# What "lost" Christmas present would YOU like to find, years later **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643 "2021-12-07T14:35:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/21 "2021-12-09T04:27:16Z")
> [@48Willys](#): > > Do you have any movies? I may have a machine, if it survived the last purge. I don’t but one of my hobbies is converting certain sports games from tape to DVD. Every once in a while someone will run across a collection of Beta tapes (I haven’t personally) that no one has a machine to play them on. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/22 "2021-12-09T05:17:12Z")
Alright, when I am able to next, I will see if mine still exists. It will not be able to until this weekend at the soonest. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/23 "2021-12-09T05:22:00Z")
If it’s in good working order, you might be able to sell it on ebay. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/24 "2021-12-09T15:06:46Z")
Somewhat related story: I was nosing around one summer in our basement and came upon a large hidden box. It was a small scale pool table. I was overjoyed but figured it was a birthday present and my birthday wasn’t for 4 months, But out of sight out of mind, I totally forgot about it. Forward to Christmas that year, I made out pretty good with lots of Major Matt Mason space/astronaut toys and accessories. Just as we’re about to call it a night (we exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve), my Mom says "I think we forgot something. Instantly my mind snapped and I remembered the pool table. Like a dummy I replied “that’s right you did”. She looked at me funny and motioned for my Dad to go downstairs and get “it”. Not wanting to totally spoil their fun, I then pretended to be surprised when the box was brought up. My “glee” seemed to fool my parents. I loved that pool table more than all the other gifts, ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/25 "2021-12-18T21:55:48Z")
> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Chevy Chase is trapped in the attic and finds a wrapped Christmas present that was hidden and forgotten. In the interests of accuracy, it was a Mother’s Day present. I have nothing to add. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/26 "2021-12-18T23:12:21Z")
A pony. Even though I now have my own 3 horses, I’d still flip over a pony on Christmas morning. StG ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/27 "2021-12-19T00:39:59Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > An electric slot car race track set. Damn those were cool! My brother used to go to this place that was a giant slot car playroom, basically. They eventually closed and the name changed from Classic Speedway to Classic Speedwash. Yep, they became a laundromat. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/28 "2021-12-19T21:11:39Z")
“Tricky Mickey Magic Show”. It was a set of Colorforms. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/29 "2021-12-22T19:56:15Z")
My brother and I were very fortunate; our dad was a a buyer in the toy industry so we had tons of toys, some before they were on the market and some that never even made it to the public. For some reason, neither of us ever had a Big Wheel. Another thing I’d love to have; Chemin de Fer jeans. My mom wasn’t cheap by any means, but expensive designer type jeans were out of the question (I’m the same way now). Sadly, my arse it too big today for either of these items 😄 ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/30 "2021-12-24T13:37:00Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > A pony. Even though I now have my own 3 horses, I’d still flip over a pony on Christmas morning. > > StG Yep, that was another Christmas dream of mine. I had it all played out in my mind. My dad would tell me to look out the window and there would be a pony all tacked up and ready to go for a ride. We had a fairly big yard but still lived in the city limits. So no chance it would ever happen. I even had it all planned out on where I could keep it - our playhouse! ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/31 "2021-12-24T22:58:40Z")
A Spirograph would be nice - I used to love that one. Or, something that I think was called “SpinArt” or something like that (a quick look at Google suggests that similar toys may still be available today). Basically, you put a white card onto a motorized spindle, then turned it so that the card spun rapidly in circles. You dropped paint onto the card while it was spinning and the centrifugal force made it splay out in fun patterns. There was also something called something like “Make it and Bake it” that consisted of packets of little plastic crystals, which you shaped on a tray and then put into the oven where the crystals melted together. It smelled really bad while it was in the oven, and I shudder to think of how carcinogenic it might have been, but it was a lot of fun! ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/32 "2021-12-25T04:05:40Z")
When I think back on it the only toys I can remember coveting when I was a kid were two particular Lego sets: [The Black Seas Barracuda](https://brickset.com/sets/6285-1/Black-Seas-Barracuda) and the [Caribbean Clipper](https://brickset.com/sets/6274-1/Caribbean-Clipper). Other than toy store displays I’ve never seen them in the wild. My friends were equally as covetous of those sets as I was (we were all Lego collectors, of course) but none of us ever managed to get one. Each of those sets is available on Ebay for several hundred dollars each, but I think there’s something to be said for letting those desires remain in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/33 "2022-01-03T20:20:23Z")
Having grown up in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I suppose just about anything would suffice. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/34 "2022-01-03T20:27:22Z")
Yeah, and not necessarily to sell. Those 12" figures were cool. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/35 "2022-01-05T18:38:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I would want a Thingmaker set, with goop and everything. That I no longer have. Wish I still did. (this was the set I had) Wow, I’m envious! Did your set actually work? When I was about…10? I got a “Thingmaker II.” It was the one gift I opened on Christmas eve before bedtime, a tradition we had at my house. Sadly, the goop bottles were all dried up and nothing would come out of them, so the whole thing was a failure. I was so sad that evening heading for bed. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/36 "2022-01-05T19:59:29Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > Wow, I’m envious! Did your set actually work? Yes, they were actually pretty good. A lot of us in grade school had sets, with different molds, so we’d trade molds and get ideas from each other. Other sets of the same groups could have had different molds. The first generation were pretty good. The goop would cook properly and dried smooth and firm. As the years went on, Mattel tried to make everything safer, and the goop changed. You could still burn yourself on the hotplate, but if you ate the goop you wouldn’t get (as?) sick. 🙂 Later we tried fishing lure goop, but it wasn’t right for Thinkmakers. Then we outgrew them. We loved the Creepy Crawlies, the soldiers and surprisingly, the dragons. Didn’t care that much for the Fright Factory (scars, lip locks, etc), and I made a few creepy People. I don’t remember ever doing s Picadoo at all. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/37 "2022-01-06T12:34:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > We loved the Creepy Crawlies, the soldiers and surprisingly, the dragons. I have a fond memory of when my grandma found a rather large Creepy Crawly bug on the door of her clothes dryer as she was unloading clothes. It must have fallen out of my brother’s pocket. She carefully scooped it up with a piece of paper and put it out on her front stoop because she thought it was a real bug and was letting it go. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/38 "2022-01-06T15:19:17Z")
My friend had a Thingmaker. When she ran out of the goop, we used chocolate chips! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/39 "2022-01-06T20:13:00Z")
An official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. Duh! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-lost-christmas-present-would-you-like-to-find-years-later/955643/40 "2022-02-01T19:29:23Z")
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