Christmas Toys from Your Childhood You Wish You Still Had

Albromor · 12-19-2002, 11:14 PM

Okay, there I was sitting in a movie theater with my wife and children on Thanksgiving Eve watching Santa Claus 2 with Tim Allen as Santa (actually I was pleasently entertained). There was this one scene... (SPOILER COMING)
.
.
.
.

...where Allen attends a Christmas party with his son's school principle. It is a dead party until Allen uses some magic to conjure up a sackful of toys for the attendies. Everyone gets a present from their childhood that they absolutely loved. Anyhow, the next scene shows the people really having a great time and as they pan across the scene there it was, a game I absolutely loved and haven't seen in years upon years: Green Ghost! What a great board game. In fact the box that they had in the scene was exactly like I remembered it. I said to myself, "Now where in the world did they get that???" It has been out of print for years. Afterwards I told my kids about the game and I was surprised how much I remembered. Well my 9 year old son wanted it but I said that it was impossible for it was from so long ago. I did tell him that we most likely could find info. on it via the internet. Sure enough there were webpages with pictures and rules. I came to find out that the old games, if in good shape could fetch $70 to $140 dollars. Then...

...I came across the info. that Marx toys, long dead for years, was revived and lo and behold Green Ghost was available. I kid you not! And today it arrived via Fed Ex ground and the box design hasn't changed a bit My son doesn't even have the slighest idea that it is coming his way for Christmas. (and, yes, I have enough will power to prevent myself from opening the box!) So, if you could have a toy from your yesterdays that came during Christmas (or Hannakuh or birthdays for that matter) that you would want again for yourself or your children, what would it be?

Jeffi0 · 12-19-2002, 11:36 PM

Probably a little motorized car that I got when I was four. Sadly, I was driving it when the batteries failed and it rolled off the balcony.

Albromor · 12-20-2002, 04:27 PM

What?! No one else has a toy they were so very fond of???

Sazerac · 12-20-2002, 04:31 PM

Spirograph!!!!

That was the tops! Well it wasn't a game, but it was a really cool design tool that would let you make all kinds of neat designs and mandalas and things like that. I'd give anything if I could find a spirograph set.

Hey, for anyone looking for classic board games, try this site:

http://www.playitagain-games.com/

Have fun searching! I found a game for my wife that she's missed ever since her childhood...she was completely bowled over! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Cheers,
-Saz

Albromor · 12-20-2002, 10:34 PM

Now THAT is really cool, Saz. What a great story. It parallel's mine and, yes, I remember spirograph. My youngest sister got it for Christmas years ago.

Callum Kerr · 12-21-2002, 10:22 AM

A spirograph? is that when you have the stencil with the serrated edges, and the cogs, and you put a pencil into one of the off-center holes and turn the cog inside the circular stencil? those are cool, but they cost about RM1 here at the local crappy bookstore, which is about 25 US cents... one cool toy that i used to have but got broken was a gyroscope... it was so cool to balance this spinning thing on a pencil tilted at an angle or a string... alas for younger brothers...

skywalker · 12-21-2002, 10:25 AM

Saz! There are quite a few Spirograph sets on Ebay and they're not to expensive!

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...Sort&catref=C1

Mark

Attalus · 12-21-2002, 10:48 AM

For my ninth Christmas (I think), I got a Scwinn Black Phantom bike that I loved dearly, rode to death, and would love to have another of. They did re-issue it in the Nineties, but it was like $1200.

Callum Kerr · 12-21-2002, 10:52 AM

Well I was right about what a spirograph is... but, needless to say, the ones that you get for 25 cents are not quite of that quality...

Albromor · 12-21-2002, 11:04 AM

Ah, Attalas, a friend of mine from yesteryear got a Schwinn "Pea Picker" 5 speed bike. He, too, rode it to death. The Pea Picker was green, the "Orange Crate" model was, well orange, and the "Apple Crate" was red (duh!). After almost 20 years I saw him again and that bike came up. He said in his research that the Pea Picker is worth $1,500 on today's market!

[ 12-21-2002, 11:05 AM: Message edited by: Albromor ]

12-19-2002, 11:36 PM	#2
Jeffi0 Zhentarim Guard Join Date: September 3, 2002 Location: Canada Age: 40 Posts: 308	Probably a little motorized car that I got when I was four. Sadly, I was driving it when the batteries failed and it rolled off the balcony. __________________ <br /><br />[url]\"http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=010302\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=010302</a> First 8-Bit Theater comic. The first few aren\'t really funny, but the rest are great.

12-20-2002, 04:31 PM	#4
Sazerac Ironworks Moderator Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Monroe, LA Age: 60 Posts: 7,387	Spirograph!!!! That was the tops! Well it wasn't a game, but it was a really cool design tool that would let you make all kinds of neat designs and mandalas and things like that. I'd give anything if I could find a spirograph set. Hey, for anyone looking for classic board games, try this site: http://www.playitagain-games.com/ Have fun searching! I found a game for my wife that she's missed ever since her childhood...she was completely bowled over! [img]smile.gif[/img] Cheers, -Saz __________________ "And all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams, Are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams, In what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams..."

12-21-2002, 10:22 AM	#6
Callum Kerr Drizzt Do'Urden Join Date: October 11, 2002 Location: Malaysia Age: 35 Posts: 638	A spirograph? is that when you have the stencil with the serrated edges, and the cogs, and you put a pencil into one of the off-center holes and turn the cog inside the circular stencil? those are cool, but they cost about RM1 here at the local crappy bookstore, which is about 25 US cents... one cool toy that i used to have but got broken was a gyroscope... it was so cool to balance this spinning thing on a pencil tilted at an angle or a string... alas for younger brothers... __________________ [img]\"http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RwARAyMWqyivmPQQNWY0hVVRv3oUvlvq5uMcEd3!RZut55dm8 emNqpdvpE7IkB0Cpa1ykaC4MbaPQTDKfXyfz!1y5xDqyJez01d EkyCZjmc/Callum.gif\" alt=\" - \" /><br />Puff the magic dragon!

12-21-2002, 10:48 AM	#8
Attalus Symbol of Bane Join Date: November 26, 2001 Location: Texas Age: 75 Posts: 8,167	For my ninth Christmas (I think), I got a Scwinn Black Phantom bike that I loved dearly, rode to death, and would love to have another of. They did re-issue it in the Nineties, but it was like $1200. __________________ Even Heroes sometimes fail...

12-21-2002, 10:52 AM	#9
Callum Kerr Drizzt Do'Urden Join Date: October 11, 2002 Location: Malaysia Age: 35 Posts: 638	Well I was right about what a spirograph is... but, needless to say, the ones that you get for 25 cents are not quite of that quality... __________________ [img]\"http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RwARAyMWqyivmPQQNWY0hVVRv3oUvlvq5uMcEd3!RZut55dm8 emNqpdvpE7IkB0Cpa1ykaC4MbaPQTDKfXyfz!1y5xDqyJez01d EkyCZjmc/Callum.gif\" alt=\" - \" /><br />Puff the magic dragon!

12-19-2002, 11:14 PM	#1
Albromor Mephistopheles Join Date: June 13, 2001 Location: Northfield, NJ USA Posts: 1,417	Okay, there I was sitting in a movie theater with my wife and children on Thanksgiving Eve watching Santa Claus 2 with Tim Allen as Santa (actually I was pleasently entertained). There was this one scene... (SPOILER COMING) . . . . ...where Allen attends a Christmas party with his son's school principle. It is a dead party until Allen uses some magic to conjure up a sackful of toys for the attendies. Everyone gets a present from their childhood that they absolutely loved. Anyhow, the next scene shows the people really having a great time and as they pan across the scene there it was, a game I absolutely loved and haven't seen in years upon years: Green Ghost! What a great board game. In fact the box that they had in the scene was exactly like I remembered it. I said to myself, "Now where in the world did they get that???" It has been out of print for years. Afterwards I told my kids about the game and I was surprised how much I remembered. Well my 9 year old son wanted it but I said that it was impossible for it was from so long ago. I did tell him that we most likely could find info. on it via the internet. Sure enough there were webpages with pictures and rules. I came to find out that the old games, if in good shape could fetch $70 to $140 dollars. Then... ...I came across the info. that Marx toys, long dead for years, was revived and lo and behold Green Ghost was available. I kid you not! And today it arrived via Fed Ex ground and the box design hasn't changed a bit My son doesn't even have the slighest idea that it is coming his way for Christmas. (and, yes, I have enough will power to prevent myself from opening the box!) So, if you could have a toy from your yesterdays that came during Christmas (or Hannakuh or birthdays for that matter) that you would want again for yourself or your children, what would it be?

12-20-2002, 04:27 PM	#3
Albromor Mephistopheles Join Date: June 13, 2001 Location: Northfield, NJ USA Posts: 1,417	What?! No one else has a toy they were so very fond of???

12-20-2002, 10:34 PM	#5
Albromor Mephistopheles Join Date: June 13, 2001 Location: Northfield, NJ USA Posts: 1,417	Now THAT is really cool, Saz. What a great story. It parallel's mine and, yes, I remember spirograph. My youngest sister got it for Christmas years ago.

12-21-2002, 10:25 AM	#7
skywalker Banned User Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: VT, USA Age: 63 Posts: 3,097	Saz! There are quite a few Spirograph sets on Ebay and they're not to expensive! http://search.ebay.com/search/search...Sort&catref=C1 Mark

12-21-2002, 11:04 AM	#10
Albromor Mephistopheles Join Date: June 13, 2001 Location: Northfield, NJ USA Posts: 1,417	Ah, Attalas, a friend of mine from yesteryear got a Schwinn "Pea Picker" 5 speed bike. He, too, rode it to death. The Pea Picker was green, the "Orange Crate" model was, well orange, and the "Apple Crate" was red (duh!). After almost 20 years I saw him again and that bike came up. He said in his research that the Pea Picker is worth $1,500 on today's market! [ 12-21-2002, 11:05 AM: Message edited by: Albromor ]

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