Long before phones stole everyone’s attention, there was a strange little creature staring at you from pencil cases, dashboards, market stalls and school bags across the UK. Big eyes. Wild neon hair. No trousers. Permanently confused expression. Trolls were everywhere.
Originally created in Denmark by a fisherman and woodcutter called Thomas Dam in the late 1950s, the first Troll dolls were carved from wood as gifts for his daughter. Nobody could have predicted these odd little things would become one of the biggest toy crazes on the planet.
By the 1960s Trolls exploded across Europe and America. Kids loved them. Adults collected them. Some people genuinely believed they brought luck. Others thought they were ugly enough to scare away bad vibes. Either way, millions were sold.
The original Dam Trolls became famous for their crazy hair colours, chunky noses and permanently scruffy look. Unlike polished action figures or fashion dolls, Trolls looked like they had just crawled out from under your Nan’s sofa after surviving on sherbet and static electricity for 40 years.
Then came the 1990s revival.
If you went to school in the late 90s, you already know the deal. Troll keyrings clipped onto every backpack. Pencil topper Trolls guarded every maths lesson. Tiny fluorescent-haired weirdos stared across classrooms while teachers tried to explain fractions to kids busy combing purple Troll hair with rulers.
The 1998 era especially went hard on mini Troll merchandise. Keyrings. Pencil toppers. Pocket Trolls. Glow Trolls. Sports Trolls. Jewel belly Trolls. Birthday Trolls. You could barely walk through a toy shop, corner shop or seaside arcade without seeing a wall of them hanging there like tiny goblin fruit.
Some facts about Trolls still sound completely made up.
At one point in the 1960s, Troll dolls outsold Barbie in parts of Europe.
Certain rare vintage Dam Trolls now sell for hundreds, sometimes thousands, depending on condition and rarity.
Collectors can identify original Trolls by markings on the feet, hair texture and eye paint styles.
There are genuine Troll conventions where people meet up specifically to discuss tiny ugly dolls with fluorescent hair.
Some schools actually banned Troll pencil toppers because kids kept distracting each other by brushing their hair during lessons.
The hair itself became legendary. People styled it with gel, washed it, braided it and even shaved it off completely. Every Troll ended up with its own personality. Some looked pristine. Others looked like they had survived a house fire and a washing machine cycle.
That is probably why people still love them.
They were never perfect. They were weird. Funny. Slightly creepy. Completely unforgettable.
At Old’s Cool® we’ve got 10 original 1998 Troll keyring and pencil topper Trolls available individually on the site right now. Each one has its own colours, expression and strange little chaotic energy. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. No respawns. No magical Troll bridge refills.
Whether you remember these hanging off your school bag, clipped to your zip, traded in the playground or sat on top of a chewed-up HB pencil during double maths, these little monsters are pure late-90s nostalgia in pocket-sized form.
New toys come and go.
But Trolls?
Trolls survived decades purely by being bizarre little gremlins with neon hair and absolutely no explanation.