In the late 1990s, Furby became one of the world’s biggest toy releases, with more than 40 million units sold in the first three years. A quarter of a century after its launch in 1998, the company behind the doll, Hasbro, has decided to resume production of Furby so that today’s boys and girls can enjoy the toy.
“For the brand’s 25th anniversary, we wanted to create the same excitement for this new generation by harnessing the power of Furby nostalgia,” explains Kristin McKay, Hasbro’s vice president and general manager of fashion and preschool.
The new interactive doll maintains the main features of previous installments, such as the ability to learn or the power to speak. However, it also presents different novelties: five voice modes and more than 600 responses, as well as lights, sounds and 10 songs.
The new Furby productions are also available in two new colors, purple and coral. The toy can currently be purchased on Amazon and it is estimated that it will arrive in major toy stores from July 15.
Furby is a bird-shaped, big-eared children’s toy that contains basic programming through which it pretends to learn to communicate and forge a personality. When it went on sale in 1998, long queues formed in stores to purchase the product and the high demand led to an increase in its price.
Currently, there is a second-hand market for Furbys where these toys can be sold for high prices. The collection of these dolls has increased over the years and pieces such as an original Furby from the year 98 can sell for amounts that exceed a thousand euros.
