Favorite Childhood Toy

[MossRoad]

Whenever we'd go to the beaches at Lake Michigan, my father would always take a couple of wash tubs in the back of the VW van. He'd fill them with sand to replenish our sand pit using his little WWII folding shovel.

Then one time we all got sand fleas.... :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

I MAY have a minor a scout addiction...

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Three or more of something is a collection.

Three or more collections is a museum.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Reminds me of my DAD. Brought home five gallon plastic jugs of Ammonia from the drafting department at work, to kill the ants on the patio. One tipped over, causing us to flea for our lives and the ammonia poured into my mothers flower garden killing everything!

I too had both Lego and Meccano, but they both frustrated me as you could NEVER build what you really wanted, either by limitation of the toy or not having enough parts. I not only had the Meccano clockwork motor but a steam engine as well and still have both. Both were kind of useless for motive power. More frustration. Maybe it's why when I got older, I decided never to compromise on equipment. I had enough frustration as a child.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Not a toy, but Daisy Red Ryder. Shot into a box filled with newspaper and reclaimed the BBç—´

Mine too. As I mentioned before, in addition to being poor, WWII also limited our toys. My brother and I made a lot of our own; a long tapered stick and a jar lid with a hole to act as a guard, and we had a couple of swords for swordfighting. A grinder, a broomstick for wheels, a piece of 2X4, some nails and we made our own toy cars. I got my own .22 rifle at age 13, but I also had a Red Ryder Daisy BB gun. And it really got a work out. Otherwise I spent my spare time reading comic books.

I do remember that right after the war, you could buy some little cars and airplanes in particular, that were made from hard rubber I believe. I got lots of mileage out of those. I soon graduated into guitars, cars and girls.

Oh, I almost forgot...I had some older uncles that were still at home, so when I visited my Grand dad, I got to play with some of their old stuff, although by that time the yummy was pretty well gone.

Interesting sidelight...we visited a Pioneer museum in Gunnison Colorado, a couple of years back. I noticed an old toy in one of the display cases someone had donated...I recalled it from my stay with Grand pa in the 1940's, as a Buck Rogers space ship. It was about 6" or 8" long, and was designed to fit on a long string, and two kids could raise and lower the two ends and play rocket man. I asked them about it, but no one there, including the curator, knew what it was.

I told them I had seen and played with one before, as my uncles had one, made, I thought in the late '30's... and boy all of them perked up. They asked all kinds of questions about it, and someone sent out for some string. Didn't stick around, but thought it was funny.

 

[4get gto]

I have many Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars from the 60's early 70's that I put away and not displayed.
BUT...

I still collect some newer one's . Try to collect muscle cars and that sort of thing...









Embarrassingly this is only a few..

 

[bunyip]

I too had both Lego and Meccano, but they both frustrated me as you could NEVER build what you really wanted, either by limitation of the toy or not having enough parts.

I remember that, the meccano came in numbered sets and the illustration on the front of the box was generally what you could build with a set about 4-5 numbers higher which cost considerably more than your parents could afford.
Do you remember the horrible square nuts which seemed to have a random outer size that was either too big for the rubbishy little spanner or would spin around inside it.

 

[RobS]

Three or more of something is a collection.

Three or more collections is a museum.

So, I need to start charging admission :laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[Industrial Toys]

I actually got a meccano tool kit. Kind of the Snap On Tool Line of Meccano. A nut driver with a flex shaft, a nice screwdriver and something else to deal with those weird nuts. It was a blessing!

Lego was nice because airplanes and vehicles would disintegrate upon impact.

 

[MossRoad]

So, I need to start charging admission :laughing::laughing::laughing:

I just tell my kids I want my $250,000 back some day.

 

[tjkubota93]

Reminds me of my DAD. Brought home five gallon plastic jugs of Ammonia from the drafting department at work, to kill the ants on the patio. One tipped over, causing us to flea for our lives and the ammonia poured into my mothers flower garden killing everything!

I too had both Lego and Meccano, but they both frustrated me as you could NEVER build what you really wanted, either by limitation of the toy or not having enough parts. I not only had the Meccano clockwork motor but a steam engine as well and still have both. Both were kind of useless for motive power. More frustration. Maybe it's why when I got older, I decided never to compromise on equipment. I had enough frustration as a child.

Same here. Can't stand buying junk to just make-do. I don't need or want a new Cadillac, but I do need a used 4x4 chevy with a v8, posi, mud tires and winch.