A Peek Inside Christmas 1984 W/ Toys “R” Us Christmas Circulars

1984 was a great year for toys, and flipping through these Toys “R” Us Christmas circulars makes that obvious fast. Page after page is packed with the brands that ruled the toy aisles, with Hasbro and Mattel showing up everywhere, alongside the decade’s most recognizable characters and toy lines.

Both circulars are built for the holiday season with big, colorful layouts designed to pull kids in, get pages circled, and help turn “I want this” into a full-on wish list for Santa. Both circulars represent the same 1984 holiday lineup, just packaged differently. One leads with cozy character and plush appeal, while the other opens with high-energy action, vehicles, and adventure play.

What really stands out is the variety. These pages bounce between stuffed animals, dolls, action figures, playsets, board games, and the early wave of electronics-as-toys: the kind of gifts that felt futuristic at the time. It’s the full 1984 toy store experience in paper form: something for every kind of kid, all competing for a spot on the Christmas list.

Scroll through Circular A and Circular B below, page by page to see what would’ve been circled first!