Toys Make or Break Us?

[comp56]

did toys when we were young influence our adult years?

I was fascinated with meccano sets had whole bunch probably still have some.....where my brother was into legos

what did you have ?

[Atlas2000]

Erector sets, Lincoln logs, Tinker toys, Chemistry sets (with real [I.E. - dangerous] chemicals), microscope kit, cap musket that shot cork balls (they hurt!), cable control nitromethane powered Dauntless dive bomber (with bomb release), etc. Somehow me and my friends survived and I think are the better for the experience.

[Kato]

I played with my imagination most of the time, when I got old enough to know better I played with girls. And yes, it definitely made me what I am today.

 

 

I remember lots of toys from my childhood, two of which will always be stuck in my mind:

 

Navarone Playset - I don't know what it is or was about this thing but I remember it like it was yesterday, and I loved playing with it.

 

Shogun Warriors - These things were the coolest thing back then, I had 3 or 4 different ones and they were a blast. Shooting fists, rockets, etc..

 

Slot cars were my brother's thing, he had around 5 or 6 different sets of tracks and a shitload of cars. He did a lot of model building too.

 

I had every Lego set up until I was around 14, gave them all away and regret it. The older sets can sometimes fetch some decent prices. Played with a lot of weapons too, due to studying martial arts, and collected knives. I played with fire a fair amount too, couldn't keep matches out of my devilish little hands. Lit my sister's bed on fire when I was 8, which led me to my first psychiatrist. Liked all the standard toys of the time too...jacks, tops, marbles, lawn jarts, etc..

[Foneguy]

Loved Legos... erector set ..

i had something called Girders & panels..(I think) you built skyscrapers, installed window panels ..etc ....

of course when I was young .... the greatest play set of all time ......

OUTSIDE !!!! Doing whatever was dangerous .... it's a wonder we ever made it thru childhood 

[Conductor562]

I had some lego sets and a couple of erector sets, but I was mostly into action figures. Toys were merely a stopgap though. Something I did when it was to cold or too nasty to go outside. Ones I liked the most and had the most of include:

 

1. GI Joe: I had no less than 300 GI Joe's and at least 15 or 20 vehicles. My parents bought a bunch, plus I got all the hand me downs from my older cousins. My entire 80's were one big GI Joe phase.

2. Ninja Turtles

3. Masters of The Universe 

4. Thundercats 

 

I played a lot of sports though, especially Basketball. We would literally take a broom to the basketball courts and sweep the snow off so we could play. We lived in a small town with only one gym. It was almost impossible to get gym time for practice, so it was pretty much on you to get better. We met at the park in town, no coaches, no parents, just our team. We ran our own drills, made our own plays, picked our own starters, etc. 

 

We took pride in our court too. At least once a year we'd get a couple of dad's to come over and paint new lines, change out the nets, and fix anything that was broken. 

 

Kinda hard to imagine kids doing shit like that now. 

[Hugh Jass]

Lego's. I was fascinated with making trucks/trailers and I'd load it up with something that was pushing the limits of it's load capacity and drive them all over the house. Drove my mother nuts because I'd keep stealing rolls of quarters, nickles, dimes, and penny's for weight. 

 

Fast forward and I drove trucks, operated heavy machinery for a very large corporation building schools, and now I build out homes. 

 

Pretty much came full circle. 

[JimboS1ice]

They made me, had a lot of legos, Lincoln legs, matchbox cars, kinex, erector sets, scale models when I got a bit older

Some things never change I was the kid that watched new Yankee workshop instead of the latest cartoon always been fastenated with wood working


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[Logan]

I had tonka trucks,legos, Lincoln logs, cap guns, nerf guns, plastic tool set, match box cars

[JimboS1ice]

I had tonka trucks,legos, Lincoln logs, cap guns, nerf guns, plastic tool set, match box cars

Mmmm kids will grow up not smelling the sweet smell of a cap gun!! Played with those for years!!


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[Foneguy]

7 hours ago, JimboS1ice said:

Mmmm kids will grow up not smelling the sweet smell of a cap gun!! Played with those for years!!


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And when then gun got lost or broken..... grab a rock and start hammerin !!!!!

good times ?????

[kruton]

I was a Lego and miniature toy tractor guy, but that was only when it was too cold or nasty to go outside. We were into dirt bikes mainly from pretty young so we did a lot of riding and trail building. We used to sneak the keys to my dad and uncles excavators and bulldozers and build jumps and ramps to ride. Combine that with a love for Legos and I guess Civil Engineering was just a natural progression!

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[Doneright]

I spent all the time I could outside building forts in the woods across the street, riding my bike with friends, catching anything that moved. When I was inside I was all about Legos and taking everything apart then putting it back together. About 1hr on Saturday morning was the only tv I watched, too busy otherwise.

Don't know if my toys made me or if I gravitated to things I was naturally inclined to do. Good question though.

[NicolasRamos]

Lego, K'nex, Tonka, transformers,GI Joe, power rangers the usual. The only "model building" I did if it even counts were Bandai Gundams. It was a model kit series based of a Japanese tv series that made it worldwide. Some of you may be familiar with it, but being a young buck I was introduced in the mid 90's. It was fun to build robot action figures that you could play with, though not excessively. Though I don't claim to be a mechanic, I think playing with building toys definitely put a mechanical inclination in me that my friends who didn't do the same just didn't have. I remember seeing my friend try and assemble his skateboard with just a pocket knife! There was also that toy set that my father gave me that came in a leather pouch, with a belt. It was stamped Klein. [emoji23]. I think he wanted me to have a decent set of tools regardless if I wanted to follow in his footsteps! Now outdoor fun was a whole different ballgame! Supersoakers, skateboards, bicycles, backyard kickball, street basketball! My basketball goal was in the back of the house, our driveway was narrow and went around back for parking. My friend who lived across the street would set his hoop up against the curb, and my next door neighbor would do the same, so we'd all play in the street!


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[Nordraw]

GI Joe, bikes, skateboards, slot cars, and last but not least Strat-O-Matic baseball board game.

[Framer joe]

 No real toys ,mostly made stick guns to play army....never came in the house,we always made forts outside..threw branches on top or found an old tarp to help with water...just played every sport every season whatever the sport was.....remember walking to each neighborhood with my 2 bros and friends to challenge anyone to a game of anything....hockey,football,basketball,baseball...fishing all the time early..up early catching night crawlers( with a red diffuser (aka moms red bra) ..we were dirt poor....dirt ate better then we did...but wouldn't change a thing.......building forts then ,. Building million dollar houses now...

[KnarlyCarl]

Legos, but specifically Technic, if it didn't have air cylinders or gears or springs or little plastic piston engines, I wasn't interested. 

But that was about it, everything else was outside working on the farm or on the construction site, my dad couldn't decide what he wanted to do, so he did both. Apples on large scale meant learning the ropes of tractors and similar equipment, and building houses meant saws nail guns and ladders....

Of course I was known for taking things apart when little, and sometimes not putting them back together. A push mower was one such victim...

Went to pursue automotive for about three years between college and a job, disliked it, now i'm back working on new houses and remodels, doing plumbing. I guess I didn't like the idea of general construction enough, but I like the service and install part of my job much more.

 

On 2/9/2017 at 3:53 PM, Framer joe said:

 No real toys ,mostly made stick guns to play army....never came in the house,we always made forts outside..threw branches on top or found an old tarp to help with water...just played every sport every season whatever the sport was.....remember walking to each neighborhood with my 2 bros and friends to challenge anyone to a game of anything....hockey,football,basketball,baseball...fishing all the time early..up early catching night crawlers( with a red diffuser (aka moms red bra) ..we were dirt poor....dirt ate better then we did...but wouldn't change a thing.......building forts then ,. Building million dollar houses now...

 

Good to hear

[NicolasRamos]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Ikepete played with balloons. [emoji12]


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[KnarlyCarl]

Now i'm hooked on this toy, i've been challenging myself to land on different things, my radio just happened to be today's target haha

They are about $20 on amazon, and my son and I have a blast with it! it's insane how they can sell them for so little. Plus they take a real beating

 

..

 

[Theultimatehic]

I had Legos, Lincoln logs, toy guns,  hot wheels and tons of other stuff too I'm sure.  I spent most my time riding/jumping bikes and racing competitively. Along with sports when they were in season. Built lots of ramps both dirt and wood. Az has Alot of dirt lol. Quads and dirt bikes when we were in our teens. But we shared since not everyone had one. Lots of junk ones we fixed up too.