Community Chat

[KitTkat]

I just loved reading these replies. I was born in the '80s and I adore the stories from "the good old days". Life was hard, I'm sure, but still I like to listen. So even though I can't think of any favorite toy since I probably had too many, I will check back here to continue to read. 😊

[on the bay]

@NicksmomESQ-

My aunt and uncle traveled a lot to other countries too and he would always bring us a wooden or cloth doll from that country.

Maybe we are cousins!

My favorite"toy" were 3 stuffed dogs. I slept with them every night and one I dragged around wherever I went until one day, somehow, he went from a 3 foot lovely dog (his name was doggie) with fur to a wash cloth with shreds for one arm.

Then one day, we could not find him. I was convinced either my mother or the wonderful woman who watched us while my mother was at work, threw him away. They said "he" probably dissolved in the wash Well, aside from that and real life pets dying, I had a wonderful childhood with my mother and sister and friends.

And one Christmas I got a plastic pretend watch in my stocking. I was so thrilled I just squeeled and cried I was so happy. I just had never seen anything so beautiful. It probably came from the 5&10 but to me, it was the ultimate Christmas gift!I had wanted one for awhile but didn't think I would get one.

I also loved my Chatty Cathy.

One of my most favorite memories was when my oldest daughter was very young, for her birthday, we were pretty poor and I found a pretty sparkly rock outside , you know the kind with mica, and I gave it to her and she said "Oh thanks mom! Its so beautiful!"

I think I did get her something like a book or something too but I thought she is the sweetest child!

And somehow in those times and the kind of great family and supportive neighborhood we lived in, we never knew or cared that we were "beneath the poverty level" as my mother told us one day. Outdoors was our kids playground and ours too growing up and our families and friends brought food and clothes. We were so lucky.

[DREAMON]

We were far from wealthy but I never knew it. We lived in a middle class city neighborhood and everyone seemed equal to me. 

My Uncle owned a toy store so I had plenty of toys. My favorites were my Barbies, Ken, Midge, and Skipper.

I remember the early morning Midge was delivered to my Uncles store...he called to tell me she came in and he was bringing her to my house that night. I was so excited I got sick in school and had to be sent home. Midge made me feel much better that night.

[chrystaltree]

I'm 57, I can't remember what my favorite toy was.  I do know that life was different when I grew up.  Christmas wasn't as commercialized as it is now.  My mom was a sahm with 5 children so my parents didn't have a lot of money for frivolous things but somehow, they managed to give us wonderful Christmases.  We didn't get a lot of toys, we got one big gift, often the gift we really, really wanted.  But sometimes not.  We got the big gift and some smaller gifts and we were happy with whatever we did get.  Christmas more about family, food, candy and our stockings.  Our Christmas stockings were always full of treasures.  I learned that my mom tucked away little things for those stockings all year long.  But times change.  Nothing in lie stays the same..

[Shorty2U]

Favorite toys? Etch a Sketch (and I still have one and use it on occasion..lol) and my Schwinn bike. Even though we lived in the city, I admit I was spoiled and had plenty. But more importantly I had love and the best parents in the world. I am not a material person now, and never was even though I had plenty as a kid.

PS) I have also done without (not now, but when I was in between my 2 marriages and spine surgery years back). Just thought Id add that Ive been on both sides of the coin.  

[on the bay]

I've enjoyed reading these responses so much too.

It's been like going to our childhood reunion!

So much fun to see how many of us shared some of the same wonderful memories.-the stockings with all the special things, the schwin bikes, our dolls, clothes, books, skates! our parents, 

Thank you @ciao_bella! I'm glad you thought of this question

By the way, did anyone have colorforms? I loved those and thought they were fascinating.

I asked my daughter the other day, if she remembered colorforms. I couldn't wait to have my grandson play with them if I could find them. She had never heard of them. I guess I was remembering when I was a child! (now "senior" memory moment!)

from the History of colorforms-"Amidst the many toys of the 1950's, Colorforms® was born when two inspired art students, Harry and Patricia Kislevitz, began experimenting with a new medium, a flexible vinyl material. Harry and Patricia had been looking to create large colorful works, but were uncomfortable with the expense of buying so much paint." history of colorforms-

I see Amazon has them!!

[ID2]

I grew up in the height of the Barbie doll craze! My Aunt, who was a seamstress, surprised me one Christmas by making my Barbie a huge box full of clothes! She made all of the tiny, tedious-making perfectly fitting clothes for my doll. 

[AuntG]

Yes we had one box of Colorforms @on the bay. It was Pinocchio, and although I had a long standing grudge with that character (that's a whole different story), I played a lot with those Colorforms.

[qualitygal]

My sister and I will never forget the dollhouse my parents made for us.  We played for hours with this.  It was better than any store-bought toys for us.  She made curtains, and it had little lamps, with tops that twisted to turn the lights on.

One year they found a little stage that had magnets that made the characters move about on the stage.

They always found great toys.

But I do recall a hockey game, that almost made us give up using the bathroom just so we didn't have to stop playing.

[zanna]

When I was six, I got a child-size Singer sewing machine.  I vividly remember making doll clothes on it.  Wish I had kept it!