What was your favorite toy when you were a child?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

I think mine was either the electronic talking viewmaster:



or Teddy Ruxpin (He read books!)

[Heidi]

1. My favorite was

Talking Julia. :) I wasn't a big fan of dolls overall, but I thought Julia was the most beautiful woman who ever lived. :)

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. I'm sorry, I changed the title to be more inclusive.

Sorry...my ignorance.

[Heidi]

3. :hug:

:yourock:

[ForrestGump]

6. Oh, I was in love with Julia when I was a kid

Not the doll, I mean, but Ms Carroll.

The 30-year age gap and several thousand miles of geography made no difference to me. :D

[Lil Missy]

4. Probably those little Makery Bakery things, ...

that you could make little gummy worm creatures, or the cup cakes, like creature features, or something like that. I don't remember what they were called.

I also liked the wood burning set, and I made lots of things out of that.

I really wanted a pogo stick, but never got one. :(

[sakabatou]

5. This

[moriah]

7. The telescope my mom got me, and later on the 8088 she got herself.

Yes, I'm a geek.

I really have to thank Mom. If it wasn't for her telling me I was never to touch the computer, I probably wouldn't have the job I have now.

She later bought a 286 for herself, so I gave her the 8088.

Same thing happened when she bought a 486 (hey, that one could multitask, I was running a BBS off of the 286 and the board needed an upgrade!).

[Sisaruus]

8. According to my mother, books

I guess I still haven't grown up:
http://www.librarything.com/profile/sisaruus

[Connonym]

10. me too

and I haven't grown up either. I've recently started working in a library and every day I walk in and look at all the books and my heart feels warm and glowy. My kids are like that too, when my eldest was about 3 she would take all of her books (several shelves worth) and tuck them under the covers with her when she went to bed. It was the cutest damned thing.

[northofdenali]

9. barbie and allher twidgy friends

unplugging kryboard now in searchof somethuuuuinh less freaky....

[HughBeaumont]

11. Aside from Legos, Lincoln Logs and Girder/Panel sets . . .

MICRONAUTS!



Can't believe they don't make these anymore.

[meow2u3]

12. Hot Wheels!

I was a tomboy when I was a kid. My brother and I used to race our Hot Wheels cars on the tracks for hours on end.

[One_Life_To_Give]

13. Erector Set

Guess I found my calling early.

[Mad_Dem_X]

14. Barbie.

I still love Barbie dolls. I have a ton of them in my house.

[Iggo]

15. By far, Green Plasitc Army Men. (n/t)

[mitchum]

67. I used to put snipers on top of lamps, grenade throwers threatening flower arrangements...

infantry taking the coffee table...
green plastic army men were great

[mitchum]

68. self delete: wrong place

[applegrove]

16. I had a big stuffed bulldog named Mac. I'd hug him to death as I was

going to sleep. I also had these little baby animal china figurines. I used to play with them for hours on end. They each had a different personality and character.

[hellbound-liberal]

17. Matchboxes!

I actually started buying some of my childhood favorites from E-BAY a few years ago then graduated to bigger ones like this:

[begin_within]

18. Spirograph, TinkerToy, Etch-A-Sketch, and the Gilbert Chemistry Set

[AwakeAtLast]

33. We loooved our Spirograph!

Hmmmm, I think I need to consult eBay.....

:D

[begin_within]

35. There are also some online Spirograph simulators:

http://wordsmith.org/anu/java/spirograph.html
http://www.math.psu.edu/dlittle/java/parametricequations/spirograph/index.html
http://www.math.com/students/wonders/spirographs.html
http://cgibin.erols.com/ziring/cgi-bin/spiro.pl/spiro.html
http://libadis.com/java/spirograph.html
http://isotope3.net/

Though all that I have seen so far are just spirograph drawing programs, none is an exact replica of the actual Spirograph toy.

[AwakeAtLast]

65. Thanks for the links!

Although I have a sneaking suspicion that my Dad never got rid of ours. I'm making a phone call tomorrow.

[nuxvomica]

19. American Bricks

Better than Legos because they came in one color, red, with long white bricks for foundations and white windows and doors that looked realistic and actually opened and closed.

[NanceGreggs]

92. Ahhhhhhhh ... American Bricks.

Just reading that description took me back to the sheer nirvana of opening and closing those little white casement windows, after I'd carefully crafted a FABULOUS architectural wonder.

Frank Lloyd Wright was an amateur compared to me - or so I thought at the time.

Thanks for that memory!

:hi:

[Z_I_Peevey]

20. A cardboard box.

Really.

About four feet long and a foot wide--with the narrow ends tucked in and the long ends bent outward, and with some creative artwork near the cockpit--it was my airplane when I was six. It lasted almost a year on my Grandma's back porch.

[billyoc]

21. Three words: Kung Fu Grip

[WinkyDink]

22. Not "toys", per se: Jacks and Pick-up Sticks.

[SurfingAtWork]

23. Nintendo

[Auggie]

24. Simple wooden blocks and my Corgi cars

I had the original James Bond Aston Martin DB5 and dozens of others. Still have them.

[Blue-Jay]

25. mini-bike.

It's amazing that I didn't kill myself on it.

[Pierre.Suave]

26. Interesting

I think it would depend on my age...

At one point I am sure it was Legos

At another I am sure it was my baseball glove and ball...

And yet, at another time it was probably a radio controlled car/boat/plane...

I have always been into planes though.

[RadiationTherapy]

27. Silver bells hanging on a string

I loved to play with my ding a ling a ling.

[ThoughtCriminal]

28. Tinker Toys

Erector Set, Lincoln Logs, Blocks...

All the toys that I could use to make something and be creative.

[HamdenRice]

29. Great Garloo, the amazing (for early 60s) remote controlled robot/monster/lizard

My great aunt once stayed over after going out and having drinks. She woke up hung over, and my sister and I hid behind the door and sent good old Great Garloo in with her coffee.



Her exit through the north wall of the bedroom left an aunt sized hole in the wall (just kidding). But really she never stayed with us again.

Later it was GI Joe (especially the space shuttle glider), hot wheels, and a gas powered r/c dune buggy, which I liked because it taught me about auto mechanics.

[Auggie]

38. Oh my goodness. My brother used to torment the dog with that.

[HamdenRice]

41. You have to be of a certain age to remember

Great Garloo!

Dogs, aunts -- some creatures just couldn't deal with him.

[Auggie]

45. I'd love to know the rationale behind making that thing...

It's hilarious.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

49. They have the commercial for that on You Tube Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0p0WRhAp9o


That is pretty cool. I kind of want one...

[HamdenRice]

81. How on earth did my parents afford it???

The price was $18.00 in 1961, which was half a month's rent in the outer boroughs at that time.

On the other hand, I know they did not buy it for us till about 1962 or maybe as late as 64, because I definitely wasn't a toddler and we were living in Queens. Maybe it was already passe and discounted steeply.

Cool commercial though!

The thing was pretty advanced: it moved forward, backwards, turned and its arms opened and closed and raised and lowered.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

55. Looking at this, Marx made a lot of really cool toys. I kind of want this batmobile.

I don't think I'd fit...but my cats would.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSKm_XbpfbU&feature=related

[Auggie]

84. L.O.L. -- in fact, howling!!! What a funny commercial!

Thanks for posting

[BrotherBuzz]

30. Adjustable metal roller skates

Concrete was your best friend. That, and your skate key.

[panhead1961]

31. lincoln logs

[Arkansas Granny]

32. I had a red tricycle with a wagon bed attached to the rear axle.

This picture is of a model, not the actual toy, but it looked very much like this:


I had a cat who would sit in the back and ride with me. I don't know how many miles I put on that tricycle. This would have been late 40's or early 50's.

[CottonBear]

43. That is so awesome! I want one! I wonder if they're still made? n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

46. I've never seen another one like it. You might check out this site for something similar.

I found this and quite a variety of other riding toys, some with extra seating or storage behind.


http://www.allchildrensfurniture.com/Ride-On-Vehicles-C25672.html

[CottonBear]

61. Thanks! That John Deere model is so cool! n/t

[LeftyMom]

58. I think Kettler makes something similar that should be easy to find

http://www.kettlerusa.com/page5.html

This looks closer to the pictured one though:

http://www.fedderhead.com/yermountrika.html

[CottonBear]

60. Thank you so much! n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

52. That's my mom's dream toy!

She didn't have toys when she was a kid because her family was too poor. But as far back as I can remember, she always told me that the one toy she wanted more than anything in the world was a red tricycle with a little red wagon in the back.

[Arkansas Granny]

59. I don't remember if I got that trike for Christmas or my birthday, but it had to have been

a very special occasion because we were poor also and it would have represented a large expenditure for my parents. I was the envy of every kid who came to visit us because nobody had anything like it.

[AwakeAtLast]

34. This was a great toy

Kenner Family Tree House





My Dad held onto it because he knew his grandchildren would love it - and the one he has does!

[snailly]

90. I LOVED that stupid tree house family!

I can't believe anyone else remembered it. It was very convenient to clean up. Throw the little peeps in there and push the tree down. Awesome! lol

[AwakeAtLast]

94. Yep, great for both parents and kids!

My sister and I liked it because it wasn't your normal house. We grew up in the country and loved to climb trees, so it was a no-brainer choice for my parents!

on edit: a new, in the box version is just (;) ) $265.00

[Fox Mulder]

36. Ninja turtles and Legos.

[MsTryska]

37. Lite brite nt

nt

[flvegan]

39. When I was around 6, I got my first drum set.

Then when I was 10, I'd have to say it would be a toss up. If it was sunny outside, my bike. If it wasn't, my GI Joe stuff.

[LeftyMom]

40. Commedore 64

Gift from my Grandmother. I was slightly spoiled. :D

[HamdenRice]

42. I forgot the bestest one -- my go cart

My father was a civil servant, but he was also a talented carpenter, who made extra money by working for mostly dentists, renovating their offices.

When I was about 5 he made me a go cart -- kind of like a wooden wagon, but it had a steering mechanism and large baby carriage tires. I loved that go cart, especially going down hill on the streets of Queens that in those days were extremely quiet and traffic free.

That was the best toy ever.

[SOteric]

44. Mud.

And those curly bugs, which I never harmed, but loved watching them curl up into little beads. Then, when I learned to read; books.

Yeah. I was a weird kid.

[Redstone]

47. The Marx-A-Copter. I've been trying to find one for my kids for over 20 years,

but it seems that there simply ARE none left.

Redstone

[Lethe]

48. star wars figurines and GI JOE

had a shitload of em :D

[bertha katzenengel]

50. Not a toy - my baseball glove. n/t

[av8rdave]

51. Legos

I built airplanes with them...tried to make them all look as much as possible like the real things.

[charlie and algernon]

53. ghostbusters

I had all four, plus Louis Tully, Janine, slimer, dozens of ghosts, a 3 foot tall firehouse, and ecto 1. Plus a suit I wore with a proton pack and a trap that I carried around. :D

[SemiCharmedQuark]

54. lol! My neighbor had a proton pack. My cousin and I would play with him, but we only had backpacks

and bits of garden hose.

[charlie and algernon]

56. haha, nice

the best was the 2 foot long cylindrical foam that came with it as the beam. I had fun beating the crap out of my little brother with it.

[DarkTirade]

57. I liked to make stuff, so my favorates were Legos and Construx.

And then we finally got a computer and I started programming and making stuff on there. Mostly crappy 'choose your own adventure' style text based stuff at first.

[CTyankee]

62. All of my dolls.

I loved my dolls. They were beautiful, even if I didn't have a lot of them.

[MissMillie]

63. believe it or not

I used to make fun stuff w/ brown paper bags, scissors and crayons.

[Skittles]

64. not pc now but it was a golliwog

I really loved that doll

[My Good Babushka]

70. I found an old knitting pattern

for golliwogs. I didn't know what they were, or even that they weren't PC when I started finding the patterns. I knitted some up and made them zombie-wogs instead, for a zombie festival.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

79. I haven't seen a golliwog for years!

Haha Did your mum give it to you?

[Skittles]

99. lol, my English grandmum, yes

I carried that doll around until it fell apart :)

[skygazer]

66. Breyer horses

I had about a hundred of them (I had all the ones in this photo as a matter of fact) and spent hours making saddles and bridles for them out of leather scraps.

Horse crazy kid.

[TZ]

72. Me too

I definitely recognize some of those horses...

[NMDemDist2]

74. OMG me too as I noted downthread n/t

[Lorien]

97. Yep, I had them as well, including "Misty" and the rearing palomino

in your pic. I still keep them around as reference (I'm an illustrator). The sculpts are even better today, so I have two newer ones in my studio. Hidalgo:



and Hucklebery Bey:



These two cover about 90% of my horse reference needs!

[mitchum]

69. A Zippo

[mvd]

71. I tended to be into things like..

MOTU, Transformers, Nintendo/Atari, and Star Wars. I don't remember one favorite toy.

[NMDemDist2]

73. i had a collection of plastic horses

I played with them all the time until Mom gave in and got me a REAL HORSE :bounce:

[TZ]

86. How about a Big Wheel?

I loved tooling around the neighborhood in mine..and I loved doing the spin outs when you hit the brakes!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

75. DAM dolls.

The original troll dolls made by Thomas Dam in Denmark.

American Bricks were great too.

[Oldtimeralso]

76. My Lionel Train,

But John Mc Shames was dirt because that was the newest thing invented when he was a kid!

[JCMach1]

77. Anyone remember "Big Jim"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDKq8O6gn5Y&feature=related

I had the camper...


This one is toooo funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXRyxuW-g0I&feature=related

[Boudica the Lyoness]

78. Teddy

I loved Ted.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

80. A big, deluxe Erector set when I was a boy

Slot cars when I was a tween.

Good toys for an Aspie kid like me, cos I could totally amuse myself with all the complexities.

[mikeytherat]

82. Saturn V Rocket (big one):

mikey_the_rat

[old mark]

85. I had one like that, couldn't find a motor

powerfull enough to lift it off.


mark

[wickerwoman]

83. Playmobile

I had the zoo set, the safari set and the school set... and hey... I ended up teaching in developing countries for a living... who knew...

[NanceGreggs]

93. I already had a child of my own ...

... when I first discovered Playmobile - I bought my son the space station first, and then loaded both of my kids with the stuff every Christmas, because I loved it so much.

My prized possession now? A Playmobile dollhouse, which my husband gave me as an anniversary gift years ago. It's now fully furnished, and sits in my bedroom in a place of great honour.

I never parted with any of my kids' Playmobile either - it's all packed away; hopefully I'll have a grandchild one day to whom it can be passed on.

[crim son]

87. Easy Bake Oven.

Next: Lego, then Tinkertoys

[bigwillq]

88. Matchboxes.

I could play with them for days at a time.

[HEyHEY]

89. The emotions of those who cared for me

:evilgrin:

[Joe Fields]

91. I had two: Rockem Sockem Robots and Mousetrap .

[NJmaverick]

95. I had many

Army men, match box cars, toy guns and building blocks were at the top of the list

[Lorien]

96. Plastic animals and Breyer horses

I had some great sets of plastic animals made by Britains when I was a kid. I also has lots of the really cheap ones, mostly purchased when my dad was in grad school and my parents had no money-but they kept me happy and occupied!

[Mutley]

98. A stuffed Fievel from An American Tail.

This isn't an actual picture of mine, but mine looks exactly like that.

That was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, and my parents bought me that for my 8th birthday. I still have him.