Automotive (and other) toys from our childhood

[GT4494]

I never knew anyone who played with them or collected them. The only ones I ever saw were a brown "lunch" bag full of them at my grandparents'. They had been my mom's and aunt's, I assume.

Come to think of it, there was also a miniature pool table that used marbles. The "cues" were these little spring-loaded things you'd pull back and release. That was kinda cool. I'd guess it dated to the '30s or '40s. Anyone ever see anything like that?

They came in all colors and styles.  The fancy ones were "worth" more.  And you always had your favorite shooter.

You would draw a circle in the dirt and each player (normally two) put the same amount of marbles in the middle.  One would win the privilege of shooting first and use their shooter to knock the other marbles out of the circle.  If your shooter stopped in the circle without knocking another out it was the other players turn and just became another marble. Every time you knocked out a marble it was yours to keep.  You could then shoot again from where it stopped if in the circle.  If it went out you could shoot again from anywhere outside the circle.

That's where the saying "for all the marbles" meant.  Whoever had the most at the end won and kept them.

A little like pool with the circle boundary instead of a table with pockets.

[GT4494]

 They had the tendency to split in half if hit on the seam. The two halves would float through the air like flying saucers after the ball was split. Spaldeens cost a dime more; but, they were worth it.  

 

And this is why the poor kids (like me) would play "Half rubber".  We took the thrown away balls and made a new game 

[Ace-Garageguy]

                           Hey kids !!     Get yours TODAY !!

 

[Tom Geiger]

Here's a few things I owned...   I dragged these out of my parents' house when I cleared it out to sell.

And I remember getting these out of the claw machine on the boardwalk!

and another ad for those terrific glasses! This address in Newark used to be in an area with old brick factory buildings and warehouses.  The address today is a parking garage for the minor league baseball field there downtown.

And we'd go here for fun!  There were always free admission passes on matchbooks, I don't think anyone actually paid admission!  I understand there are condos on this site today.

 

[Snake45]

                           Hey kids !!     Get yours TODAY !!

 

I had one of those. It came in a set with a Thompson submachine gun, helmet, canteen, and mess kit. These were made by MACO.

Few years back I found one of those Tommy guns on ePay and couldn't resist buying it. Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

[Xingu]

                           Hey kids !!     Get yours TODAY !!

 

Back when I was still in high school (probably 1983 or so) there was a 16 year old kid that lived on the street behind us and a few houses up. His father was in the army and this 16 year old kid looked like he was 30 with a full beard and all. He got caught impersonating an army officer. When they came to search his house they found 2 cases of live grenades and a M16 rifle with 1000's of rounds of ammo. He was finally caught when he tried to requisition a jeep. Luckily they caught him before he killed anyone.

[Roadrunner]

Here's a few things I owned...   I dragged these out of my parents' house when I cleared it out to sell.

I found a skate key while rummaging in my garage one day. It stopped me in my tracks and transported me back to a better time.

[Mike_G]

I did "toy testing" at Mattel when I was a kid, basically they put you in a room with a new toy that hadn't been released yet and observed you playing with it through a one-way window. The toy I tested was Sizzlers, it was fun! Afterwards, they gave me a Hot Wheels car.

 

[Harry P.]

Now there's one thing I never could get the hang of. Tried skating but fell on my backside more than moved forward on wheels. Never did master it.

[unclescott58]

Man, we lived in such a politically incorrect time. And I loved it!

Remember candy cigarettes? They were sticks of hard sugar, and even came in a pack just like real cigarettes.

Can you imagine anyone being allowed to sell candy cigarettes today?

The candy cigarettes pictured above are modern packaging that just came out a few you years ago. You can buy them on eBay. They also offer Doctor's Choice and Macoismo. I've recently purchased one pack of all three. The candy cigarettes we got as a kid did not have the "joke" type packaging like the above. The packs looked more like generic versions of real cigarettes the adults smoked at the time. They too, can still be found on eBay.

I am amazed candy cigarettes were ever offered to kids. I'm even more amazed that our parents let us have them! I also remember that they really didn't taste all that good. They kind of tasted like sugary chalk. But, still it was cool to pretend you were smoking, like the adults. Thankfully it never lead me to pick up the real habit later on. I found that real cigarette tasted worst than the candy ones. That was enough to keep me away.

One odd smoking toy I thought was very cool as a kid were the smoking monkeys and cats. You got a little plastic animal with these little cigarettes. You'd put a cigarette in the animals mouth. Light it. And little smoke rings would come up from the cigarette! Very cool! I've seen these show up on eBay from time to time. I've thought about buying one. But just can't for some reason. Maybe after writing about it here I'll have to go and buy one.

[Sixties Sam]

I remember bubble gum cigars in colors like pink and yellow. You pretended you were smoking them for a while, then chewed the gum!

Sam

[unclescott58]

                           Hey kids !!     Get yours TODAY !!

 

Honor House Products and another outfit, Captain Company sold some of weirdest and coolest toys. Like the grenade above. And with provocitive ads like the one above. Like it says, think of the fun you can have throwing a grenade in the middle of a group of people! And it makes noise that can be heard a block away! Thankfully, for me and the people around me, $1.25 was a good chunk of change back in the 60's. I would have done what they suggested! I was that type of kid. In fact..... I'd still like to have one today. I would if I could control the temptation? Heh, heh, heh!

[SfanGoch]

Captain Company was the merchandising division of Warren Publishing, Inc., which published Famous Monsters of Filmland, Eerie, Creepy, Vampirella and other titles. Warren originally started in Philadelphia, moving to 145 E. 32nd St., NYC in 1965. That was great for me. I used to beg and get my mother to take me to the offices once in a while so I could buy (actually so she could. She had the mazuma  ) all that neat junk in the magazines and get back issues. I never could get FMOF #1 because, even in the mid '60s, it cost $100 through the magazine. Captain company is still in business. It's owned by the putz who purchased the publishing rights to Famous Monsters:

Captain Company

[slusher]

I remember bubble gum cigars in colors like pink and yellow. You pretended you were smoking them for a while, then chewed the gum!

Sam

I remember those well. There was green also. They always made me remember the White Owl Cigar commercials as a kid...

[Roadrunner]

I remember bubble gum cigars in colors like pink and yellow. You pretended you were smoking them for a while, then chewed the gum!

Sam

Those were so great. Those and the big Bazooka sticks.

[SfanGoch]

Turkish Taffy 

Joyva Chocolate Marshmallow Twists

and Chocolate Raspberry Jelly Rings

all washed down with an ice cold 

[Foxer]

and check out the "Lack of Lawyers" in the 50's that allowed this to happen ... they used real names on the candy cigs!

I was a Lucky's boy myself

[SfanGoch]

Try that today and you'd have a battalion of shysters pouncing on you like a pack of hyenas on a zebra carcass.

[Xingu]

and check out the "Lack of Lawyers" in the 50's that allowed this to happen ... they used real names on the candy cigs!

I was a Lucky's boy myself

The tobacco companies probably allowed this. What better way to hook your next generation of customers.

[Foxer]

The tobacco companies probably allowed this. What better way to hook your next generation of customers.

Well, during my 60 years, I did Pall Malls, L&M, Winston and Salem measured in years. They got me. 

Edited May 19, 2016 by Foxer

[unclescott58]

Just went over to eBay and bought a vintage smoking monkey toy. New in the packaging, with cigarettes. Had to do it. I love those old polically incorrect toys from the 50's and 60's.

[SfanGoch]

Just went over to eBay and bought a vintage smoking monkey toy. New in the packaging, with cigarettes. Had to do it. I love those old polically incorrect toys from the 50's and 60's.

You coulda bought one of these

for less. They also like to swill beer.

[unclescott58]

You coulda bought one of these

for less. They also like to swill beer.

Yea. I went that route once. But, it not only smoked and drank beer. It cheated at cards too! A drunk smoking chimp I'm okay with. But, one that cheats at cards. You got to draw the line some place.

[afx]

I have always enjoyed slot cars, primarily HO scale.  Had very few growing up. I began collecting as an adult. Occasionally setup a track for the kids and myself to enjoy. 

[SfanGoch]

I love slot cars, among other things.   I got this set for my son (yeah, right  )

along with a cr apload of ThunderJet, Flamethrower and XTraction cars. This is a picture of us racing Flamethrower Ford GT-40 MkIIs 

I also was lucky enough to scarf up a case of Playing Mantis Johnny Lightning ThunderJet Collector's Edition Gold Chrome cars at a great price