Erector sets, stretch Armstrong along with silly putty were fun. We were pretty poor so the erector set was a prized possession for me. I’d make helicopters that wouldn’t fly of course because of the weight but was still cool with the motor.
Calvin Klein and Jordashe jeans, moon boots, Jarts. An endless list of stuff I remember and miss.
You could buy chemistry sets that you could actually do fun things with.
You could actually maintain your own car with regular tools.