14 Collectible Figurines Everyone Traded at School
These collectible figurines fueled schoolyard trading frenzies, with kids swapping duplicates and chasing rare finds to complete their sets.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
From Mighty Beanz to Polly Pocket, playgrounds were once bustling trading floors filled with collectible figurines. Each toy line offered its own unique appeal, whether through quirky designs, tie-ins with pop culture, or simple affordability. Together, they shaped a generation’s schoolyard economy and created lasting nostalgia.
1. Mighty Beanz
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Mighty Beanz were capsule-shaped toys with quirky characters printed on them, and kids collected them in the early 2000s. Their appeal came from their wobbling motion and the wide variety of designs, ranging from superheroes to monsters. Trading them was as fun as racing them down plastic tracks.
2. Crazy Bones (Gogos)
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Crazy Bones, also known as Gogos, were tiny, colorful figurines with silly faces and strange shapes. They were originally inspired by a traditional Mediterranean game and became a massive playground craze in the late 1990s. Kids not only traded them but also played competitive flicking games with them.
3. Kinder Egg Toys
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Kinder Surprise eggs contained small figurines hidden inside chocolate shells, making them irresistible collectibles. Kids eagerly waited to see which character or set piece they would get, from animals to movie tie-ins. Swapping duplicates with friends was part of the fun.
4. Pokémon Figures
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Pokémon figurines were highly sought after during the peak of Pokémon mania in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Kids wanted to collect their favorite monsters like Pikachu, Charizard, and Mewtwo in miniature form. Trading was almost a ritual, as everyone wanted to complete their collection.
5. Troll Dolls
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Troll Dolls, with their wild neon hair and mischievous smiles, were a hit across multiple generations. In the 1990s, they made a comeback as pocket-sized collectibles for kids. Their variations in size, clothing, and hair colors made them perfect for swapping.
6. Monster in My Pocket
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Monster in My Pocket figurines were tiny rubber monsters based on mythological creatures, cryptids, and horror legends. They came in bright colors and had a point system for competitive play. Kids loved comparing their rare finds and trading duplicates on the playground.
7. McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys
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Happy Meal toys were a trading staple because of their constant tie-ins with popular franchises like Disney, Pokémon, and The Lion King. Kids often begged parents for McDonald’s just to get the figurines. Rare or themed sets quickly became bargaining chips in school trades.
8. Homies
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Homies were small collectible figurines sold in vending machines, representing urban Latino street culture. Their popularity soared in the early 2000s, with kids collecting dozens of different characters. They were cheap, easy to find, and endlessly swappable.
9. Polly Pocket Figures
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Polly Pocket figurines were tiny dolls that came with compact playsets shaped like shells, hearts, or stars. Kids traded figures to expand their miniature worlds. The small size made them easy to carry in schoolbags, fueling their popularity for trading.
10. Army Men
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Classic green plastic Army Men have been around for decades and were a playground staple. Kids would bring handfuls of them to school, creating battles on lunch tables or in the dirt. Trading rare poses or larger sets made them highly collectible.
11. Z-Bots
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Z-Bots were futuristic robot figurines produced by Galoob in the 1990s. Each robot had a unique design and sometimes even detachable parts, which fascinated kids. With so many variations, swapping duplicates was a natural part of collecting.
12. Smurfs Figurines
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Smurfs figurines, originally popular in Europe, spread worldwide and became playground treasures. Kids loved their different character poses, from Papa Smurf to Smurfette. Collecting and trading them was a social activity that kept the Smurfs craze alive.
13. Tech Deck Dudes
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Tech Deck Dudes were funky character figurines with detachable hands and feet designed to ride fingerboards. They were tied to the Tech Deck skateboard toy line, which was huge in schools during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their mix-and-match appeal made them prime trading material.
14. Tamagotchi Figures (Character Charms)
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Alongside the digital pets themselves, Tamagotchi character figurines and charms became collectible in the late 1990s. Kids wanted to show off their favorite creatures as mini-figures or attachable keychains. Trading them was almost as competitive as caring for the digital versions.