Posted on 09/28/2005 5:58:42 PM PDT by pissant
For many of us, being a child was no picnic. Without the resources to take opulent family vacations, we instead spent our youthful summers painting fences, mowing the lawn, weeding gardens, washing the dogs, cleaning our rooms and picking berries to earn a pocketful of change.
When School started back up in September, the joy of seeing our friends again was quickly doused by the 2 hours of homework each night (Parochial School..ya know).
But the one thing we could rely on to put that spring back in our little feet was the trunk full of TOYS. Yes, those magical toys. Here at the Pissant Institute for Toy History and Youth (PITHY) we've compiled the definitive list of the coolest toys with which we pleasantly whiled away our precious free time. Sorry girls, none of your toys made the list (though a little Pissant did cut the hair off of his sister's Barbie).
Top 7 Childhood Toys
7. Major Matt Mason
The astronaut doll. With space helmut and rocket capsule! Inspired by NASA (or was it David Bowie?)
6. Stretch Armstrong
A goo filled, stretchable man. Good exercise, but the real joy was cutting him open to see what was inside...
5. Little Green Army Men
Countless hours setting up the armies for the ferocious rubber band wars with your brother.
4. Radio Flyer Wagon
The best part was loading 2 into the wagon and heading down a hill, only to realize how poorly they steered!
3. Legos
You could build some pretty nifty forts for your Little Green Army Men
2. Hot Wheels
Oh, the pride from having the fastest car in the neigborhood. Unfortunately, the orange track pieces made a fine whip for mom to beat us with!!
1. Tonka Toys
From the Road Grader to the Steam Shovel. Playing in the dirt and mud was every boys favorite pastime!
We took the army men to school, too. Nowadays they'd call the cops and have us taken away under restraint!
Lincoln Logs
Mattel Winchester mod. 94 with metal bullets one could actually cycle through
Gilbert Erector set
Gilbert Electric Train with two-rail tracks (Not the three-rail tracks those lame Lionel trains used)
My little sister was 4 and tried (and failed) to cut her hair, ruined the lace dress and nearly tore off her arm. I can laugh about it now, lol. I repaired her arm with wire and yarn, reattaching it in a way. I even made a sling out of fabric. I loved the hair, I wanted red hair for years after that.
You played with dolls?
Still do...
I have no clue waht a flexie is!!
Times have changed.
I loved the smell of the cap gun burnt powder!!
Also, did anyone have the Samantha(bewitched) doll?
She came in a long red sparkled dress with a red witches hat.
Then there was the Batgirl doll. She had her batgirl costume and street clothes..
LOL. What more could ya want?
Don't remeber SLime. But I remember Shrunken Heads. You'd put them in the oven and they'd shrivel up. Felt like a real headhunter!!
My older sister had an easy bake oven. I would eat all her goodies. LOL
I think they were after my time!
oh and lets not forget the staple to all kids toy chests...................................PLAYDOUGH!!!!
Dear lord,
The only one I recognize is the wagon,
(I think I may have had one, don't remember)
and I've seen legos.
The rest are alien...'cept....
My brother's had Tonkas.
~~sigh~~
I wish! My dad threw her out, by accident, when I was in college. He threw out the box marked 'save' because he thought it had junk inside, and kept the box of used books, marked 'garbage' that I couldn't give away. Sigh.
I remember the Samantha doll. I wasn't allowed to get one because she was a witch. I thought the sparkly gown was very glamorous.
Plus I was on the Mark Levin thread, where drinking was allowed mandatory...LOL
BTTT
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