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What is the most memorable Christmas gift you received as a child?

Started by Robot Man,

109 posts in this topic

Robot Man

Robot Man

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Tis the season and thoughts turn to when Christmas was full of wonder and hope. Like Ralphie in the Christmas Story, I'm sure there was something you lusted after that kept you awake at night this time of year. What was it? Did you get it? How did you feel when it happened (or didn't).

 

I was about 12. The kid down the street was an only child and kind of spoiled.He had a birthday in November and got the coolest toy ever. Spys were all the rage with Man from Uncle and James Bond dominating the TV and movie screens. Gone were the days of cowboys and indians.

 

The toy of my dreams was the James Bond attache case. This was a big plastic briefcase. It had 3 buttons to push on the top. Middle one opened it, the front button shot out a plastic bullet and the back one released a plastic knife so you could stab someone who was following you.

 

When you pushed the middle button and opened it up there was the coolest gun ever. Basically a Walther pistol like James used with a myriad of sights and stock options. There was also a passport case that was "booby trapped" with a spring and some other stuff I don't remember.

 

My dad hid it behind the curtain as I'm sure fathers have always done for years. I got a few minor toys, clothes, socks ect. but no Bond. To say I was bummed was an understatement but I didn't show it. When it was all over he told me to look behind the curtain. My hands trembled as I tore the paper off to reveal my prize. I spent the whole day with my dad's hat and raincoat on shooting at anything I could.

 

Funny thing though. I had a chance to buy a mib one a few years ago but passed. I guess we all just grow up...

 

What did you lust after???

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MatterEaterLad

MatterEaterLad

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A puppy. I was six and my parents put him in a wrapped box with a lid. I named him Susie (not sure why). A dog named Sue.

 

But what I lusted after years later and begged my parents for was an Atari. I got one, but it wouldn't work on our old TV. Best and worst Christmas EVER!

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chrisco37

chrisco37

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We (my sister & I) were pretty excited to get the NES one year.

 

But, looking back, probably the most memorable thing was when my parents got Santa to come to the house Xmas Eve. I don't recall the year exactly, but I must've been around 10 or 11 (so my sis was 7 or 8). I had heard the rumors about Santa not being real. So, like any jerk older brother would do, I had to share that knowledge with my sister too. All leading up to Xmas, my sister & I would tell our parents we knew he wasn't real. It was a pretty big deal leading up to Xmas.

 

Our family tradition was to open one gift on Xmas Eve. While we were opening our present (I don't even remember what that gift was), there was knock on the door. My mom went up to get it. When she came back downstairs, she brought in a guest. It was Santa!!!!! He told us he had heard we didn't believe anymore so he wanted to pay us a special visit.

 

All the disbelief leading up to Xmas that year went out the door. And for that Xmas, we believed again. That was pretty cool/special. Santa gave me a basketball. I don't remember what my sis got.

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jools&jim

jools&jim

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A Gibson Les Paul guitar (cherry sunburst!) for Christmas during my junior year in high school. My older sister, my parents, and one of my uncles went in together on it -- 500 bucks was a lot of $$ back then!

 

I almost keeled over when I saw it. Pete Townshend! Jimmy Page! And now...me! I never did sound like them, of course, but I felt like them when I played it -- never a bad thing.

 

I'd like to say that I still have it, but I ended up trading it straight-up for a Gibson acoustic guitar during college. I do still have that guitar, and have written hundreds of songs with it, including the two I'll be recording in a new studio with a new producer in January.

 

So in a way, that Les Paul from 30+ years ago was a gift that very much keeps on giving today...I'll never forget it.

 

 

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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I was born in 1977 and mark most of my Christmases by the major Star Wars toy received (5 years running). So best is

 

Toss-up between:

 

A Millennium Falcon (must have been 1982) or

 

 

A VCR (1986 or 1987). My mom had rented "Tron" as the first movie for us to watch but the video rental place screwed up and given us "Troll" by mistake.

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MatterEaterLad

MatterEaterLad

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A Gibson Les Paul guitar (cherry sunburst!) for Christmas during my junior year in high school. My older sister, my parents, and one of my uncles went in together on it -- 500 bucks was a lot of $$ back then!

 

I almost keeled over when I saw it. Pete Townshend! Jimmy Page! And now...me! I never did sound like them, of course, but I felt like them when I played it -- never a bad thing.

 

 

 

THAT is a sweet sweet Christmas. I bought a Les Paul for my son when he graduated from high school. He's now studying music in Chicago and playing in three bands.

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Azkaban

Azkaban

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Two of my favorites one year was Mego Star Trek Capt. Kirk, Mr Spock, Scotty and McCoy with the enterprise ship

 

then one year with the Johnny West action figures of Sam Cobra, Custer, Fighting Eagle and the Ranch House

 

 

:ohnoez:

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Wally's Comics

Wally's Comics

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First thing that popped into my head, so maybe the most readily memorable was Christmas 1981. My uncle dropped these two on vinyl greats on me:

Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

AC/DC - For Those About to Rock

 

you should thank him well for putting you on the path of solid rock-n-roll!

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BitterOldMan

BitterOldMan

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My parents bought me a James Bond attache case too, but my mother threw it out when I left.

 

Mom also threw away my boxed King Zor. :sick:

bigzor2.jpg

 

The King Zor really meant it something to me, since my late father went out of his way to purchase one for me.

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Ken Aldred

Ken Aldred

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Five years old at the time and the one I remember most, for the worst reason, was a small selection of comic book annuals, the British hardcover kind, which reprinted Silver Age Marvels. I was looking forward to a good read on Boxing Day, but it wasn’t to be because when I went downstairs that morning I discovered that our new puppy had chewed all of them and then had mistaken the books for toilet paper. :facepalm:

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Wally's Comics

Wally's Comics

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It would have to be a tie between the Atari 2600 that was from 1979 x-mas

or the Death Star Space Station from 1978 x-mas...

 

My older brothers were too old to hang with me so I had these cool toys to keep me occupied...

 

The Atari I bought over 70 games (most with my paper route money)

Loved Adventure, Berzerk, Joust, Jungle Hunt, River Raid, Pitfall, Atlantis, Demon Attack, heck even Indiana Jones!

 

The Star Wars, well I was a nut and loved any toys form Kenner. This was the coolest though to go with all the figures...

 

deathstar-front.jpg

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ebtorres

ebtorres

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One of the most memorable Christmas gifts I've ever received... hm

 

It was in 1985, I was 6 years old, my parents got me the NES that came with R.O.B., two controllers, a gray gun and two games, Gyromite and Duck Hunt.

 

I was so ecstatic when I got that gift, that memory still puts a smile on my face to this day!

 

:grin:

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Bronty

Bronty

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I struggle to remember too many specific gifts, more just how nice it was receiving them.

 

If I had to pick one that I can remember, I would say Omega Supreme, but there are a number where I can't remember if they were birthday or xmas.

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