5)Lego’s
4)Matchbox Cars
3)Topps Baseball Cards
2)Action Figures(My Transformers, GI Joes, Starwars and He-Man figures all usually assembled into one big convoluted battle)
1)My sweet, sweet Dukes of Hazard Hotwheels tricycle. That thing rocked!
John,
My parents never bought us Legos and the ones my friends had never interested me. Matchbox cars were cool, but weren’t in the top 5. Would you consider sports cards (I was into football cards) toys?
Ultimately I spent most of my time outdoors playing sports or in the nearby field or just lost in my imagination as a Transformer or GI Joe. Man, wouldn’t it be nice to have a summer break again?
I’d consider cards a toy, but it probably depends on how you used them. I’d spend alot of time going over stats, trading cards with friends, driving the neighborhood card shop guy nuts and drawing horns and husks on Red Sox players. In hindsight, I regret the defacing that I gave to many Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs cards. I was lucky though, my aunt worked for Topps and would score me a complete set every year to save and one to play with. I really should dig those out of my mom’s attic sometime.
It would indeed be great t0 have a summer break again. I just sent two of my kids back to school today, which had me already reminiscing before I even read this post. I’m glad you brought this topic up.
My childhood was pretty much void of any licensed merchandise.
I remember lots of Legos, Tinker Toys, Frisbees, Lawn Darts (loved those things!), badminton sets, dart guns, cap guns, Lincoln Logs, Hot Wheels race tracks, Nerf balls, Riviton, etc. But I don’t remember a lot of TV or movie-based merch.
-My Top Ten-
1. Legos
2. Battle Beasts
3. Transformers
4. Hot Wheels
5. He-man
6. Star Wars
7. Micro Machines
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
9. Dino Riders
10. Crash Test Dummies
I never realized how spoiled I was!
Steve, the Steve Austin action figure definitely was from the 70’s. The show had been canceled long before the 80’s rolled in. Of course I loved mine. I still remember the backpack that was also a radio where you had an alligator clip that acted as an antenna when you clipped it on some metal. The best Christmas present from Santa ever. These figures were big though. This was the days of the classic G I Joe with their Kung Fu grip. Although I never for the life of me could figure out why so many of them had beards.
Speaking of the 70’s rather than the 80’s though, my favorite toys were definitely the Micronauts. They even had a comic book by Marvel. (I have most of the issues somewhere) They were far superior to the Star Wars action figures of the same era since they were much more jointed. (I remember pre-ordering the first gen of Star Wars figures from some special offer and being so disappointed they only could bend at the hip and shoulder and only in one way - especially after having G I Joes when younger) Although my prized possessions were the Battlestar Galactica figures. I thought the capes were so cool I had my mom sew extra ones for the Micronauts and Star Wars figures. Then I carved out the plastic jointers for various models guns and so forth. Fun days. I had these huge cities I built out of wood, chicken wire, and plaster of paris for all the action figures. Then Micronauts had the weird vacuum system that I added as a mass transit system. Fantastic fun.
Ah, those were the day. The toys in the 80’s got lame fast. Come on. He Man?
I had one of the original pong games. But yeah, the old Atari 2600 was great. My favorite game was this “exclusive” for Sears where one person played a lunar lander and the other the moon and you had to land on the moon.
What about marbles? I was totally into them in grade school during the 80’s. Shooters, boulders and “Clackers” - large, fake decorative grapes that we would take apart.
Don’t tell me that I am the only one who was a complete marble fanatic as a 4th or 5th grader!
We used to pitch hockey cards. You’d throw them towards the wall and whoever was closest got the other card. However if the card landed leaning against the wall then that was called a leaner. The other player then got five shots (he picked his cards) to shoot it down. If he did the other guy had to give him five cards. If he didn’t then the guy with the leaner gets all the cards on the ground.
Of course the trick was deciding what cards to “bet.” There were very prized cards like Ken Dryden (the famous goalie for the Montreal Canadians). Obviously if you were going to pitch for a Ken Dryden then they had to put up a pretty valuable card as well.
The goal was to get a complete collection of each year’s worth of hockey cards.
BTW - Hot Wheels are the greatest. You can still get a lot of the classic sets off eBay for next to nothing. I got my young son a bunch last Christmas.
Star Wars action figures! Especially the Land speeder, which wasn’t mine but I wanted it- my neighbor friend had it.
Big Wheel. We would flip it over and call it “ice cream maker.” Fond memories blasting down the hill on that and slamming into a garage door at the bottom (a cul-de-sac on a hill).
Matchbox cars- I do remember a Dukes of Hazard one. The old colonel?
Barbie Tonka Truck. A huge, pink bitchin’ jeep!
Barbie condo- my sister and I finally got some extra Barbie stuff that wasn’t handed down from teh older sisters. This was a total gem. With a pink plastic elevator!
“the treehouse family” some lame 70s attempt at making non-sexist Barbie alternatives. We turned the dad into a dykey Barbie girl, because boys are just too boring when you play barbie.
My neighbor had Pong and we played that far too much, on his big built-in TV.
Roller skates, that lemon-skipping thing, and jump-rope (double dutch!) loomed large. Lemon skipping thing- one leg is tied to a rope with a lemon on the end, and you swirl your leg around like an egg beater and try to hop with the other leg over it. Does anyone know what this is? I can’t remember the exact name.
Robotech was a cool TV show and I loved it as a kid, but it had very little marketing behind it, the toy line was way too limited and the toys really weren’t all that good, actually. I had several, but they didn’t work as well as the other toys.
Also, Robotech was aimed at a slightly older audience.
This is what I played with during the 70s and 80s:
Tonka trucks
Hotwheels / Matchbox cars
Legos
Nerf football
Battleship, Stratego, Risk, Monopoly
HO scale train set
Chemistry set
100-in-1 Electronic Kit
Apple II
Amiga 1000
Favorite video games:
Lode Runner, Ultima III, Marble Madness
I doubt you can buy anything resembling a chemistry set any more.
Since nobody has mentioned them yet:
Balsa wood airplanes
Simon
Merlin (My wife has a Merlin. Wonder if it still works?)
Smash ‘em up Derby (good luck finding the parts)
My favorite cool toy was something called a Big Trak. It was a programmable tank-like vehicle. (Forward 30, turn right, etc.)
Oh Chemistry sets. They rocked in the 70’s and early 80’s. Then they decided they were too dangerous and emasculated them. But back in the day you could make things that blew up! (My favorite was the sulfuric acid mixed with sugar)
You were a kid in the 80s?
Comment by Susan M — August 28, 2007 @ 8:46 am
I think you and I have Rusty by 5-7 years Susan.
Comment by Geoff J — August 28, 2007 @ 8:48 am
That list is pretty much what my boys play with now. No He-Man, but Bionicle, and their electronic games are now on the computer.
Comment by tracy m — August 28, 2007 @ 8:57 am
Toys of the 70s:
Star Wars action figures
Stretch Armstrong
Sit’n'Spin
Lite Brite
Easy Bake Oven
Evil Knievel
Green Machine Big Wheel
Hoppity Hops
Comment by Susan M — August 28, 2007 @ 9:12 am
What about Robotech?
Comment by Dan — August 28, 2007 @ 9:16 am
5)Lego’s
4)Matchbox Cars
3)Topps Baseball Cards
2)Action Figures(My Transformers, GI Joes, Starwars and He-Man figures all usually assembled into one big convoluted battle)
1)My sweet, sweet Dukes of Hazard Hotwheels tricycle. That thing rocked!
Comment by John Scherer — August 28, 2007 @ 9:18 am
Yeah Susan, I just turned 30 this month.
John,
My parents never bought us Legos and the ones my friends had never interested me. Matchbox cars were cool, but weren’t in the top 5. Would you consider sports cards (I was into football cards) toys?
Ultimately I spent most of my time outdoors playing sports or in the nearby field or just lost in my imagination as a Transformer or GI Joe. Man, wouldn’t it be nice to have a summer break again?
Comment by Rusty — August 28, 2007 @ 9:26 am
I had a Stretch Armstrong when I was very little. Somehow he got a hole in him and started leaking goo all over. Then he vanished.
Comment by a random John — August 28, 2007 @ 9:31 am
Even as a girl, I loved my matchbox cars. I had a little yellow “LeCar” that me and my buddy Jonathan would fight over.
Comment by tracy m — August 28, 2007 @ 9:41 am
Oh, but Lite Brite rocked!
Comment by tracy m — August 28, 2007 @ 9:42 am
Absolutely Rusty,
I’d consider cards a toy, but it probably depends on how you used them. I’d spend alot of time going over stats, trading cards with friends, driving the neighborhood card shop guy nuts and drawing horns and husks on Red Sox players. In hindsight, I regret the defacing that I gave to many Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs cards. I was lucky though, my aunt worked for Topps and would score me a complete set every year to save and one to play with. I really should dig those out of my mom’s attic sometime.
It would indeed be great t0 have a summer break again. I just sent two of my kids back to school today, which had me already reminiscing before I even read this post. I’m glad you brought this topic up.
Comment by John Scherer — August 28, 2007 @ 10:16 am
1) GI Joe
2) Transformers
3) Legos
4) Voltron
5) Starwars
Comment by Ola Senor — August 28, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Strangely, although I was a child of the ’70s and ’80s, I didn’t own a single one of these toys.
Comment by BTD Greg — August 28, 2007 @ 10:28 am
I don’t see any references thus far to the Six Million Dollar Man doll, whose eye you could see through.
Comment by Supergenius — August 28, 2007 @ 10:42 am
BTD Greg,
Then I’m forced to conclude that you were a Thundercats and GoBots guy, huh? Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears?
Comment by Rusty — August 28, 2007 @ 10:58 am
My childhood was pretty much void of any licensed merchandise.
I remember lots of Legos, Tinker Toys, Frisbees, Lawn Darts (loved those things!), badminton sets, dart guns, cap guns, Lincoln Logs, Hot Wheels race tracks, Nerf balls, Riviton, etc. But I don’t remember a lot of TV or movie-based merch.
Comment by BTD Greg — August 28, 2007 @ 11:02 am
I was a late eighties, early nineties kid. I played with:
Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lite Brite, Tinker Toys and GI Joes to name just a few
Comment by Summer — August 28, 2007 @ 11:10 am
-My Top Ten-
1. Legos
2. Battle Beasts
3. Transformers
4. Hot Wheels
5. He-man
6. Star Wars
7. Micro Machines
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
9. Dino Riders
10. Crash Test Dummies
I never realized how spoiled I was!
Comment by Jimmy — August 28, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
Steve, the Steve Austin action figure definitely was from the 70’s. The show had been canceled long before the 80’s rolled in. Of course I loved mine. I still remember the backpack that was also a radio where you had an alligator clip that acted as an antenna when you clipped it on some metal. The best Christmas present from Santa ever. These figures were big though. This was the days of the classic G I Joe with their Kung Fu grip. Although I never for the life of me could figure out why so many of them had beards.
Speaking of the 70’s rather than the 80’s though, my favorite toys were definitely the Micronauts. They even had a comic book by Marvel. (I have most of the issues somewhere) They were far superior to the Star Wars action figures of the same era since they were much more jointed. (I remember pre-ordering the first gen of Star Wars figures from some special offer and being so disappointed they only could bend at the hip and shoulder and only in one way - especially after having G I Joes when younger) Although my prized possessions were the Battlestar Galactica figures. I thought the capes were so cool I had my mom sew extra ones for the Micronauts and Star Wars figures. Then I carved out the plastic jointers for various models guns and so forth. Fun days. I had these huge cities I built out of wood, chicken wire, and plaster of paris for all the action figures. Then Micronauts had the weird vacuum system that I added as a mass transit system. Fantastic fun.
Ah, those were the day. The toys in the 80’s got lame fast. Come on. He Man?
Comment by Clark — August 28, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
I had the Bionic Woman doll, my brother had the 6 Million Dollar Man doll. I also had Donny and Marie dolls, and my best friend had their stage set.
Comment by Susan M — August 28, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
So did Steve Austin and Jamie Summers ever go undercover? Was one a little bit country and the other a little bit rock and roll?
Comment by Clark — August 28, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
It’s likely.
Honestly, all I remember about the Bionic Woman doll is how compartments in her legs opened up to show wiring inside.
Comment by Susan M — August 28, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
Clark = Languatron??
Sorry Clark, I had to ask.
Comment by John Scherer — August 28, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
No one has mentioned the Atari or NES? They are definitely the toys I spent the most time with.
Comment by Matt W. — August 28, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
I had one of the original pong games. But yeah, the old Atari 2600 was great. My favorite game was this “exclusive” for Sears where one person played a lunar lander and the other the moon and you had to land on the moon.
Comment by Clark — August 28, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
We haven’t really touched on games, just individual toys.
Comment by Susan M — August 28, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
What about marbles? I was totally into them in grade school during the 80’s. Shooters, boulders and “Clackers” - large, fake decorative grapes that we would take apart.
Don’t tell me that I am the only one who was a complete marble fanatic as a 4th or 5th grader!
Comment by Andres — August 28, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
We used to pitch hockey cards. You’d throw them towards the wall and whoever was closest got the other card. However if the card landed leaning against the wall then that was called a leaner. The other player then got five shots (he picked his cards) to shoot it down. If he did the other guy had to give him five cards. If he didn’t then the guy with the leaner gets all the cards on the ground.
Of course the trick was deciding what cards to “bet.” There were very prized cards like Ken Dryden (the famous goalie for the Montreal Canadians). Obviously if you were going to pitch for a Ken Dryden then they had to put up a pretty valuable card as well.
The goal was to get a complete collection of each year’s worth of hockey cards.
Comment by Clark — August 28, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
I played jacks like a madwoman. I still have a set, actually, and could take anyone down to this daY.
\
Comment by tracy m — August 28, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
BTW - John I’m not Languatron. I think the new series is vastly superior to the old one. Even if last season was a bit of a disappointment.
Comment by Clark — August 28, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
I was going to mention jacks, Tracy. Also Chinese jumprope.
Comment by Susan M — August 28, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
BTW - Hot Wheels are the greatest. You can still get a lot of the classic sets off eBay for next to nothing. I got my young son a bunch last Christmas.
Comment by Clark — August 28, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
I didn’t like any of those boy toys. I was always happier dressing up in my pink tutu.
Comment by Brick — August 28, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
LOL!
Comment by tracy m — August 28, 2007 @ 10:13 pm
Did it have a matching Cinderella shirt?
Comment by Clark — August 28, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
HA HA! BRICK IS A SISSIE!! Why don’t you go back home and cry to your mommie!
Now Tracy, go make me a sandwich.
Comment by Rusty — August 29, 2007 @ 8:45 am
I only wish I was Languatron.
Comment by a random John — August 29, 2007 @ 10:05 am
BWAAAAAA! Rusty, I just sperffed Diet Coke all over my poor computer!
Comment by tracy m — August 29, 2007 @ 11:43 am
Thanks for the clarification Clark. I’ve had that suspicion for a while now and had to ask,….not that there’s anything wrong with it.
Rusty, BRILLIANT!!
Comment by John Scherer — August 29, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
I grew up in the 70s-
Star Wars action figures! Especially the Land speeder, which wasn’t mine but I wanted it- my neighbor friend had it.
Big Wheel. We would flip it over and call it “ice cream maker.” Fond memories blasting down the hill on that and slamming into a garage door at the bottom (a cul-de-sac on a hill).
Matchbox cars- I do remember a Dukes of Hazard one. The old colonel?
Barbie Tonka Truck. A huge, pink bitchin’ jeep!
Barbie condo- my sister and I finally got some extra Barbie stuff that wasn’t handed down from teh older sisters. This was a total gem. With a pink plastic elevator!
“the treehouse family” some lame 70s attempt at making non-sexist Barbie alternatives. We turned the dad into a dykey Barbie girl, because boys are just too boring when you play barbie.
My neighbor had Pong and we played that far too much, on his big built-in TV.
Roller skates, that lemon-skipping thing, and jump-rope (double dutch!) loomed large. Lemon skipping thing- one leg is tied to a rope with a lemon on the end, and you swirl your leg around like an egg beater and try to hop with the other leg over it. Does anyone know what this is? I can’t remember the exact name.
Comment by banane — August 29, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
Dan -
Robotech was a cool TV show and I loved it as a kid, but it had very little marketing behind it, the toy line was way too limited and the toys really weren’t all that good, actually. I had several, but they didn’t work as well as the other toys.
Also, Robotech was aimed at a slightly older audience.
Comment by Ivan Wolfe — August 29, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
This is what I played with during the 70s and 80s:
Tonka trucks
Hotwheels / Matchbox cars
Legos
Nerf football
Battleship, Stratego, Risk, Monopoly
HO scale train set
Chemistry set
100-in-1 Electronic Kit
Apple II
Amiga 1000
Favorite video games:
Lode Runner, Ultima III, Marble Madness
I doubt you can buy anything resembling a chemistry set any more.
Comment by Mark D. — August 29, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
Banane- I had one of those lemon twister jump things, too.
Comment by tracy m — August 29, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
Since nobody has mentioned them yet:
Balsa wood airplanes
Simon
Merlin (My wife has a Merlin. Wonder if it still works?)
Smash ‘em up Derby (good luck finding the parts)
My favorite cool toy was something called a Big Trak. It was a programmable tank-like vehicle. (Forward 30, turn right, etc.)
Comment by FHL — August 30, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
Oh Chemistry sets. They rocked in the 70’s and early 80’s. Then they decided they were too dangerous and emasculated them. But back in the day you could make things that blew up! (My favorite was the sulfuric acid mixed with sugar)
Comment by Clark — August 30, 2007 @ 2:50 pm