Automotive (and other) toys from our childhood

[unclescott58]

On 5/26/2016 at 10:27 PM, SfanGoch said:

Remember loads?

You stuck them in the ends of cigarettes and they'd explode. After a school trip to Rye Playland, and the requisite stop at the novelty store, I decided to play a joke on my mom. I boobytrapped an entire pack of her Pall Malls and mixed a couple of packs of foaming sugar

in the sugar bowl. Her girlfriend stopped by that day and my mom offered her a smoke. She lit it up, took a drag and BOOM! My mom apologized and said she didn't know what could have caused the explosion. She and her friend both lit up new cigarettes with the same result. My mom went through half the pack. Then, she brought in the coffee. She watched the coffee in her cup start foaming after she put some "sugar" in it. Needless to say, it wasn't a pretty site when I walked into the living room.  

I laughed my you know what off, reading this one again. In general having a blast going back through these posts. A lot of fun memories. 

[unclescott58]

On 5/28/2016 at 11:10 AM, unclescott58 said:

Another favorite toy from when I was kid, was a '55 or '56 plastic Cadillac Eldorado. About 1/43 scale in size. All of the ones sold at our local Ben Franklin were molded in red. You could buy them one of two ways. A convertible with no top. Or a convertible with a snap on hardtop. Even as a kid, I could never understand why anybody would have bought one without the top. The top just snaps on and off using the same holes in both (really one) body styles. From want I remember, the tops came molded in white. And there may have been some white cars with red tops. But, I can't be sure on that?

A few years back I found a blue one for sale on eBay. Blue with a red top. Not the best color combination. But, I bought it anyhow. As I do like blue. This was the first time I had ever seem a blue one.

i think these Cadillacs were made by a company called Precision Plastics. But, again I'm not 100% sure on that. These little Cadillacs had a major influence on my taste in what a luxury car should be to this day. And I'm pleased to have the blue one in my collection today. (Now that it's summer, I need to take to top off.)

Here are photos of the toy I was talking about above. 

[unclescott58]

Here is my collection of "cereal cars". I believe they were all made by F & F, and given away in different varieties of Post cereals of the time. Included in a 1960 Plymouth convertible. A 1967 Mercury Cougar. A 1969 Mercury Cyclone. Two of each, 1969 Mercury Marauders, and Marquis. And two 1959 Thunderbirds. 

 

[unclescott58]

In the early 1960's we did yet have Hot Wheels. And I don't recall even seeing Matchboxes until the mid-60's. Plus I don't if either brand could really standup to the rigors of the outdoor play we use to do. Back then, on a hot summer day, their was nothing more fun than playing with Tootsietoy cars and trucks in the cool shady dirt alongside the neighbor's house. I remember the side of ones hand being just the right size for making Tootsietoy size roads in the dirt. And poor Mrs Corbett wishing she could plant flowers in that area along the house. Instead finding her son, and his friends building dirt roads and driving their Tootsietoys on them. 

A few years ago on eBay I found the following. I couldn't believe my luck! I had looked at a lot of badly beat up Tootsietoys before I came across these. They where in perfect unplayed with form. Basically brand new. With the packaging, an invoice, and a small fabric bag holding the cars. And the price was very reasonable. I could not pass in up. And glad I didn't. 

 

[unclescott58]

On 6/11/2016 at 10:44 AM, Scott Colmer said:

OK, I'll jump back in. 

Do they even sell these anymore? They used to have one at my grade school. That will never happen again.

Hosted on Fotki

This was one of those gotta-have-it for Christmas when I was a kid. I found out many years later that my parents had to drive to a few different stores to find one. I still remember the original ad - "Hey, you knocked my block off!" I bought another one as an adult. 

Hosted on Fotki

I don't know why? But, as I mentioned before. I really do want to punch Flipper. That smirk on his face just makes me want to punch him. Please don't tell the ASPCA on me. Okay? 

[unclescott58]

Here's another toy I got for Christmas in 1967. 

 

[unclescott58]

Here's something I picked a few weeks ago at a local Barnes & Nobles before the world shut down. It's one of my favorite childhood games. The Game of Life. In this case the 1960 First Edition Classic Reproduction. The big difference between this and other more recent versions of Life? The playing pieces you use to move around the board. About 30 years ago they switched those pieces from cool finned convertibles the original game had, to boring "soccer mom" mini-vans. Not cool. Even as a kid, if there had been mini-vans then, a mini-van playing piece would not have thrilled me. But, this "1960 First Edition Classic Reproduction" fixes that problem. It again comes with cool convertibles with tail fins as your main game pieces. 

Okay. Now I'm just waiting for this Corona virus thing to pass. Then my sister who is one year younger than I, are going to get together and play the game. In the mean time, it remains sealed in its plastic until then. Sad. 

 

[peteski]

5 hours ago, unclescott58 said:

Here are photos of the toy I was talking about above. 

These little Cadillacs had a major influence on my taste in what a luxury car should be to this day. And I'm pleased to have the blue one in my collection today. (Now that it's summer, I need to take to top off.)

 

 

Nice Dagmars! 

These Caddies has some of the best ones in that period. 

[unclescott58]

10 minutes ago, peteski said:

Nice Dagmars! 

These Caddies has some of the best ones in that period. 

Ah, Dagmars. You got love ❤️ them. Even on Dramar herself. 

[peteski]

35 minutes ago, unclescott58 said:

Ah, Dagmars. You got love ❤️ them. Even on Dramar herself. 

 

Ah, those bullet-bras from the '50s! 

Edited April 14, 2020 by peteski

[unclescott58]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

 

Ah, those bullet-bras from the '50s! 

I wonder how many guys out there know where the nickname Dagmars came from referring to those bumper guards? After see your last post here, I think they will now know. If they didn't before. 

[peteski]

1 hour ago, unclescott58 said:

I wonder how many guys out there know where the nickname Dagmars came from referring to those bumper guards? After see your last post here, I think they will now know. If they didn't before. 

That was exactly the reason I posted those photos. Many younger people probably don't know the history of Dagmars (or even heard of them). They usually travel in pairs . . .

[unclescott58]

On 6/24/2016 at 7:36 PM, unclescott58 said:

Here's two more toys I would have like to have had, but didn't. Let's see if anybody remembers these?

The one many of you may remember is Remco's Mr. Kelly's Car Wash. You put a car on the chain and its dragged through the car wash, using real water if you wanted to. Or your mother would let you. It had cleaner rollers, and a so called dryer. It also came with small cloth and small tins of car wax. Plus a stand alone sign advertising the cost of a wash.

The other one was put out by Remco too. And that was Barney' Auto Factory. There were 6 step in building a car in Barney's factory. First you put the chassis on the motorized conveyor belt. Second you put an engine in the frame. Third, you dropped the body onto the frame and screwed it down. Forth, insert steering wheel and install the roof. Fifth, place wheels on the axles and thightn the nuts that hold then on the right side. And sixth, there is an automatic turnaround so you can do the same on the left side of the car. Kind of cool. I wonder how much time you were given to preform each task? And I wonder why they picked the name Barney's Auto Factory? Buy a car called a Barney doesn't sound all that glamours to me. Still I want one. 

Here are pictures of both Remco's Mr. Kelly's Car Wash and Braney's Auto Factory. Plus as a bonus, Remco's Movieland Drive-In Theater. 

 

[unclescott58]

On 12/28/2019 at 6:01 PM, Sherry said:

Is this item for sale and if so what is the cost?  Thank you. 

Here's something similar made by Guidence Toys. 

 

[unclescott58]

Here's another (non-automotive) toy I remember from when I was kid. I've never really had any true interest in golf. But, always thought this looked interesting. 

 

[Snake45]

I never had a carwash or a car factory, but I had one of these, hella cool!

 

[Mark]

On 4/14/2020 at 12:08 PM, unclescott58 said:

 I really do want to punch Flipper. That smirk on his face just makes me want to punch him. Please don't tell the ASPCA on me. Okay? 

They could make those with the GEICO gecko on them now...

[unclescott58]

2 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I never had a carwash or a car factory, but I had one of these, hella cool!

 

Cool! Got to love that 60's space race stuff. You know, I still want be an astronaut when I grow up. 

 

[unclescott58]

19 minutes ago, Mark said:

They could make those with the GEICO gecko on them now...

Heck, I want one of Doug and emu. Or anybody else from a Liberty Mutual commercials. I hate that companies commercials so much. Their "humor" is like fingernails scraping a chalkboard to me. Doug and his emu partner are the worst though.

But, the idea of beating the GEICO gecko sounds good too. 

 

[Tom Geiger]

I had Mr Kelly’s Car Wash.  I remember wanting it for my birthday because I thought I could wash all my Matchbox cars. I was bummed when I discovered only the two cars that came with it worked! That thrill lasted all of five minutes!

[unclescott58]

Here's a game I never really understood how you were suppose to officially play it. Never had one. Always want one. Played with only once or twice in my entire life. Still trying to figure out why I'm still fascinated by it. 

 

[unclescott58]

5 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

I had Mr Kelly’s Car Wash.  I remember wanting it for my birthday because I thought I could wash all my Matchbox cars. I was bummed when I discovered only the two cars that came with it worked! That thrill lasted all of five minutes!

Wasn't that way it was with a lot of toys. The fantasy of what it could do was better than what it could actually do. A lot of the commercials also made a lot of toys look like they could do more than they could. This went for both TV and print ads. 

 

[misterNNL]

On 4/14/2020 at 4:41 PM, peteski said:

 

Ah, those bullet-bras from the '50s! 

Talk about"poke your eye out"!

[iamsuperdan]

Man, sorry to say, but I feel so much younger than you guys right now. lolz.

 

In addition to the models I would build. this was my pre-guitar/music childhood.

 

I remember this was a huge deal the Christmas I got it. Within an hour of unwrapping it, and putting in the multitude of batteries, I had this thing doing laps of the house and scaring the cat.

 

My first RC toy from Radio Shack. This is still in my parents' basement in a box somewhere. Come to think of it...it's probably stored with the Big Trak above.

 

 

My first video game console. Was so happy about this. It's all we did on rainy days.

 

Had a Redline RL20 almost identical to this. Mastered flat land tricks. Then did a jump, snapped the frame, and got into skateboarding.

 

 

And this game was kind of a Dungeons & Dragons style game. Role playing, dice, cards, the whole thing.

 

[Tom Geiger]

19 hours ago, unclescott58 said:

Wasn't that way it was with a lot of toys. The fantasy of what it could do was better than what it could actually do. A lot of the commercials also made a lot of toys look like they could do more than they could. This went for both TV and print ads. 

 

Absolutely!  Before truth in advertising!   I remember a military transport plane that came full of tanks, trucks and soldiers.  In the TV commercial the stuff marched out of the plane in formation!  In reality it was just green army men quality junk that did absolutely nothing.

In that same vein was Kennedy Airport.  In the commercial it seemed kids were running a busy airport.  In reality it was a tower with a small record player in it with one small record of tower calls. The runways were a board game board with plastic airplanes.