Automotive (and other) toys from our childhood

[Kit Basher]

I also remember that the ladders were not painted, but were natural aluminum.

You are correct, sir! (Did I make that sound like Ed McMahon?)

Edited May 13, 2016 by Kit Basher

[Harry P.]

You are correct, sir! (Did I make that sound like Ed McMahon?)

Yesssssssss!

[MGL]

And how about metal lunch boxes... the ones with the glass insert thermos... I can still remember the sound of the glass filled milk sloshing around when I broke it. My sister and I challenge each other to find unusual and meaningful gifts.  I gave her this one for Christmas one year.  

I forgot about these, I had the Evel Knievel lunch box, the one with him jumping a row of cars, not the skycycle  one.

[SfanGoch]

Yesssssssss!

That's a pretty good Marv Albert imitation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv1kApvEPiY

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2016 by SfanGoch

[Snake45]

And how about metal lunch boxes... the ones with the glass insert thermos... I can still remember the sound of the glass filled milk sloshing around when I broke it. My sister and I challenge each other to find unusual and meaningful gifts.  I gave her this one for Christmas one year.  

I had a Steve Canyon lunchbox. I don't think the Thermos survived a week, and got tossed (by Mom) early. It (the lunchbox) had boocoo pics of way-cool '50s USAF jets all over it. These go for BIG bucks these days, but a few years back I scored a slightly "distressed" one with some rust on the edges for a reasonable price. It gives me joy to own.

[Ace-Garageguy]

My first foray into electronics was one of these GE intercom kits. Amazingly, my parents let me string wires throughout part of the house. It was pretty useless actually, but it started a life-long interest in and understanding of circuit design and analysis.

 

 

[slusher]

My first foray into electronics was one of these GE intercom kits. Amazingly, my parents let me string wires throughout part of the house. It was pretty useless actually, but it started a life-long interest in and understanding of circuit design and analysis.

 

 

That looks interesting Bill. How old is it?

[dshue76]

My first foray into electronics was one of these GE intercom kits. Amazingly, my parents let me string wires throughout part of the house. It was pretty useless actually, but it started a life-long interest in and understanding of circuit design and analysis.

 

 

That would have been a fun set to play with. GE was doing all they could to market their home automation systems. I wonder if any of these kits swayed parents to buy the real thing?

[cobraman]

This is one of the best topics ever ! IMO  Cool toys. Beats the socks and underwear and PJ's I got . : )

[Harry P.]

I remember I had one of those metal gas stations way back when... probably from the Sears catalog, as my parents were about as loyal to Sears as two people could possibly be. I've been searching the internet for days trying to find the exact one I had, but my memory is a little fuzzy on this one. I found dozens of examples, but none that I recognize as the one I specifically had. But I do remember that the station came with this exact set of accessories. I'm 100% sure about that...

[SfanGoch]

That would have been a fun set to play with. GE was doing all they could to market their home automation systems. I wonder if any of these kits swayed parents to buy the real thing?

There already was an intercom system if there were two or more kids in the family. "Go tell ____ dinner's ready."

[SfanGoch]

Growing up during the Golden Age of U.S. s[ace exploration was an exciting time in my life. Every kid dreamed of becoming an astronaut. That's why I loved the Mattel's Major Matt Mason "Man In Space" series. I had just about every one of the toys. 

 

Then, there was the Revell Gemini Spacecraft contest. Yes you, the kid reading the ad in that Batman comic in your paws. Enter now for a chance to win a gen-oo-wine 19 foot long prototype of a Gemini space capsule. HOO HAH! I sent in my info already planning where this baby was going to sit in the yard. I told my mother that her garden will have to go to make room for this wonderfully designed masterpiece of modern technology. I showed her the ad so she could appreciate this beauty. She asked me if I read the entire ad. I looked at her with a quizzical, tilted head stare, not unlike a dog wondering what "Who did it?!?" is supposed to mean. "You know that if you do win, you can't keep it." Why not?!? I'll keep it clean. "If you read this, it says that it will be presented to a park or museum where you live." What a friggin' gyp! Let'em enter the contest and get their own!

 

[Snake45]

 Every kid dreamed of becoming an astronaut.

 

Not me. I'd have been perfectly happy to stand on solid ground and wave Buh-Bye! to the rest of you, though.

Loved your "let 'em get their own" story. I have a very, VERY vague recollection of Revell--or somebody--giving away a jet fighter--an old F-86 or F-84 or F9 Cougar or something of that vintage--under the same conditions--it would go to a park near you. When I read that part of the ad, I kinda lost interest.

[Ace-Garageguy]

That looks interesting Bill. How old is it?

If I remember right, it was about 1960 or '61. The wiring didn't require any soldering, only had spring connectors for the various components, and they would get corroded enough in a few days to function erratically. Still, the thing taught the basic functions of transistors, resistors, capacitors, potentiometers, diodes, etc.

[slusher]

If I remember right, it was about 1960 or '61. The wiring didn't require any soldering, only had spring connectors for the various components, and they would get corroded enough in a few days to function erratically. Still, the thing taught the basic functions of transistors, resistors, capacitors, potentiometers, diodes, etc.

I would have like one of those as a kid...

[SfanGoch]

My first foray into electronics was one of these GE intercom kits. Amazingly, my parents let me string wires throughout part of the house. It was pretty useless actually, but it started a life-long interest in and understanding of circuit design and analysis.

 

 

Did we have neat stuff as kids, or what? With all these neat toys, Mad Magazine, baseball cards and Famous Monsters of Filmland, we had it pretty good. I had an electronics experiment lab, made by International Rectifier. There was one in the window of PIX Television Repair on the yavnya and I kept bugging my parents to get it for me. It was the same one as seen in this ad:

You could actually perform some amazing experiments with it. Unlike the Polaris Nuclear Sub

which was nothing but a crummy cardboard box, and X-Ray Specs

which disappointed multitudes of hormone-raged pre-teen males,

these electronics kits delivered as advertised.

 

 

[Roadrunner]

Did we have neat stuff as kids, or what? With all these neat toys, Mad Magazine, baseball cards and Famous Monsters of Filmland, we had it pretty good.

Several years ago, I chased down a small pile of Famous Monsters magazines that I had owned as a youngster, some old war comics too, as well as all of the Slow Death magazines from the old head shop days.

[SfanGoch]

At one time, Mad Magazine was located on the 13th floor of 485 MADison Avenue. In late June 1974, I decided to visit the place and buy some of the paperback anthologies I was missing from my collection. It was a lunatic asylum! I asked a a fat guy with a goatee, who turned out to be art director Leonard Brenner, where the mailroom was. He started yelling at me that I was late and asked if I was a complete idiot. Huh? "Huh?!? I guess you answered my question! You were supposed to start at 10. It's 1 in the afternoon and I suppose you want to take your lunch break now." No. I just..."You just what?!? What then?!? You just want to take your vacation with pay?!?" No. I just want to buy some books......"Buy books? You have money? I thought you were the new mailroom assistant! Buy books? Young man with money, please have a seat. Would you care for a sandwich? A cocktail? My apologies? Do you want the job? Follow me. I'll take you in to meet Bill (Gaines). Hey, you fat ba****d! The new mailroom assistant is here and he's not going to steal anything! He has money!! He can start yesterday! He needs the rest of today off!" I ended up getting a summer gig for the next three years at Mad. It was the best job a stupid teen could ever have. they were the nicest bunch of people I ever worked for. I still have a pile of stuff autographed by the "Usual Gang of Idiots".

[Sixties Sam]

At one time, Mad Magazine was located on the 13th floor of 485 MADison Avenue. In late June 1974, I decided to visit the place and buy some of the paperback anthologies I was missing from my collection. It was a lunatic asylum! I asked a a fat guy with a goatee, who turned out to be art director Leonard Brenner, where the mailroom was. He started yelling at me that I was late and asked if I was a complete idiot. Huh? "Huh?!? I guess you answered my question! You were supposed to start at 10. It's 1 in the afternoon and I suppose you want to take your lunch break now." No. I just..."You just what?!? What then?!? You just want to take your vacation with pay?!?" No. I just want to buy some books......"Buy books? You have money? I thought you were the new mailroom assistant! Buy books? Young man with money, please have a seat. Would you care for a sandwich? A cocktail? My apologies? Do you want the job? Follow me. I'll take you in to meet Bill (Gaines). Hey, you fat ba****d! The new mailroom assistant is here and he's not going to steal anything! He has money!! He can start yesterday! He needs the rest of today off!" I ended up getting a summer gig for the next three years at Mad. It was the best job a stupid teen could ever have. they were the nicest bunch of people I ever worked for. I still have a pile of stuff autographed by the "Usual Gang of Idiots".

Joe, Bill Gaines  was actually a distant cousin of mine. I remember him handing out copies of Mad magazine at a family reunion when I was a kid in the 1950's (I think), when the magazine first came out. I think most of the family thought the magazine was stupid, but I liked it! I had a subscription when I was in high school.

Sam

[Deathgoblin]

One of my favorites from when I was a kid.  I had TONS of Hot Wheels/Matchboxes, but I had a Corgi that stood out over them all.  I'd love to have another one.

 

[Roadrunner]

I had a James Bond Aston Martin, but I'll be darned if I can remember the manufacturer. I don't believe it was a diecast though.

[Harry P.]

 

Did any of you actually have these? What exactly were they? Obviously they weren't really "x-ray" specs, but the company had to send you something. What exactly were these things?

[Snake45]

Did any of you actually have these? What exactly were they? Obviously they weren't really "x-ray" specs, but the company had to send you something. What exactly were these things?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Ray_Specs_(novelty)

[Harry P.]

I googled it, saw the ads... they include a line about 100% satisfaction or your money back. I wonder how many people tried to get their money back?

[GT4494]

I googled it, saw the ads... they include a line about 100% satisfaction or your money back. I wonder how many people tried to get their money back?

Come on,  They were advertised in comic books along with Charles Atlas and seahorses you could hatch.   no child even knew how to get their money back let alone explain to their parents why they wanted to see through peoples clothes. 

Edited May 16, 2016 by GT4494