Your Favorite Toys as a Child? Why? & Your Age?

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by cashflyer


One "toy" that I had, considered really b1chin' by most kids my age, was a Honda MR50 dirtbike. I got it for Christmas when I was 7. Although I really loved the bike, it actually got very little use. In fact, it still had the original tires on it 6 years later when my father felt I had outgrown it's size. I just didn't have anywhere to ride it except the backyard - which gets boring fast when you live on 1/2 acre!

Man I wanted one of those so bad as a kid instead of my z50. I found and restored this one about ten years ago for my daughters (or was it for me? ). I still ride it around the yard on occasion.

[berettafan]

34. Legos were #1, GI Joe (the smaller ones) were #2. Of course i spent a LOT of time outside riding bikes, bigwheels, etc.

I am currently working very hard to overcompensate for every toy i ever wanted but didn't get as a child. My duck hunting habit is the result of the realization that i could now buy guns just for kicks. got into shotgunning and the clays led to ducks and dove.

Never had a slot car track either. So i recently purchased a 1/32 Scalextric set with ALMS LMP cars. Just today my son (almost 3) and i moved it out to the garage where it will be permanently set up in anywhere from a 4x8 to 4x12 layout. Since getting the set i've added several cars including a 356, Lotus Cortina, '69 Camaro, 550, Torino Nascar and a Renault rally car.

Still have my Legos btw. just waiting for my son to get a wee bit older.

oh and i have NO problem buying my little guy hot wheels and matchbox cars. we have fun playing with them.

i also recall my cousin having some very nice RC toys. Just last year i started tinkering with RC planes. BIG fun as well and i just know my parents would have never even considered getting me such a thing when i was a youngster.

[jshape]

Age 61
+2 about the street lights coming on meaning it was time to come in.
Toys were…

Hardwood maple building blocks, Lincoln Logs, American Bricks and Erector sets – I got my first Erector set when I was three from an engineer uncle

Chemistry sets – you could make gunpowder and stink bombs
Revell and Monogram plastic models of aircraft, boats and cars (Revell made the better stuff)

BB guns - I had a Daisy pump, a Crossman CO2 pistol and a spring action pistol that shot pellets, BBs and darts

.22 single shot rifle I was supposed to only use with adult supervision

Bottle rockets after a trip to Canada or the South

Baseball – we played in the vacant lot right behind our house every night – quite a few broken windows

Football – tackle with no pads

Bikes – I got a Raleigh “English bike” after my Schwinn was stolen from in front of the sporting goods store downtown and rode it everywhere

Go carts – push type made from whatever wood scrap we could find and one with a horizontal shaft Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engine that someone scarfed off a reel type lawnmower

And as we got a little bit older…….

Knifes, machetes, bayonets, tents and other cool stuff bought from the Army surplus store in town

Tree houses built in the woods from scrap lumber we’d liberate from all the construction going on

Real WWII surplus guns that could be bought mail order from places like Milt Klein’s Sporting Goods in Chicago (for $10 more, Milt would pick one out especially for you). Got a nice .45 Astra pistol that way but didn’t have enough money to pay the extra $10 for Milt’s service. My Dad took that one away!

And then it was cars, cars and more cars……everything was about cars (kinda still is)

[tchanson]

I lived for my first Schwinn Sting Ray...while simultaneously lusting after a Schwinn Orange Krate...







Tim

[Super_Dave_D]

At 40 - I still play with my favorite toys - just a lot better. I still do it because I enjoy it and I find it relaxing. I sell or give away every piece - dont own a single one.

[tab tanner]

Did you guys ever have BB gun fight's?? It could be 90 degrees out side and I would be in a snowmobile suit with my red ryder BB gun waiting in the bushes for the kid next door, He would be in coveralls. This went on for 2-3 years and NO one ever go seriously hurt. On a side note A water rocket pumped up with 25 pumps will take a 10 year old kid clean off his feet if you hit them just right.
I remember building a ramp in the Methodist church parking lot, and 8-10 kids jumping this thing for hours. We had a great idea, lets get some lighter fluid and light the ramp on fire and ride through it. Great idea !! untill the kid with the lighter fluid sprays the stuff as Danny Peirce is full out coming strait at the ramp, After a large fire ,some burnt clothing, a few tears, we were back jumping the damm thing I miss being a kid!!

[trekkor]

BB gun wars? Yes.

We had padded clothing, eye protection and we all agreed not to aim for the head.

A lot of crawling on our stomachs and hiding in bushes.


KT

[azasadny]

How about playing "tag" with lawn darts? These were the ones with the pointed metal ends, not the sissy kind they have today. It's a wonder any of us made it through our childhood!

[VINMAN]

Building "forts" in the woods, with any pieces of scrap lumber u could find. Making boats out of cans or anthing else, floating them down the stream behind my house and bombing them with rocks or mud bombs.

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
I found and restored this one about ten years ago for my daughters (or was it for me? ). I still ride it around the yard on occasion.

I've been watching the papers, hoping to find one that's in good enough condition to restore as original. I tell myself that it will be for my niece in a few years.... but probably I'm just trying to recapture some good old memories.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by cashflyer
I've been watching the papers, hoping to find one that's in good enough condition to restore as original. I tell myself that it will be for my niece in a few years.... but probably I'm just trying to recapture some good old memories.

Mine was in terrible shape when I bought it. The most important parts to have intact, are the plastic fenders and side plate. These bikes were only produced in '74 (silver) and '75 (red). Some parts such as rubber grips, throttle cable etc are/were still available from Honda, but many parts are NLA. I know someone in my area who has (or had anyways a few years back) a basement wall filled with new parts for these. He bought out a foreign distributor's whole inventory of MR 50 parts because at the time, the bikes were being sought out by dads trying to transition their kids from Yamaha auto 50's to Kawasaki manual KX 60's. The MR's were viewed as a mild mannered training tool to use to break the little tykes in on a clutch without exposing them to the punch of the KX at the same time. He sold quite a few parts for MR's during this time frame to the motocross dads.

I took mine to the bare steel frame and refinished everything in epoxy primer then Imron paint. I have a source for the proper tank decals and Honda seat stencil for painting the back of a new seat cover.

[Racerbvd]

Originally posted by tab tanner
Did you guys ever have BB gun fight's?? It could be 90 degrees out side and I would be in a snowmobile suit with my red ryder BB gun waiting in the bushes for the kid next door, He would be in coveralls. This went on for 2-3 years and NO one ever go seriously hurt. On a side note A water rocket pumped up with 25 pumps will take a 10 year old kid clean off his feet if you hit them just right.
I remember building a ramp in the Methodist church parking lot, and 8-10 kids jumping this thing for hours. We had a great idea, lets get some lighter fluid and light the ramp on fire and ride through it. Great idea !! untill the kid with the lighter fluid sprays the stuff as Danny Peirce is full out coming strait at the ramp, After a large fire ,some burnt clothing, a few tears, we were back jumping the damm thing I miss being a kid!!

BB gun wars, bottle rocket wars, hell yea, but we don't have no stinking snowmobile suits in FL. we took it like men

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by Racerbvd
BB gun wars, bottle rocket wars, hell yea, but we don't have no stinking snowmobile suits in FL. we took it like men

Yeah Tab, what is up with the snowmobile suit? Nothing funnier than watching your neighbor pull his pants down in front of others expecting to see a huge wound instead of the red welt on his thigh.

I got hit in the forehead once. Did not bother me much at the time, but looking back now....man I was pretty lucky on many occasions as a kid.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Geez, I think I hit a hot button with posting this thread. Heading into 5 pages already.

Interesting stuff. Bottomline is many of us remember our childhood toys very fondly......to the point that we STILL play with them to some degree!

[TerryH]

I'm 50 and holding.

No, Dan. You don't predate electricity!

Electric slot cars with the snap-together double track were probably my favorite. If your hands were sweaty, you could get a pretty good shock if you leaned on it. My best friend was adopted and spoiled rotten. He had a temendous electric train setup that covered the entire basement floor. Smoke and bells and whistles.... I always wished I was adopted.

Silly putty
Slinky
Lincoln Logs
Cards in the bike spokes

Here is my very first car, a Kidillac. My brother was the original owner in this photo. Wish I still had it.

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
Mine was in terrible shape when I bought it. The most important parts to have intact, are the plastic fenders and side plate. These bikes were only produced in '74 (silver) and '75 (red).

I think your colors are backward... All the 1975 bikes I see are silver with a red tank stripe. I have also read that there was a little variation on the red paint on 1974 bikes. Some came with Daytona Orange and some with Tahitian Red. Also, some of the red bikes I see do not have the black stripe on the top of the tank. Here are the Honda color samples for the MR 50 bikes:


Regarding body parts... There is enough demand now for replacement parts, you can buy a complete aftermarket set of plastic for under $200. The item I have not found as repop is the chrome heat shield for the right side.

1974


1975


More info here: http://www.re-mx.com/index.php


Everyone else.... Sorry for the thread hijack.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by cashflyer
I think your colors are backward... All the 1975 bikes I see are silver with a red tank stripe. I have also read that there was a little variation on the red paint on 1974 bikes. Some came with Daytona Orange and some with Tahitian Red. Also, some of the red bikes I see do not have the black stripe on the top of the tank. Here are the Honda color samples for the MR 50 bikes:


Regarding body parts... There is enough demand now for replacement parts, you can buy a complete aftermarket set of plastic for under $200. The item I have not found as repop is the chrome heat shield for the right side.

Everyone else.... Sorry for the thread hijack.

Wow, thanks for the link! The plastic side cover was $280 8 yrs ago! The cast countersprocket piece was $150! Nice to know some of those "unobtainium" parts are now reasonably obtainable. I am perplexed by the '74 vs'75 colors, oh well, I guess is does not matter. I also have a QA50 which that website also shows many parts for (I stupidly re-painted the frame white at the time instead of the original dark gray...stupid stupid stupid).

[holtjv]

This is a great thread. Man, how could I have forgotten Hot Wheels?

And I guess it's no surprise that, given this group, Lego's were so pervasive.

Thanks again for the memories, I really appreciate it.

Jack
44

[scottmandue]

Oh yeah BB gun fights, although it was more like one guys with a BB gun and we would try to sneak up on him... I caught a BB in the tooth and decided it wasn't such a great idea (no damage done)
Anyone here have bottle rocket fights? (as if I had to ask)
Buying bricks of firecrackers... taking the firecrackers apart and blowing things up with the gun powder.
Also remember getting my bike up to full speed rolling downhill then hitting the driveway curb and flying head long into the ivy... all without a helmet or pads.

Big yes on the hotwheels too.

[johnco]

not exactly about toys but alternate ways kids can learn while having fun without buying the lastest greatest got to have toys. anyone have a younger brother/test pilot/lab rat/crash test dummy they used in r&d of new ways to have fun? 9yrs younger, my brother qualified and passed the don't tell mama test. Perfect for one time use ignition tester. he held the plug wire as many times it took to finally get spark. failed the pull the waterski's behind the moped in wet clover tests because he didn't have the upper body strength to get moving before dropping the rope, except a few times the skis didn't move and he held on for 10-15ft. He did fine in the lets use this plywood instead in a different test. testing discovered plywood can dig the front into anthills and toss pilot violently and sharp turns on ground produce much different results than in water. he lasted thru many here taste this and here hold this tests before taking a break from research. my friend's younger brother was selected test pilot for research in flight configurations and correct tow vehicle weight loading in the pull the surplus chute behind the 65 gmc test program. feet going 10-15 ft high left, slam the ground, then feet 10-15ft right out of control a dozen times. stop, make adjustments and repeated until testing canceled to remove screaming pilot from briar patch and too many panels were.removed for further flights. screaming, crying and begging us to stop had no effect on this serious pursuit of knowledge. hold this balloon filled with natural gas and I'll throw a match at it was a bust. more like a boom. MY brother still volunteered every now and then over the years for things like ride the crane headache ball as I spin around and drop it in the river trials, ziptie on finger tighten tests and even a few cut this wire with these pliers, the power's off studies. who needs toys for entertainment when studying cause and effect, physics, electricity, even gravity with little brothers can be so much fun? years later testing resumed with my daughter at an early age with boat/go cart behind truck towing, unicyle, stilts and gravity research, taste this lemon and what happens when eyes are rubbed after injecting turkeys with habanero, jalapeno and cayenne pepper marinade studies. I put in plenty time assisting my father in similar studies and was very proud to have my daughter continue the tradition. sharing times like this form stronger family bonding than handing your kid the lastest movie related toys or x-box/playstation game. we have made memories that will last a lifetime. either that or psychological scarring that will suface later in life.