The toys I played with as a kid

[thrillathahunt]

It's raining today and I have no work so I thought I would reminisce about all the fun I had as a kid. Of course I would go from one thing to another (BB guns, yo-yos, tops, topps baseball cards with gum for 5 cents, slot cars, etc.) but I was never ever "bored". I think it's sad what kids are missing out on today.

Of all the different things I played with, one thing continually held my interest, and that was control line model airplane flying.

Remember the old Cox .049 plastic U-control planes? I started out with the PT-19 trainer and from there built my planes from kits.

 

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[spartacus53]

I had one of those as a kid, ever was able to get a handle on flying it, but I had crashing down pat.
I had this early version of the Stuka, brought back some nice memories.

Now, if I were to try again today, I think I would opt for the second video shown and get some flight lessons to avoid my old bad habits of crashing

 

[thrillathahunt]

Very cool Spart! See, we do have something in common.

I did a little bit of Radio Control flying but I did not find it as much fun as building my own "speedwings" and flying them.....man, the stunts you coud do! Sometimes I would just stand still and do all kinds of manuevers, upside down, figure eights, loops etc. And buddies sometimes would get in the the circle next to me and we would "combat" with tissue streamers tied on the elevators. Whoever cut the other's streamer first won!

 

[Cool Hand Fluke]

When I was a kid in 1965 I got this really cool Secret Sam Spy Set for Christmas. It was a pistol that could change into a riffle, it shot plastic bullits. It came in a spy briefcase that also could shoot bullits. It also had a periscope for peeking over fences etc. Really Cool! 8)

 

[Cool Hand Fluke]

Here is another favorite around the same time period (mid 1960's). A major sensation when these were introduced. Just about every kid had one.

 

[Produce Guy]

Man I had that same Cox airplane back in the 1970's and I also had the Helicopter,it was so much fun,but you had to run after it once it got going.
P.S. where in Texas are you?,did you get any rain or hail today 1/25/12

 

[thrillathahunt]

Man I had that same Cox airplane back in the 1970's and I also had the Helicopter,it was so much fun,but you had to run after it once it got going.
P.S. where in Texas are you?,did you get any rain or hail today 1/25/12

Just north of Austin. We got about 5 inches of rain and lots of thunder and lightning.

 

[bigscoop]

G.I. Joes...........Johnny West...........when I was really young.

 

[thrillathahunt]

Can't forget to mention Duncan yo-yos, always seemed to have one around. I prefered the Imperial.

 

[gleaner1]

There was a one-wheeled car you put a geared strap down thru and pulled it out to get the wheel spinning like a banshee and let that thing go I swear it would go a hundred yards on pavement I just cant remember what the hell those were called..

 

[gleaner1]

The name is on the tip of my tongue, it will hit me in about two more cold ones

 

[gleaner1]

Kenner SSP rip cord cars....these were the coolest toys around early seventies. Google it if you dare.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

G.I. Joes...........Johnny West...........when I was really young.

Johnny Quest was awesome...I still hear the theme track in my head now and then...

My brother had a 'string-controlled' P-51, or something similar, not too big, and he was pretty good at it. He let me try it and it went straight up and straight down, borrowing into the turf (solid playground asphalt in this case); pieces everywhere.

On the same playground we saw a man and son with a very large plane of the same type. The control strings had to be super long and they had to position themselves right in the center of the area. They got it going and it was ripping around and the guy (son) adjusts his position ... and smashes the plane directly into the monkey bars.

I didn't spend much time with those planes after those incidents

Otherwise, in general, when young, we blew stuff up or made rockets or made super-8's of military dioramas with appropriate incendiary effects

 

[spartacus53]

I wish I still had my original 60's GI Joe, with the Kung-Fu grip I also had the Nazi and Japanese ones, but like Beep, they met their demise at the hands of fireworks

Also tried to mate my GI Joe with my sisters Barbie Doll... and that made the first cabbage patch kid, tossed it away thinking it was nothing

As far as guns, I got a cool black metal Baretta from the Italian pavilion in the 64 NYC World's Fair.. Played James Bond for a good year with that bad boy

I guess my all time favorite was Lionel HO trains, and I still have them.. Had the "O" gauge too, but it took up too much room for any layouts..

It's sad to think the majority of toys today are all video, children today don't know what it's like to use their imagination.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Rereading, I see bigscoop said West...I was thinking Quest...oh well; maybe I should wake up before I post

We also had a years long deal with building go-carts which we would race down streets (hills) and, eventually, put dummies in them and roll them off steep or sheer inclines

 

[bsloan]

When I was a kid, mom and dad wouldn't let me have anything with a gas motor cause someone might get hurt, but 22's and pocket knives were ok, go figure. I do remember the Uncle Fester light bulb, the magic 8 ball, it's still around today, and Incredible Edibles. You could cook your own nasty tasting bug candy, and burn the crap out of yourself at the same time!

Bill

 

[BosnMate]

WWII was going on, we played army. I wish that there was such a thing as video in those days. All the boys in the neighborhood probably 8 or nine, would get together and the oldest would be the sergeant, and he'd march us. We were marching under arms, dad had made me a very respectable rifle out of wood, with a broom handle barrel. One or two had BB guns, a couple just had sticks. One kid had a WWI helmet, one kid had a sailor hat, a couple had kitchen pots for helmets. Later I got a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. Then my uncle sent me a brand new Japanese helmet from a supply cave on Guam. From then on I was the bad guy and got killed more than any other. I have no idea what happened to that helmet, but it got played with until it was ruined, and I'm sure it ended up in the dump. Saturday's we always went to the movie. A grade B western, with a serial and cartoon. For 12 cents got you inside, and 5 cents bought popcorn, another 5 cents for a coke. If you wanted the latest special comic book, one could forgo the popcorn and coke, and buy the comic on the way home. The theater was always crowded, and during the movie the din was unreal. The black hatted cowboy would be sneaking up on the white hatted good guy, and all the kids would be hollering "Look out behind you." The more horse manure and gun smoke the better the picture was, and if the white hat cowboy kissed the girl, that ruined the whole thing. After the movie was over we would play cowboys and Indians. There was no organized sports for kids, we'd play softball in a vacant lot -- work ups, there were never enough for two teams. We walked or rode bicycles everywhere we went. If it was raining parents would car pool, otherwise even after dark we'd have to walk. I remember when I was a little older we'd go to a scary movie and it would be dark on the way home. There were no street lights for quite a distance, and we'd get in the middle of the road, and run like heck, scared the monster was going to get us. Our parents seemed to let us go most anywhere we wanted, but mom had a cow bell, and when she rang that you just had a few minutes to get home. If you dilly dallied, she would meet you with a wood coat hanger. I had a few of them busted on my butt. She never threatened to tell dad, she always handled it herself. We weren't a bit scared of the cops, if we got caught doing something stupid, we begged and pleaded, "please don't tell my dad." They always did. Oh yeah, my father always told the teacher, if I was bad, they were to spank me, and send a note home, with a promise he'll get it again when he gets home. I got spanked at school, but no teacher ever made me get an extra spanking.