Woman's £3k collection of 90s and noughties memorabilia brings 'Christmas every day' joy

Samantha Hughes, 34, who lives near Birmingham with her husband Luke, 35, has dedicated countless hours to building her collection and has even given her love for the decade a permanent place on her skin

Samantha Hughes, a 34 year old avid collector and former retail worker, is living in a pop culture paradise with her collection of nineties and noughties memorabilia that makes her feel like it's "Christmas every day". Residing near Birmingham alongside her husband Luke, an assistant manager, Samantha has amassed a hoard of collectables from Game Boys to Furbys and Pokemon Battling Coins, valuing her treasure trove at a hefty £3,000.

Top of her prized possessions is a Nintendo 64 Pokemon Pikachu Edition console, currently pegged at about £350 by the enthusiast. Boasting over 350 games that span across beloved systems such as the PlayStation and Sega Mega Drive, Samantha has dedicated a whole room of her pad to display all manner of figurines and toys – many of which are cherished keepsakes from childhood meals at fast-food giants Burger King and McDonald’s.

The walls of this dedicated space also showcase Samantha's love for these eras with 20 tattoos of iconic characters ranging from Disney's Lady and the Tramp, Beauty and the Beast, Ursula, to Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny from Pokemon. Her passion and vibrant "super colourful" content have captured the attention of nearly 13,000 Instagram users where she's embraced as "your nostalgic bestie".

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Talking to PA Real Life, Samantha shares that despite the gaming world being largely male-dominated, she's determined to share her unique throwback universe and continue reviving the cheerful spirit of bygone days. She claims: "Christmas time is a feeling and it’s like that – you’re in your own nostalgic, fuzzy, cosy bubble," adding that this jubilant sensation is what truly brings joy to her.

Samantha proudly proclaims, "It’s like Christmas every day... and it’s just what makes me happy. I’m a nineties kid at heart."

She shared: "Growing up as a kid in the nineties, everyone had similar interests and we could all bond over the same music, toys and TV programmes."

"It’s not like today, where kids have a million options. We all went home and had the same five TV channels, we all had the same hobbies and interests, and I think we bonded much more."

Samantha revealed that her family was not wealthy, which meant that she cherished every gift or toy she received and never wanted to discard them – leading to her now vast collection. As a child, she enjoyed playing games on her Game Boys, such as The Powerpuff Girls and Sabrina the Animated Series, and has always been a Disney enthusiast, amassing games and VHS classics.

She disclosed that she owns over 350 games for various consoles, including her PlayStation One and PlayStation Two, Game Boys, Nintendo Wii and Sega Mega Drives and Master System. To avoid any duplication, she maintains a checklist of her game collection.

"I’ve got all the original Pokemons – red, yellow, blue, gold and silver – and I’ve got a fair few Disneys," Samantha stated. "I mainly play the Mega Drive and PlayStation One with my Disneys at the minute, so I’ve got all the Mega Drive Disney games except for one – I’ve got Aladdin, Lion King, Mickey Mania, Castle of Illusion, Little Mermaid and Pinocchio. " "Then I have some Cartoon Network-type games, like your old school Powerpuff Girls and Scooby-Doo."

Toy enthusiast Samantha has gone viral for her impressive hoard of nostalgic gems, revealing: "The coolest thing I’ve got is an N64 console and it’s the Pikachu one, so when you turn it on, his little cheeks light up and that’s really cute."

She noted the rising value of such items, saying, "They’re quite expensive now and, boxed, I think they’re something like £350."

Her collection spans a gamut of childhood favourites including two Furbys, Polly Pockets—a special shout-out to an Addams Family Compact—Pokemon play sets, Sky Dancers, various Barbies, a Lizzie McGuire Funko Pop!, and notably a 1997 Together in Paris Anastasia doll. Sticking with the theme of fast-food memorabilia, she's hung onto toys from Burger King and McDonald’s children’s meals and isn't shy about her assemblage of figurines featuring familiar faces from Super Mario Bros, Powerpuff Girls, Mickey Mouse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Funko Pop! Trolls, and Lilo & Stitch.

Taking nostalgia tech a step further, she owns a Meow-Chi robot and a Robonagi toy from the noughties and even flushes out her cache with retro-inspired one-player handheld consoles from Tiger Electronics, which boast titles such as Toy Story, Hercules, Pocahontas, and The Rescuers Down Under. Sharing her passion, Samantha said, "I just try and pick up little bits of everything," and reflected on how budget-friendly collecting older games used to be.

"When me and my partner first moved in together, money was tight, and the older games were cheaper – you could get your older games for a few quid, so we’ve always picked them up."

She expressed how her accumulation over time has become more focused: "In the last three years, I’ve thought, ‘OK, this is a nineties collection now, a nineties/noughties collection, with some pieces from the 80s’."

Always hunting for additions, Samantha shared that she frequents her beloved local retro store twice a week and never misses a chance to scour eBay for potential buys, noting prices range from £2 to £50.

Transforming her second living room, originally destined to be a dining room, into a "retro gaming nineties area" complete with a glitter lava lamp is something that gives this lady pure joy for the "nostalgic feeling" it evokes. Her partner, Luke, contributes with his Halo Action Figures and often surprises her with additions for her collection, including the Polly Pocket Friends Compact, snagged in this year’s Black Friday sale.

She reflected on the emotional value of her collectables, saying, "(My collection) reminds me of people and times."

Recounting a particular memory, she mentioned, "I lost my nan a few years ago and, when I look at my Furbys, I remember the time I left my Furby in my nan’s boot and it kept talking to her all the way home and she didn’t have a clue what was going on."

She stated further, "I look at things and you can remember times and people – they bring back memories – and I think there’s something lovely about that."

Samantha's Instagram journey began around seven years ago as "a Disney page", but it has since morphed into a showcase predominantly featuring nineties and noughties collectables, and she adores the community she has created around it. Samantha also wears her passions on her sleeve – literally – with 20 tattoos of her favourite characters, such as Jaq and Gus from Disney’s 1950 film Cinderella, Tom Nook from Animal Crossing, and Ursula from Disney’s 1989 film The Little Mermaid.

She recalled, "It started out as more of a Disney page – I shared photos from my Disney trips," reflecting the evolution of her online presence.

"I feel like I’ve always been slightly embarrassed to put up the photos of my toys, but one day I just started posting it."

Samantha confessed. She noted that the gaming scene and "retro toy collecting" tend to be male-dominated, expressing her wish for more nineties-themed conventions across the UK and a greater availability of "girly stuff".

Determined to expand her collection while sharing her passion online, she dreams of snagging an "old school Simpsons arcade machine". Her advice to others is simple: "Just do what makes you happy, buy what makes you happy."

For more on Samantha's retro journey, check out her Instagram @90snostalgiagirl.