As a kid at Christmas, What toy did you want so bad it kept you up at night? (and did you get it?) 4 4

[Buzzetta]

Hoth Luke and the Snowspeeder comes to mind - Dad worked a part time job at Sears so he made that happen.

Midway Pac Man immediately comes to mind as well... I believe that was the last gift I received from my Grandfather before he passed away. After he died, my grandmother moved out of Brooklyn and onto Long Island.  When she passed I bought the house.  I did a lot of things to make it my own but the China Cabinet is the I guess the tribute area.  

Whole cabinet with toys and things and memories from certain family members dating back to the 1930's.  Close up of Midway PacMan... To the left of it is a picture of my brother and I with my Grandfather.  This is the closest I will come to posting a pic of myself here.  I am to the left if you are looking at the pic. (Left of your screen)... That's Lil' Andrew. 

Bonus.  This thread evoked a nice memory as I just finished wrapping and boxing everything up before I head off to my parents house for a bit. So... bonus... thought I would share a pic of the tree and everything ready to go.  As you can also see, I am a little lazy this year.  I wrapped the contents of what is in those Amazon boxes, but I wasn't going to wrap the overall boxes themselves.  See kids?  This is why you should save those shipping boxes.  You never know when you are going to recycle them. 

Have a Merry Christmas y'all... 

 

EDIT: Side note... Someone sent me a text asking what the little book is next to the picture frame.  That was the prayer book that the army issued to soldiers in WWII.  My grandfather was not what you would call a practicing Catholic by any means of the definition (and nor am I) but he kept that with him throughout WWII.  I found it in the house when I was going through some of my grandmothers personal belongings and decided to showcase it. 

 

Edited December 25, 2018 by Buzzetta

[Aweandlorder]

and

 

... and I got em

yup

my moms the best!!!

[kav]

The BIG thing I wanted every year but never got-would look under the tree and NOPE:

 

Spoiler

 

Donation to the Human Fund

 

 

[topofthetotem]

4 hours ago, Ride the Tiger said:

My older brother got that for Christmas.

I was sick one day and stayed home and played it until the batteries were dead and he beat me when he got home, ah good times. 

[miraclemet]

kid of the 80s, remember wanting this, not getting it and then using all my birthday money to get the set.

Bravestarr!

[01TheDude]

I was into Hot Wheels and Sizzlers but when the commercial for this came out-- it was too hard to resist asking for it. Can't recall if my brother and I both got one or if he got one first and I got one set the next year. I got really into the whole slot car racing, buying myself a bunch of Tyco and the more reliable AFX cars and other stuff with paper route money. We had a really cool hobby shop in town that sold the cars and other accessories. In the end-- I had about three or four of these sets (including the magnetized looped version- required special magnet cars to work). I think I had about 12-14 working cars and another 10 I used for parts/interchangeable body shells. Wish I had a picture of all that stuff. Heck-- I even bought this car that was supposed to help clean the track (didn't really work)....

Years later, my mom sold all the stuff at one of her garage sales after asking if it was ok to do so-- I was fine with it. Someone probably got one hell of a deal at that garage sale.

PS-- not sure if I ever lost sleep thinking about toys- and I agree that playing outside was pretty awesome. But if you lived in the midwest during the winter-- there is only so much "outside" playing you are going to do during the winter.

[batman_fan]

23 hours ago, Philreal said:

Had it, but the excitement didn't last long...

This was the toy I wanted most as a kid but sadly never got 

[Fan Boy]

23 hours ago, oakman29 said:

Haha! Back in the day we had to write all the answers on both arms.

Heh... my friends and I had developed a secret code to “signal” which A,B,C or D was the correct answer across our desks. We use our hands, pens or easer. Our science teacher didn’t catch that unawakened. But the next year, the same teacher moved the desks so ALL students are facing to walls and windows!

Pre-Internet, pre-cellphone old school days to you youngsters! 

[01TheDude]

5 minutes ago, batman_fan said:

This was the toy I wanted most as a kid but sadly never got 

my brother and I got this and if it is any consolation-- we wore that thing out very fast. It got to the point where the blue guy was very easy to knock the block off of (probably the gears wore down from intense usage). It would make quite the racket and slide all over the floor as we battled away. Lots of fun! The current versions I have seen recently don't look as well made (much lighter plastic).

[Fan Boy]

The one Christmas gift I really wanted as a kid ... was the Schwinn sting ray krate bike. I did got the Fastback model as my gift. So close, but I accepted it anyway. Years later I found and brought a ‘71 krate, still have it. 

Another gift that kept me rolling in bed was the Star Wars action figures that I asked on my Santa wish list. Did got them and played with them a lot. Was at age 9

[comicdonna]

3 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

Hoth Luke and the Snowspeeder comes to mind - Dad worked a part time job at Sears so he made that happen.

Midway Pac Man immediately comes to mind as well... I believe that was the last gift I received from my Grandfather before he passed away. After he died, my grandmother moved out of Brooklyn and onto Long Island.  When she passed I bought the house.  I did a lot of things to make it my own but the China Cabinet is the I guess the tribute area.  

Whole cabinet with toys and things and memories from certain family members dating back to the 1930's.  Close up of Midway PacMan... To the left of it is a picture of my brother and I with my Grandfather.  This is the closest I will come to posting a pic of myself here.  I am to the left if you are looking at the pic. (Left of your screen)... That's Lil' Andrew. 

Bonus.  This thread evoked a nice memory as I just finished wrapping and boxing everything up before I head off to my parents house for a bit. So... bonus... thought I would share a pic of the tree and everything ready to go.  As you can also see, I am a little lazy this year.  I wrapped the contents of what is in those Amazon boxes, but I wasn't going to wrap the overall boxes themselves.  See kids?  This is why you should save those shipping boxes.  You never know when you are going to recycle them. 

Have a Merry Christmas y'all... 

 

Cool post!  

[Buzzetta]

1 minute ago, comicdonna said:

Cool post!  

Thanks... another boardie texted me a question about the little booklet next to the pic of my brother and I with my grandfather.  Take a look at that edit.  THAT was a cool find in this house. 

[comicdonna]

Really cool, Andrew.  I am also glad you bought the house.  

[MGsimba77]

Optimus Prime & Omega Supreme, a bunch of other transformers in the 80's. I think maybe it was because my older cousin had separated my shoulder horsing around a month earlier. I guess my parents went the extra mile after the ordeal.

Sadly all those old toys are long gone by now

[kav]

35 minutes ago, Fan Boy said:

Heh... my friends and I had developed a secret code to “signal” which A,B,C or D was the correct answer across our desks. We use our hands, pens or easer. Our science teacher didn’t catch that unawakened. But the next year, the same teacher moved the desks so ALL students are facing to walls and windows!

Pre-Internet, pre-cellphone old school days to you youngsters! 

just do the cough signal thing.  Cough 10 times for question #10, other guy coughs 1-4 for A B C D!

[kav]

If math test just cough # of times the answer is.  Like if its 1,234-

[oakman29]

I remember wanting a Big Wheel when they first came out, a Green Machine too.

[kav]

46 minutes ago, oakman29 said:

I remember wanting a Big Wheel when they first came out, a Green Machine too.

as I said just go lawn shoppin-

[followtheleader]

7 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

Hoth Luke and the Snowspeeder comes to mind - Dad worked a part time job at Sears so he made that happen.

Midway Pac Man immediately comes to mind as well... I believe that was the last gift I received from my Grandfather before he passed away. After he died, my grandmother moved out of Brooklyn and onto Long Island.  When she passed I bought the house.  I did a lot of things to make it my own but the China Cabinet is the I guess the tribute area.  

Whole cabinet with toys and things and memories from certain family members dating back to the 1930's.  Close up of Midway PacMan... To the left of it is a picture of my brother and I with my Grandfather.  This is the closest I will come to posting a pic of myself here.  I am to the left if you are looking at the pic. (Left of your screen)... That's Lil' Andrew. 

Bonus.  This thread evoked a nice memory as I just finished wrapping and boxing everything up before I head off to my parents house for a bit. So... bonus... thought I would share a pic of the tree and everything ready to go.  As you can also see, I am a little lazy this year.  I wrapped the contents of what is in those Amazon boxes, but I wasn't going to wrap the overall boxes themselves.  See kids?  This is why you should save those shipping boxes.  You never know when you are going to recycle them. 

Have a Merry Christmas y'all... 

 

EDIT: Side note... Someone sent me a text asking what the little book is next to the picture frame.  That was the prayer book that the army issued to soldiers in WWII.  My grandfather was not what you would call a practicing Catholic by any means of the definition (and nor am I) but he kept that with him throughout WWII.  I found it in the house when I was going through some of my grandmothers personal belongings and decided to showcase it. 

 

Pretty cool you bought your grandmother's house. 

The Pac Man game is sweet.  I'd definitely buy one of those.  

Patrick

[followtheleader]

7 hours ago, Aweandlorder said:

and

 

... and I got em

yup

my moms the best!!!

Grayskull was definitely one of my favs. 

So much so, I have a couple today in the box. 

Still get excited when I hear the He-man intro: "by the power of Grayskull!"

Patrick