Name 3 toys ...

D

diy_fun_uk

Joined
16 Sep 2006
Messages
4,322
Reaction score
823
Location
Fife
Country
United Kingdom
... No, not those sort of toys :)

As I get ever closer to 50, I kind of regret I didn't hold on to more stuff from my youth. I still have my snooker cue from my teens but that's about it. When you're a youngster, toys and the like don't necessarily hold much memories or sentimental value for you, so you're usually not heartbroken to see them go, whether to someone else or into the bin! Tbh that's a healthy way to be in most cases bar things of value e.g. handed down through the generations.

I was watching a YouTube clip the other day and the guy (in his 50s I reckon) still had his ZX Spectrum computer, remember those? So this got me thinking, if I could have held on to 3 toys from my youth, what would they be? I settled on these:

ZX Spectrum (I still remember saying 'mum, it's supposed to make that noise!' as it loaded games :))
BMX bike (It was a Halford's one but I loved it)
Evel Knievel wind-up stunt bike

Tbh I could rattle off 20 toys I wish I'd kept. Okay I know things like computers and bikes aren't necessarily looked on as toys, so the criteria is anything you used in your youth to play with / derive fun from. So, bearing in mind the limit of 3, what toys do you wish you'd held on to? And again, keep it clean ;) and feel free to post pics.
 
Sponsored Links
I still have my Colecovision arcade - style Pac-Man game.
Screenshot_20210121-175506.png


I wouldn't mind my old PK Ripper bmx back.

An aerobie.
 
Brigadier said:
I wouldn't mind my old PK Ripper bmx
Click to expand...
My girlfriends' brother had one - fantastic piece of kit. You must have had wealthy parents. I was 16 at the time and he used to keep up and pass me on my racer as I went through the gears.
 
Sponsored Links
When I was about 6 I got a Secret Sam attaché case which contained a pistol with extension to convert it to a snipers rifle, a silencer, a hidden camera you could operate by pressing a switch on the handle, the ability to fire bullets from the case when it was closed and a few various other bits.
A big, (well it was big to me at the time), tank that lit up in the dark and fired a missile from the muzzle.
 
1. My Scalextric. It wasn't new when I had it for Christmas but I well remember going to the model shop and buying two new F1 race cars with my saved up paper round money...one was a Martini Brabham and the other was a black and gold JPS (Team Lotus?) that cost me £7.50 each in 1978. I regret selling it. My grandson would have loved it.

2. Action Man armoured car circa 1974. My mum couldn't afford the Chieftain tank (which was an expensive toy in its day) but the armoured car was new on Christmas morning. I used to sit on it and ride it downhill in the middle of our street with cars pipping their horns at me.

3. Not really a toy but someone gave me an old (possibly 1950's vintage) Jennen-Trio short wave receiver when I was 14. I ran a home made antennae (copper wire) out of my bedroom window down the garden to the old WW2 Anderson shelter and picked up loads of foreign radio broadcasts plus radio ham conversations. Something magical about switching on that old wireless and letting the tubes warm up with the illuminated dial lighting my bedroom at 3am. Another era. I let it rust away in the shed and it got skipped eventually.

Just discussed this with the squaw and she's said:

1. Tiny Tears doll
2. Shopper bike with a basket on the front
3. Not a toy but her first sewing machine (at age 12) was a non-electric Singer machine (with the turn handle)
 
Just remembered......

Toy SLR rifle that fired these silver plastic bullets you could load into the magazine. I used to wear it across my back like a bandit and cycle off down the park with the other kids all festooned with various toy guns. Playing 'army' was a favourite game. Chunks of soil were grenades.
 
diy_fun_uk said:
ZX Spectrum computer, remember those?
Click to expand...

I sold mine, along with all the magazines with the game codes in. Regret that now.

I kept my Space Lego, and some is still in tact I think ... also had boxes of farm toys and random stuff from when I was young that my parents kept in the loft, and my kids got to play with that, along with toy soldiers. I think I even have an action man in a box somewhere still, but not exactly in pristine condition...
 
I've still got a cap gun, was showing my son how it worked over Christmas. Forgot to see if I could find some caps. Will search internet now ...
 
1. Hornby Dublo 3-rail train set (inherited from my older brother and added to extensively)
2. Minic Motorway set
3. Some of my Dinky toys, especially the Centurion tank and Mighty Antar transporter
 
My wife bought me a Scalextric set for Christmas, (£200!), and we had great fun with it. It's changed a bit since the old days but basically the same. More magna adhesion and the controllers are blue tooth so no sliding a copper bar over a coil for speed control, it's all smooth electronics. Control centre is built into the trackside and you download an app onto your phone or tablet. Records fastest lap times, race winner etc and sends you to the pits for new tyres/fuel depending on your driving style. Really good set. Unfortunately one of the cars developed a fault and the only way to get a replacement was to send the whole kit back to Amazon. As they didn't have any others in stock it was a case of a refund and wait for them to get new stocks. It was after this we found out the Ford GTE was susceptible to failure due to one of the motor field magnets dislodging and causing the motor to seize. My wife has said once they have rectified this problem she is willing to get me a replacement.
 
I regret getting rid of my ZX81 with 16 meg add on memory and printer.

Yes, also my Scalextric FOE set from 1976.

One of the cars was the black JPS car.

Remember fag companies sponsoring sport?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Sponsored Links

Similar threads

L
How to remove mould from soft toys
Replies
3
Views
3K
DIYDANDY
D
D
Did you own a BMX?
2
Replies
19
Views
1K
motorbiking
motorbiking
Robin0577
One for the pros, how young did you start, just curious?
Replies
7
Views
790
bhm1712
bhm1712
J
do i need planning permission to move access strip?
Replies
2
Views
884
Richard C
R
kingandy2nd
New toy - plunge saw, but which blade?
Replies
12
Views
2K
kingandy2nd
kingandy2nd
Back
Top