they knew the difference between boys and girls.

[@joaquinalexander9]

10 years old then- It was a GI Joe Christmas for me.

[@i_like_the_7]

Back when people were decent ❤ miss those days

[@candysmith8724]

I was 12 in 1983. I was into parachute pants and Swatch watches.

[@bobsmith284]

I like how one reporter says the war is discouraging military toy sales and the next one says it's generating them.

[@BigJohnson-g3j]

I can totally see our European brothers saying "unsophisticated hicks!" lol

[@will4688]

A jukebox is the BEST investment.

[@skylercogburn6553]

What are you doing tonight? Ahh nothing much just watching Christmas shoppers on Utube from 1983

[@kevincicero8352]

Man, I’m sort of disappointed I didn’t see footage of Damone out scalping concert tickets…I mean performing a service (and the service costs money) 😀