I wonder whether the toys that I used to play with are still around. I know that many of them are although lots of them now seem to be aimed at adult collectors who fondly remember these toys rather than kids. Here are some toys I had as a kid and some that I feel would be good for kids today.
I had a Mr Potato Head as a kid. I also had his friend Peter Pepper and I think the cucumber one as well. They would be worth lots of money these days. A few weeks I went into Toys R Us and saw three different versions of ‘Talking Mr Potato Head’. Why does Mr. Potato Head need a computer chip inside to make him interactive? Isn’t he interactive enough? It sort of defeats the purpose to put a computer chip into this toy.
My brother and I had a Hornby train set as kids. It was a present from my Aunt Jackie I think. It’s still around but needs a little repair to get it going again. (The same set is now worth $300 on Ebay) Up until 15 or so years ago you could buy a train set in any toy store, especially Toys R Us and World 4 Kids but now you need to go to specialist hobby shops to buy one. It’s hard to even find the really cheap train sets in regular Aussie toy stores these days.
As a kid I had a slot car set but it wasn’t a Scalextric. This is another toy that is now only available in hobby shops but used to be available everywhere. I want t get myself a Scalextric but my other half won’t let me.
Lego is the greatest toy ever made. I remember using my Lego to make the buildings for my city for my train set and toy cars. I am not sure if there is this sort of inter-connectivity between toys anymore. I have heard of kids just using their Lego to make what is on the box and then putting it up on a shelf. I am really impressed by the Lego movies or Brickfilms that are found on the internet.
Play Doh
You can buy Playdoh or you could get Mum to make it at home.
Tonka Trucks
I had a number of Tonka trucks when I was a kid. The ones that are being sold today look really flimsy compared to the Tonka Tuff toys that I had when growing up.
Teddy Bears
An all time favourite.
Comic Books
I am a comic book aficionado but I can understand kids today not buying comic books. They are priced so high and are not very good value for money. It seems that too many comics are aimed at adult collectors and there are too few aimed at kids.
Marbles
Do kids still play marbles today? I see they are still sold but I wonder if they are still used.
Hula Hoops
These are 50s icons. The other day I was driving down a busy road when I had to swerve to avoid an errant hula hoop that a kid had deliberatley rolled across the road in front of me. Grrrr!!!!
Meccano
Meccanno is still around but I think it has become crappy and plastic. The really elaborate sets are aimed at collectors rather than kids.
Model Aeroplanes
I used to have these but was never good at them. I guess I was too impatient or too clumsy. Again they seem to be in specialist stores but not in the mainstream toy stores.
Barbie
I think Barbie is still around. Not sure.
Toy Cars
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I used to have a collection of several hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. Even a couple of Corgis too.
Viewmaster
Viewmasters are great. Another toy I had that comes back into fashion now and then.
Radio Flyer Little Red Wagon
An American icon that never made it big in Oz.
Cyclops Pedal Car
Do pedal cars still exist? Or are kids today so sophisticated that they drive their own mini cars with their own internal combustion engines?
Buzzy Bee
A Kiwi icon.
Etch A Sketch
I had one but I was never good at it.
Magna Doodle
I prefered Magna Doodle to Etch A Sketch but I never really got the point of Spiro-graph.
Jacks
I had these but never knew how to play them.
Smurfs
These are still around but $10 each is expensive.
Slinky
A toy I never had but always wanted.
Yo-yo
We used to collect the Russel Coca Cola yo-yos in the 80s. I could never do it properly. These come back into vogue now and again.
Playmobile
Another of my favourites. From Denmark I believe.
Schleich Animals
The best toy animals from Germany.
Toy Soldiers
War is bad.
Footy Cards
Kids still have footy cards but do they just collect them and stick them into an album? Do they play flicks (I guess that’s what it was called) where they flick the card and whoever does it the furthest gets to keep their opponents cards?
Transformers
Transformers from the 80s are so much better than the ones produced today. Everything from the 80s was better than today.
Rock Em Sock Em Robots
This toy is something big in the USA but I don’t think it ever caught on here.
Silly Putty
I remember this. I also remember slime too.
Kites
Do kids have kites anymore? I used to have one. I have been thinking of buying one again just because it is quite a relaxing thing to do.
Tin Toy Robots
Tin toys are great and I love the retro look of tin robots. These are now produced no longer as kids toys but as items for adult collectors.
Rubik’s Cube
Skipping Rope
Tennis Balls
Jack In the Box
Lead Soldiers
I got a bit lazy there but I do wonder whether these toys are still around.
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