The toys that made a difference to you...

[amazinblue82]

NONE of these I played with .. but my children (born 1986 and 1988) had each one of these. Some were "previously-loved" by other children so I am not sure when these were launched. I STILL have them .. just waiting to become a grandpa and trot them out

 

[DocMcNeedy]

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My dad ran this toy right into the swingset...plane exploded into plastic schrapnel... there were tears.

 

[DocMcNeedy]

this one made a huge impact...it was given as an educational toy.

 

[amazinblue82]

this one made a huge impact...it was given as an educational toy.
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Had one .. wore it out studying it. By age 12 everybody was sure I was gonna be an MD. 10 of my buds left HS, ALL of us intending to be physicians.

9 of us are doctors now.. one of us became a
"capitalist pig" with a shameful collection of C-bodies and other neat old iron.

that guy had his priorities straight.

 

[DocMcNeedy]

Had one .. wore it out studying it. By age 12 everybody was sure I was gonna be an MD. 10 of my buds left HS, ALL of us intending to be physicians.

9 of us are doctors now.. one of us became a
"capitalist pig" with a shameful collection of C-bodies and other neat old iron.

that guy had his priorities straight.

It was quite the leap from that piece of plastic to a room full of human cadavers in dental school...we shared gross anatomy labs with the med students year one.

 

[amazinblue82]

It was quite the leap from that piece of plastic to a room full of human cadavers in dental school...we shared gross anatomy labs with the med students year one.

indeed.

i too have spent time in gross anatomy labs (even in HS -- just tours tho at that time) before the grand experiment at medicine ended for me at age 20. i do recall the dent students being there right with the meds.

you made it through .. i did not. went to business school instead -- twice in fact, so I could grow up to plunder and pillage with the best of 'em

we'll spare our forum mates any of the "inside-out" details or our cadaver experiences tho.

 

[rapidtrans]

indeed.

i too have spent time in gross anatomy labs (even in HS -- just tours tho at that time) before the grand experiment at medicine ended for me at age 20. i do recall the dent students being there right with the meds.

you made it through .. i did not. went to business school instead -- twice in fact, so I could grow up to plunder and pillage with the best of 'em

we'll spare our forum mates any of the "inside-out" details or our cadaver experiences tho.

Sitting through an autopsy was one if those “yeah...no” moments for me. Time to change that college major.

 

[mr. fix it]

two words...

Hot Wheels!!!!

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this is the exact one I got from a promotional Palmolive dish soap when I was a kid!

 

[mr. fix it]

my first kit..birthday gift (i think) 1971... (stock internet photo, but this was the set I got.

1970 Hot Wheels Super-Charger Speed Test Set

We had the Hot Wheels Sizzlers Fat track as well

 

[rapidtrans]

1/25 scale plastic promos. Best toy ever IMO. Even more than slot cars.
That 62 300 is the oldest survivor from my childhood. Followed by the 63 Valiants, 64 300, 64 Fury.

 

[amazinblue82]

Sitting through an autopsy was one if those “yeah...no” moments for me. Time to change that college major.

oh yeah boss .. not for the faint hearted/weak stomached. i found it fascinating actually but forensic pathology wasn't gonna be my bag - a little too depressing with the "variety" of cases they dealt with.

again, decorum prevents further discussion beyond that

 

[amazinblue82]

Oh my l... The "guy" who taught me magnetism in second grade.

Of course, no real conception of the science until much later (the electro-magnetic spectrum in fifth grade - my hero James Clerk Maxwell) .. but my first place, blue ribbon science project in third grade was an electromagnet (not it of course, but general setup .. lantern battery, switch, wire, and a nail). also learned hard way the nail got really hot.

 

[1970cat]

reminds me of

 

[65sporty]

this one made a huge impact...it was given as an educational toy.
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I think all you needed was the skull

 

[1970cat]

I think all you needed was the skull

makes me think of dr.teeth.

 

[amazinblue82]

Remember when?

Forgot .. there were the rubber band propeller types too .. flew pretty good to my recollection

 

[ricks_RR]

those planes many many hours playing with those

 

[Wonderwagon]

My American Flyer, trains. They introduced me to electricity and due to their demise, had me switch to HO scale and the basics of soldering and doing the neccessary maintance to keep them running. Which gave me the foundation to my craft. Great birthday present.

 

[amazinblue82]

Significance of this toy?

One of my first "big boy" toys (I turned age 6, but with male cousins 4-5 years older who teased me rather than help me learn).. my Duncan "Butterfly" yo yo.

I could make it "sleep", "walk the dog", and throw it "horizontally (backhand, underhand, side arm)" ... and then nothing else.

I managed to hit myself in the face many times, break things, but "rock the baby", "man on the trapeze", "loop-the-loop" - nope!.

I needed a teacher, not hecklers.

Actually taught me about persistence and patience (still could use more of latter though)

 

[Turboomni]

Sorry if already posted.