What Was Your Favourite Toy When Growing Up?
Discussion
Having seen the thread on the toy industry and it's decline in to overpriced, lifeless, soulless movie merch that isn't a patch on what we had as kids; I thought it would be interesting and nostalgic to see what cool stuff we had when growing up, be it a hoop and a stick or a motorised remote controlled mech.
This Manta Force ship was probably my favourite. It fired missiles and was packed with lots of cool features, such as manned pods and the ability to drop bombs.
This Manta Force ship was probably my favourite. It fired missiles and was packed with lots of cool features, such as manned pods and the ability to drop bombs.
My Commodore 64, a joint present for my Brother and I for Christmas 1983 with a tape deck and a 14 inch Amstrad TV Colour TV. Looking back I have no idea how they afforded it, it's not as if they had much money back then.
My brother was not really interested in it but it started off my interest with computers that led to me going to University to study Computer Science and spending 25 years (so far) working in IT.
Spending hours typing in listings from magazines only to get SYNTAX ERROR when typing RUN and having no idea how to understand what the code was doing. Getting computer games for Christmas and secretly unwrapping them whilst my parents were out to play them. The 30 minute walk into town during the summer holidays to buy some crappy Mastertronic or CodeMasters budget game.
In 1989 I was working in the evenings cleaning offices for £37.50 a week and saved up for months to afford the £399 for an Amiga Batman pack from Dixons. Now that was a very, very exciting journey home but it never seemed to hold my interest like the C64 did.
I stupidly sold the C64 and all the games soon after, I wish I still had them all today. I have tried to play the games on emulators and they are crap, but the SID music takes me straight back to being 14 and sitting in my bedroom playing Last Ninja 2.
As for toys and games, this is the one that stands out to me, we used to spend hours playing this
My brother was not really interested in it but it started off my interest with computers that led to me going to University to study Computer Science and spending 25 years (so far) working in IT.
Spending hours typing in listings from magazines only to get SYNTAX ERROR when typing RUN and having no idea how to understand what the code was doing. Getting computer games for Christmas and secretly unwrapping them whilst my parents were out to play them. The 30 minute walk into town during the summer holidays to buy some crappy Mastertronic or CodeMasters budget game.
In 1989 I was working in the evenings cleaning offices for £37.50 a week and saved up for months to afford the £399 for an Amiga Batman pack from Dixons. Now that was a very, very exciting journey home but it never seemed to hold my interest like the C64 did.
I stupidly sold the C64 and all the games soon after, I wish I still had them all today. I have tried to play the games on emulators and they are crap, but the SID music takes me straight back to being 14 and sitting in my bedroom playing Last Ninja 2.
As for toys and games, this is the one that stands out to me, we used to spend hours playing this
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 20th October 17:54
During my childhood I've been lucky enough to have lots of interesting/fun toys. Loved my Lego and Meccano. An early almost hand-held space invader type machine. Early video consoles (Atari). Aurora race-track. Even board games were fun. We (my brother and I) played chess, Scrabble (a lot with my grandparents). Monopoly with parents. Frustration. We had a dart board at home for a while as well. A small snooker/pool table. Done many many miles on a bicycle with my mates. Fishing. Made loads of Airfix models. No end of entertainment.
QuartzDad said:
Thought I was the bees knees when I got this:
I had one like that but in desert colour scheme.Apart from that, my spacehopper. I seem to recall my folks saying it was the best money they ever spent about 6 years after they originally bought it when it finally gave up the ghost.
Matchbox cars - I had hundreds of them. Used to love going to the paper shop and buying one every week.. I’ve still got a lot of them and my son plays with them now. Had to be Matchbox, Corgi we’re too cheap feeling with rubbish wheels, Hot Wheels too whacky and no suspension, Matchbox were nicely detailed, with good suspension. Majorette we’re good too (excellent suspension), but not that common. Used to pick those up on our summer hols to France. And then, as a special treat or present, I occasionally got something by Siku, their trucks and excavators were awesome.
The Siku and Matchbox catalogues were addictive reading,
I can still remember the excitement of getting a Machbox Mk3 Ford Transit. I think it was available before the real thing and was like owning something from the future.
The Siku and Matchbox catalogues were addictive reading,
I can still remember the excitement of getting a Machbox Mk3 Ford Transit. I think it was available before the real thing and was like owning something from the future.
My Sega Game Gear was the most excited I've ever been to receive a toy, but computer based games seems a bit like cheating.
|https://thumbsnap.com/ogZV4TFv[/url]
I had a Tyco remote control hovercraft which was fun too.
|https://thumbsnap.com/hMBrviUf[/url]
Proper advert too https://youtu.be/3ugrNkGl0cU[url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/ogZV4TFv[/url]I had a Tyco remote control hovercraft which was fun too.
|https://thumbsnap.com/hMBrviUf[/url]Proper advert too https://youtu.be/3ugrNkGl0cU[url][url]
Frimley111R said:
I had gone from Corgi/Dinky cars to Scalextric to a Tandy R/C Lancia Stratos and this was a quantum leap in toys for me and the next 10 years Christmas presents were related to R/C cars.
About £100 all in in 1980. Big money but boy did I ever get value out of it!!
We grew up relatively poor so Tamiya RC cars were just something I lusted over in magazines. When I got my first job (40 years ago) I bought a Sand Scorcher and still own it About £100 all in in 1980. Big money but boy did I ever get value out of it!!
A nikko turbo panther rc car
It was average but i truly adored it
My dad would put it on charge every day and I’d come home from junior school and play with it every night, probably only last 10 mins due to the naff nicad batteries
I used it so much that all the tyres were smooth
Eventually it just wore out and died a slow death, did my best to keep it going but there were no spares available
Would love to see one in action now
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikko-frame-buggy-turbo...
It was average but i truly adored it
My dad would put it on charge every day and I’d come home from junior school and play with it every night, probably only last 10 mins due to the naff nicad batteries
I used it so much that all the tyres were smooth
Eventually it just wore out and died a slow death, did my best to keep it going but there were no spares available
Would love to see one in action now
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikko-frame-buggy-turbo...
LukeBrown66 said:
Big Loader as a wee man
Star Wars figures
Matchbox tiny version of Scalextric
Airfix kits.
I purchased a big loader about a year ago for fun, purchased a broken one for about a tenner I think, got it working and it’s back in the box. Hoping to use it with my kids one day Star Wars figures
Matchbox tiny version of Scalextric
Airfix kits.
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I’m going to come across as a serious nerd here, but it’s a toss up between the encyclopaedia Brittanica (essentially the internet in a lot of books for the kids here) and my 16k ZX Spectrum (later upgraded to 48k). In regard to the former, I just loved ‘facts’.
But I did want a millennium Falcon.
But I did want a millennium Falcon.
Edited by ChevronB19 on Wednesday 20th October 19:56
Maybe not a toy as such but a three wheeled bike, it was really old, didn't even have pneumatic tyres, just solid rubber and rod brakes, I rode that thing for miles.
Years later I bought a very second hand all metal model of a steam engine, about 3 feet long and 1 foot high, so big that a child could ride on it. I painted it red with a black roof, it was for my nephew who was 4 years old. It was a pleasure to do this toy for him and he thought he had been given the world
Years later I bought a very second hand all metal model of a steam engine, about 3 feet long and 1 foot high, so big that a child could ride on it. I painted it red with a black roof, it was for my nephew who was 4 years old. It was a pleasure to do this toy for him and he thought he had been given the world
ChevronB19 said:
I’m going to come across as a serious nerd here, but it’s a toss up between the encyclopaedia Brittanica (essentially the internet in a lot of books for the kids here) and my 16k ZX Spectrum (later upgraded to 48k). In regard to the former, I just loved ‘facts’.
I had a Guinness Book of Facts, which was of endless joy to me too. Still got it somewhere.Joey Deacon said:
As for toys and games, this is the one that stands out to me, we used to spend hours playing this
Mate!!! Edited by Joey Deacon on Wednesday 20th October 17:54
Absolutely LOVED this game!! Haha, massive blast from the past. I got it for Christmas and, like you, we would play it for hours and hours.
Eventually we powered everything up by adding more elastic bands and of course the plastic bits gave way - good times.
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