# Toys! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 1999, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431 "1999-10-14T13:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/1 "1999-10-14T13:01:00Z")
- - - Recently I saw a toy for sale new that I remember from the dawn of (my) time - I didn’t even think they were still made. I have no kids to buy for so I rarely look at toy catalogs. I still kinda wanted to get myself one, just because it seemed familiar. What toy do you rember most from your childhood? Would you buy another of it now if you could? - MC ---
**Author:** ![Oblio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c4cdca/32.png) [@Oblio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblio)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/2 "1999-10-14T13:14:00Z")
A flying saucer gyroscope. IIRC it was yellow with a hand crank & little men inside. Saw one several years ago in the Science Center in St. Louis amoungst the other space toy relics. Wish I could find one today. Oblio * * * A point in every direction is like no point at all ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/3 "1999-10-14T13:15:00Z")
Mr. Machine! ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/4 "1999-10-14T13:19:00Z")
I’d get the Talking G.I. Joe; pull his dogtags and he spouts some patriotic crap. I had one when I was a kid. Joe got buried up to his neck in sand one day (those dirty Nazis!), and after that, he could only hiss. Barbie found it a real turn-on, so he was often invited to spend time in her Malibu Dream House…but that’s another story. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/5 "1999-10-14T13:52:00Z")
I used to have a very cool radio controlled Pick-Up truck with a winch, it was called Cheetah (which was entirely logical, since it was completely black 😉 ). If I’d buy something like that today, it’ll be one of them petrol-fuelled RC cars that can do 100 km/h, WOO-HOO !! ## I hear they’re quite expensive though, and where would you race these things ?? Although, there is a special championship for those things in the UK - saw it on Top Gear the other day. Coldfire * * * “You know how complex women are” - Neil Peart, Rush (1993) ---
**Author:** ![Inky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d78d45/32.png) [@Inky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/6 "1999-10-14T15:35:00Z")
Those Shogun Warriors figures, the big ones. How could you not love a toy that shot missles from his nipples, and had a rocket propelled fist? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/7 "1999-10-14T15:54:00Z")
Did anyone out there ever have the “Ready Ranger” from Aroura? That was the One That Got Away from my brother and I. No matter how much begging, pleading, etc. Santa never thought us worthy. All I really remember about it was that it was orange, had a flashlight or something, and could allow six and seven year olds to climb mount Everest. Hope someone out there was lucky enough to get one, hope it was all it was cracked up to be. (I feel an O. Henry story in the air). U-Fly it… that was the best. First generation flight simulator. ---
**Author:** ![Glitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/0ea827/32.png) [@Glitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glitch)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/8 "1999-10-14T16:23:00Z")
Lego. By far the greatest toy ever. * * * What more could you expect from somebody who lets people kick him to the head? ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/9 "1999-10-14T16:26:00Z")
Shrinky Dinks. Those were cool. Of course, now that I’m a grown-up, I look at the name and think something entirely different… I also loved My Little Ponies, and I haven’t seen those in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/10 "1999-10-14T16:27:00Z")
How 'bout the Etch-a-Sketch form the Ohio Art company? * * * “The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” - _Humphrey Bogart_ ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/11 "1999-10-14T16:28:00Z")
Oh, and Choose Your Own Adventure books. I was at Barnes and Noble in the kids’ section the other day, and I was wholeheartedly disappointed that these are apparently no longer made. ---
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/12 "1999-10-14T16:47:00Z")
Lego for sure…and star wars men. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/13 "1999-10-15T05:07:00Z")
“Sticky Finger” a giant finger with a suction cup. I think you were supposed to catch a ball with it. ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/14 "1999-10-15T05:52:00Z")
I’m with Glitch and Kellibelli. When I remember Lego, I also remember all the things I created with it, all the universes, characters, and technologies. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 1999, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/15 "1999-10-15T05:58:00Z")
A Vertibird! ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/16 "1999-10-14T18:02:00Z")
My Thingmaker. It was basically a hotplate to heat up metal molds into which you poured colored liquid plastic of some kind. The molds made various body parts which you could put together to make little wiggly monsters. I can’t believe my parents let me play with this thing–it got hot as hell, but I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/17 "1999-10-14T18:08:00Z")
Metal Tonka dump truck and a metal Tonka grader. Are Tonkas still made with wetal ? I would think that nowadays they’re made with plastic. * * * Tenacious, like a coonhound tracking a poodle in heat. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/18 "1999-10-14T18:09:00Z")
“wetal”? Severe case of finger glitches this week. My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/19 "1999-10-14T18:09:00Z")
You know what I used to love as a kid? **Spirograph**!! I bought a newer version of it for my former step daughter (she was 7) and, though she enjoyed it very much, it wasn’t the same for me… No pins, for example. And not nearly enough rings to mess with. The old deluxe set i had was HUGE with TONS of variations… If anyone has an old-school Spirograph set, or if they still make them and I just didn’t find it, PLEASE let me know! * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stevie_Rave_On)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431/20 "1999-10-14T19:15:00Z")
My favorite toys had to be my Transformers. I loved pitting Optimus Prime and his Autobots against Megatron and his Decepticons. Hey Drain Bead, I even had some Transformers choose your own adventure books. * * * Ty Webb: I like you Betty. Danny Noonan: That’s Danny, sir. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toys/9431.md?page=2)