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Toys of Christmas Past
“No one ever forgets a toy that made him or her supremely happy as a child, even if that toy is replaced by one like it that is much nicer.” — Stephen King
“‘Tis the season,” so they say, so now I offer up something light, silly, and hopefully a little fun. Because I am Mr. Fun! All my friends say so, right? Right? (Nobody here except us crickets, man.) Ahem. Well, be that as it may, I got caught up in a conversation the other day about the toys we had as kids. Sure, it’s not an uncommon conversation, but whenever they start, it quickly evokes the same feelings of competitive envy I had when I was nine, when everyone would go back to school and compare notes on who got what for Christmas.
So here’s what I propose, if you’re game: go hit your search engine of choice, and load up the comments with pictures and remembrances of your favorite toys from your childhood (ages 1 to 92). If the post fizzles out early, well then, you’re all humbugs.
Here’s just handful of a few of mine, to get things started. Wanna play? Post as many as you’d like, after all, he who dies with the most toys, wins.
I had one. It was awesome, but so many parts that inevitably go missing. You often see ’em at flea markets missing the cockpit canopy and the tail fins.
I built mine out of particle board.
At risk of thread hijackery, is there a market for 3D printed tail fins?
Just like the ones still around in the Iranian inventory.
More reason to return handwriting, excuse me, penmanship, to schools and keep the glass slave devices out of children’s hands.
The answer it gave must’ve really upset you!
We always had an orange in the toe of our stockings because when my mother was a child, an orange was a rare treat. Sadly, we didn’t have the same attitude because our fridge usually had a dozen in the crisper drawer. We usually just put them in the fridge after emptying our stockings. One year my sister just left it in her stocking ….. for two months. Not a pretty sight.
I don’t always make it home for Christmas but when I do, there’s usually an orange included in the stocking goodies. Has been as long as I can remember.
I had this too. The ends always eventually broke. But what a fun toy!
It is an order of magnitude more sea-worthy at any rate.
Little brother got one for christmas. We weren’t allowed to destroy it.
We had to eat ours before we could open our presents.
Mighty Matilda from Remco to you!
I lusted after this but my lust was unrequited.
My brother and I both received this wonderful Remco toy for Christmas in 1961. There is actual 8mm movie film of us in action shooting down enemy jet fighters. Amazingly, I can buy a replacement for a measly $300. I don’t think my wife would understand.
Well no, not if you’re only going to buy one.
I wonder how many Stretch Armstrongs out there met similar fates…
I think you could make money selling a “Big Apple” edition. Answers would include
”the **** you asking me for?”
”none of your ****ing business”
”are you talking to me?”
the possibilities are endless
On one system I did, I wrote a bunch of weird error messages that would come up at random. One of the “record not found” messages went something like:
“So your record wasn’t found. What do you want me to do about it? Am I supposed to pick the system up and shake it til your record flings out?”
And so on…
That really would sell – you need twenty answers and it might be best if they matched the original’s general distribution.
It is certain.
It is decidedly so.
Without a doubt.
Yes – definitely.
You may rely on it.
As I see it, yes.
Most likely.
Outlook good.
Yes.
Signs point to yes.
Reply hazy, try again.
Ask again later.
Better not tell you now.
Cannot predict now.
Concentrate and ask again.
Don’t count on it.
My reply is no.
My sources say no.
Outlook not so good.
Very doubtful.
It is certain.
It is decidedly so.
Without a doubt.
Yes – definitely.
You may rely on it.
As I see it, yes.
Most likely.
Outlook good.
Yes.
Signs point to yes.
Reply hazy, try again.
Ask again later.
Better not tell you now.
Cannot predict now.
Concentrate and ask again.
Don’t count on it.
My reply is no.
My sources say no.
Outlook not so good.
Very doubtful.