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Yesterdays: Things I DIDN'T Have As A Kid
Hit Stix
I wanted these things so much. I could lay around and daydream about being the coolest kid in school if I had those things. Walking through the halls, playing a radical solo, with lots of girls following me and talking about how cool I was. Sigh. Just wasn't meant to be I guess.
Lazer Tag
Rock Tumbler and Chemistry Set
Of course the book was filled with all the latest action figures, dolls, remote controlled vehicles and the like, but it also had a page or two of more educational toys. And in these pages were a Rock Tumbler and a Chemistry Set. Each and every year, those two items would go onto my wish list, and every year I would be disappointed when they weren't under the tree.
USS Flagg Aircraft Carrier from GI Joe
When fully assembled, this toy was a whopping six feet in length! That goes beyond the realm of toy, and into the realm of something more like a coffee table. It was released in 1986 with a hefty retail price of $89.95, so it was definitely not to be found in my house. My dad would have had an easier time giving birth to one than actually paying that much for a toy.
As an adult in the early 2000's, I tried again to acquire one. Searching on eBay, I found dozens of them, but none complete. The incomplete ones there were going for several hundred dollars. I actually did see one in a comic book shop one time, still sealed in it's original box, but with a price tag of $1500. If I could have ever decided which child to sell, I may have ended up with it.
But who knows, maybe one day I'll run across a good deal on a complete one and be able to purchase it. Then my friends, the battle for superiority of the bedroom will resume once more.
Thanks for taking the time to check out this latest article. If you ever had any experiences with any of these toys, then please share your comments. I'm eager to see how everyone enjoyed these things that I missed out on.
How I Spent My Childhood
kstrom22 Posted on Jul 13, 2015 at 08:18 AM
Nice article! When I was in 3rd Grade my teacher tumbled some rocks and each of the students took one home. I still have it on my shelf. Naturally, I begged for one but my parents said "no" or "wait until Easter." By the time the Easter Bunny brought it, though, I had moved on to something else.
Maybe I should go get one now!
mickyarber Posted on Jul 13, 2015 at 08:08 AM
@massreality..that's pretty cool. My younger cousin got them, and same thing happened. He tried to get into real drums, but wasn't very good, nut it got him into music. WHen the drumming didn't work out, he learned guitar instead and has done well with it in the years since.
massreality Posted on Jul 13, 2015 at 04:40 AM
I totally forgot about Hit Stix! My brother owned the Hit Stix, and they were pretty awesome. They even inspired him to get into real drumming a few years later.
mickyarber Posted on Jul 11, 2015 at 04:09 PM
@Hoju...you're right, I was quite the dreamer. Those are just the ones that I really wanted and aksed for on many occasions. There were so many more things I wanted as well. Maybe I'll have to revisit the topic and go through some more "wants" that I never got.
Hoju Koolander Posted on Jul 11, 2015 at 03:43 PM
You had good taste for a dreamer of toys. I actually owned the Laser Tag, Hit Stix and an old chemistry set, but as incomplete hand me downs.
Vaporman87 Posted on Jul 10, 2015 at 03:39 PM
@echidna: LOL. I used to believe that one day I would create a robot companion... out of cardboard. Also, I was pretty certain I could fly for just a split second whenever I jumped off the couch.
echidna64 Posted on Jul 10, 2015 at 03:33 PM
Ah one of my friends had the exact same chemistry set. I always wanted one. I believed that at age 7 I could become a mad scientist and create potions like Erkel
pikachulover Posted on Jul 10, 2015 at 06:29 AM
I never had Hit Stix either. I forgot about them for a while until I found an old tape from 1988 with a commercial for them on it. They bought up a lot of ad time. Now I can practically sing the jingle from memory.
Then I remembered kids who had them took them to the local mall and played them on things in the mall like the railings and stuff.
I wanted a rock tumbler and never got one. I also wanted a sewing machine and a small pottery wheel.
Vaporman87 Posted on Jul 10, 2015 at 03:33 AM
Ahhh... the USS Flagg. No kid I ever knew DIDN'T want that behemoth sitting in their room. I am certain I listed that one a few times on Christmas, but never got it. That and Metroplex (from Transformers).
I did own a Lazer Tag set, and let me ease your conscience by saying it did not live up to the hype. The sensor/gun combo was not very accurate or effective. There would be times when you KNEW you aimed perfectly, but a hit would not register. Of course this was early on in the technology of "laser tag" gaming, so that's to be expected.
I should also mention that in the Goldbergs episode where Adam gives up all his toys, his prized possession is, of course, the USS Flagg. Lucky Adam.
Great read Mickey! All good stuff.
Rick Ace Rhodes Posted on Jul 10, 2015 at 03:26 AM
It seems to me that no one ever had that USS Flagg play set. Every article I have ever read regarding that thing has always had the article writer saying "I wish I had that as a kid."
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