Hasbro's 2012 Furby reboot re-ignited a 40m-unit nostalgia hit

Furby, the 1998 animatronic sensation that sold 40m units in three years and was even banned from US NSA offices, had faded by the 2000s. In September 2012 Hasbro brought it back with a hi-tech makeover: LCD eyes instead of infrared, more motors and sensors, and a smartphone and tablet app that could even translate its gibberish.

The timing hit a retro-toy wave. BBC noted that Furby was making a comeback among the season's tech-toy favourites, and retailers could not keep it stocked: a Smyths store in Gateshead sold out twice, with the £59.99 toy trading at up to £85 on eBay and Amazon. The reboot landed on the top Christmas toy lists and remained a sought-after item through the season.

The 2012 Furby became a top UK Christmas toy and sold out twice at a Smyths store, with the £59.99 toy reselling at up to £85 on eBay — echoing the original 40m-unit run.

Updating Furby's core interaction — a personality and an app — made it feel new while staying instantly recognisable.

Positioning it on nostalgia during the retro-toy boom and letting scarcity create demand turned a relaunch into a sell-out.

A once-explosive brand returns best when you update the interaction, not just the shape — and when you let scarcity do the marketing.

Furby became a recurring nostalgia play for Hasbro, which re-released it again for its 25th anniversary in 2023 with new colours and voice-activated modes; the approach of reviving a 90s property via nostalgia has since been copied across the toy industry.