Memorable Toys
 

I was reading a web artilce this morning about memorable toys and supposedly, what makes a memorable toy. It didn't tell me much, however, my curiousity was piqued.

Of course there's the Slinky, Super ball, Etch-a-Sketch, etc, but what was your most memorable toy? Why?

Mine was a yellow flying saucer. I don't recall it's name. Marx made it. It was about 8 or 9 inches or so in diameter and it had a crank you inserted in the bottom to get a gyroscope-like wheel (I guess—I never saw the inside of it) running as fast as you could. The thing was pretty heavy. It was impossible to hold it still. It came with a "Moon-like" base and had a thin colum that it would balance and rotate on along with two remonveable pilots under sliding clear plastic domes at opposite sides. I forget whether they were alien or astronauts, but some of each were included with it. It would run along and balance on a tight string and do anything a conventional gyrscope would do. It was just a fascinating toy. I have the remnants of it somewhere.

I had some neat toys in my day—but that was one of the coolest.

What was yours? It doesn't have to do anything or have any special properties—you just had to really like it. Takers?

The Frisbee. When I first saw one I couldn't believe how long the thing stayed in the air.

My all time favorite was an electric football game I got in 1965. Every kid on my block had one (About 12) and we formed our own league and played each other for years during football season.

My next favorite would have been a Mattel Vaccuform. I know some of you guys had one, also about 1964-65. Used square sheets and various molds to make things - but not rocket parts!

Randy
www.vernarockets.com

Secret Sam, cool cold war spy stuff.

wick

Mattel Verti Bird helicopter.

I used to like my 12" sized GI Joe's. I also had a Steve Austin action figure with the bionic eye and rubberized arm with bionic grip!

Too many to choose from. Among the most memorable:

Mattel Vacuform

Mattel Thingmaker with Fighting Men molds

GI Joe (I loved the frogman outfit) - the equipment he came with were so cool!

Captain Action - Superman was my favorite costume, and I still have that one!

Viewmaster - in the days before VHS and DVDs, these were about the only way to relive a movie or TV show.

Johnny Eagle Lieutenant toy rifle

Jimmy Jet TV Jet Cockpit Console (link to youtube video of commercial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lGJPlps0M8

And, of course, Estes and Centuri rockets!

Speaking of GI Joe....
 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7369430@N02/977883500

One of my friends found this ol' boy in his basement and gave it to me because he'd never had any interest in GI Joe as a kid. This one is an original missing a pinkie finger.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7369430@N02/957589932

My friends and I all had these and staged some horrific crashes with them. LOTS of places in the neignborhood to get them airborne and they weren't very aerodynamic, so you know how that ends. :cool:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7369430@N02/957589842

This one is a personal favorite, and probably what comes to mind when the term "memorable toy" is used. I even have the rare clip that holds the two sections together. The rubber band that powered the spotlight and radar dry-rotted and made a mess of the interior, but I was able to clean it all up. Now I just need a new rubber band. And a stray piece or two.

And just for fun, That 70's Family with one of my old GI Joes along for the ride.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7369430@N02/2847991955 :cool: :rolleyes:

Oh gosh, yes! I loved mine....about '72 or '73 time frame.

My Hotwheels in the '68 to '71 time frame were tops though.

I remember being highly intrigued by the Mattel Thingmaker line, but we never had one.

Oh, and the Switch-n-Go track set.....anyone remember those? About '65 or '66.


Earl