So I was challenged to come up with a list of my personal favourite toys from my childhood. This meant I had to limit my selections to only those toys I either had or really coveted but never managed to obtain as a kid. Accordingly I had to reject a lot of very cool toys from that era simply because I just don't remember even being aware of them at the time, e.g. Ideal King Zor, Kenner Give-A-Show Projector, MPC Pop-Tops, Ideal Godzilla Board Game, Hamilton's Invaders, MPC Horror House Target Set, Ideal Haunted House, Marx Prehistoric Times Playset....
Here then in rough order is my list:
MY FIFTEEN FAVOURITE TOYS FROM MY CHILDHOOD YEARS
1. Mad, Mad, Mad Scientist Laboratory
2. Monogram 330P/LM Ferrari 1/32 Scale Slot Car Kit
3. Aurora Bride of Frankenstein Model Kit
4. Lionel HO Electric Train Set with Launching Helicopter and Bobbing Head Giraffe Cars
5. Revell Rat Fink Model Kit
6. Duncan Imperial Spin Top
7. Marx Three Keys to Treasure Bagatelle
8. Hasbro Marble Maze
9. Kenner Rocky & Bullwinkle Presto Sparkle Paint Set
10. Parker Bros. Monopoly Game
11. Cox Spitfire
12. Topper Johnny Seven O.M.A.
13. Mattel Creepy Crawlers Thingmaker
14. Milton Bradley The Deputy Game
15. Coleco Power Play Hockey Game
Honourable mention goes to two items that didn't make my list because I wasn't sure they could be properly classified as toys:
Standard Plastics Creature-Wolfman Monster Wallet
Peacock Crayons
These crayons of course needed the accompaniment of colouring books. I remember admiring Shari Lewis and Deputy Dawg colouring books at the News Depot in downtown London but I can't say for sure whether these were colouring books I actually had.