Toys You Miss

[Blackadar]

Nostalga time...but also good for drunk posting time.

I miss a toy from my youth. It's so obscure that there doesn't seem to even be a picture of one on the internet. If I didn't remember it so clearly, I'd think I had made this up. But I played with this thing for hour and hours and I know it was real.

The Automatic Quarterback

I remember that it was endorsed by someone...maybe Fran Tarkington?

It was a plastic box that had a timer and a plastic "arm" that you could rest a football on. You could set it for a long throw or a short one (the short one didn't go but about 2 feet) and set the timer for a couple of seconds. Once the timer ran out, the the catapult arm sprang forward and the football would then be launched forward. So you could set the football in it, run out and catch a pass.

Of course, the entire machine would upend itself, so you could set the machine back upright, cock the "arm" again and press the timer. You'd then run out and try to catch another pass. The catapult distance and the timer were never very exact, so there was always a good chance that you'd have to catch a ball high or low, in front of you or behind you. I developed a damn good set of hands from that thing.

I loved that thing since I often didn't have anyone around to throw me a football. I tried to find one for my son a couple of years ago to no avail.

Yeah, I had the 6 Million Dollar Man toy, the Evel Knievel cycle and a my beloved Linconl Logs...but I mss that damn Automatic Quarterback. *sniff*

[BYU 14]

Electric Football - If we weren't outside playing during the winter, odds are we were at somebodies house playing this. Totally cluster-f once you turned it on, but I probably played 500-600 games with my friends over the years.

Others - GI Joe (the big ones, not those mini figures they made later) and I had one friend that between us we had 400 + plastic army men, we would have epic battles that would go on for a couple of hours with these. Used rubber bands for our shots (5 per turn) and a small super ball that we would bounce once for one artillery shot per turn.

Really, thinking about this makes me realize how much more time we spent outside playing sports, riding bikes, snowball fights, etc than Kids do today. Seems like 80+ percent of my play time was spent outside in elementary school.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I miss Legos being an affordable toy.

[Breeze]

Pulled out my old Strat-o-matic card sets this past weekend. These predate the computer game, and I haven't looked at them in probably 20 to 25 years...but for some reason I wanted to play some games with the dice...

Don't know if this counts as it is more a game than a toy...but thought it fit given the timing...

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I miss Legos being an affordable toy.

I think Legos have always been expensive:

Using one of the first inflation adjusting calcs from Google:
Inflation Calculator 2013

I'm going to use a couple of space sets I like:

$3 26 pieces in 1990 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6811-1
$3 of 1990 dollars would be worth: $5.26 in 2012
$4-$5 polybag with 27 pieces http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=30231-1$24 203 pieces in 1990 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6923-1


$24 of 1990 dollars would be worth: $42.11 in 2012
$20 218 pieces in 2013 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=70701-1
$25 177 pieces in 2013 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=75003-1
$25 213 pieces in 2012 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=9496-1


And, just for fun (and because I want them to make a new Monorail, dammit!)
$120 (iirc) 731 pieces in 1987 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=6990-1
$120 of 1987 dollars would be worth: $242.42 in 2012
Which coincides with my current "aspirational Lego set" price:
$240 4287 pieces in 2010 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=10214-1

Start at 4:59 and you'll have your answer:
Even Better Than the Real Thing - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 01/05/10 - Video Clip | Comedy Central

SI

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I miss Legos being an affordable toy.

Like SI says, once you adjust for inflation there's really no change. Hell, adjust for inflation and video games are cheaper now than they were 20 years ago.

[sterlingice]

$70 Final Fantasy III in 1994 FTW!
$70 of 1994 dollars would be worth: $108.36 in 2012

SI

[Bad-example]

Happy Fun Ball. I made the mistake of taunting it once.

Once.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

$70 Final Fantasy III in 1994 FTW!
$70 of 1994 dollars would be worth: $108.36 in 2012

SI

I think we paid $120 for our copy of Street Fighter II back in the day. Had to mow a LOT of lawns for that one.

[cartman]

This, Blacky?

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I miss Legos being an affordable toy.

Haven't a clue what our Mom and Dad paid for ours for Christmas ~1971 but whatever it was those legos were worth it. Talk about something that was played with for hours and hours and tough? Oh, yeah they were tough. When the folks were away we'd build buildings and place firecrackers in them to try to blow 'em up Never broke or even cracked one. Hell most of the time the building contained the blast!

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by cartman

This, Blacky?

Nope, that's from The Sharper Image back in the early 2000s.

[Blackadar]

As Kelly Bundy would say, "Topeka, I found it!"

It was called Mr. Quarterback



Fun times....plus you could launch bricks, matchbox cars and other assorted things for fun.

[Sweed]

The game I miss would be "slot hockey". We'd have friends over and play "stanely cup finals", 7 games if needed. Winner would continue to play, loser sits and waits for another shot later. Hours of fun and an absolute blast.



Ours was similar to this but not licensed with NHL logos etc. Players were flat metal pieces. We would take our model car paint and hand paint them to the teams we wanted complete with numbers on their backs.

[rowech]

Don't think they were super popular but I loved my Mega Force toys.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Sweed

The game I miss would be "slot hockey". We'd have friends over and play "stanely cup finals", 7 games if needed. Winner would continue to play, loser sits and waits for another shot later. Hours of fun and an absolute blast.



Ours was similar to this but not licensed with NHL logos etc. Players were flat metal pieces. We would take our model car paint and hand paint them to the teams we wanted complete with numbers on their backs.

Damn, forgot this, it was a close second to electric football as the sports game of choice in the pre-video game age.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I miss Legos being an affordable toy.

I miss Legos being easier-to-buy in generic "build whatever you want" sets instead of all these dedicated kits.

/tk

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Sweed

The game I miss would be "slot hockey". We'd have friends over and play "stanely cup finals", 7 games if needed. Winner would continue to play, loser sits and waits for another shot later. Hours of fun and an absolute blast.



Ours was similar to this but not licensed with NHL logos etc. Players were flat metal pieces. We would take our model car paint and hand paint them to the teams we wanted complete with numbers on their backs.

My Grandmother had this at her house. It was the Leafs vs the Canadians IIRC. I think she gave it away sadly

[Glengoyne]

I miss MicroNauts. Made popular by the Sears catalog.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

My Grandmother had this at her house. It was the Leafs vs the Canadians IIRC. I think she gave it away sadly

Heh. Mine was Flyers vs Islanders.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Heh. Mine was Flyers vs Islanders.

I think I had Blues vs Maple Leafs.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

I think I had Blues vs Maple Leafs.

I had one from the 80s that I think had Islanders and Flyers.

[frnk55]

Originally Posted by Sweed

The game I miss would be "slot hockey". We'd have friends over and play "stanely cup finals", 7 games if needed. Winner would continue to play, loser sits and waits for another shot later. Hours of fun and an absolute blast.



Ours was similar to this but not licensed with NHL logos etc. Players were flat metal pieces. We would take our model car paint and hand paint them to the teams we wanted complete with numbers on their backs.

OMG!!! I had that I think around 1978. That was so much fun.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

I miss Legos being easier-to-buy in generic "build whatever you want" sets instead of all these dedicated kits.

/tk

There's the general construction kits. I bought a few of those at Target a while ago.

[Suicane75]

I had the little blue football kicker where you set the ball up on a stand at his feet, set up the little plastic goalpoast and then smashed his head down to make his leg kick. I loved to replay last second fg attempts with that fella.

I had so many electric football boards and various teams/players. When I was a teenager I answered an add in the back of one of those local porno newspapers by a guy who wanted to get together and play. I was on the phone with him about 5 minutes when I realized I was buggering bait.

In 5th grade we had this thing called Scholar Dollars, where you earned money base on chores or jobs or grades you got. The teacher had a little store where you could buy stuff with your scholar dollars, but the class got out of hand and we ended up selling real shit for scholar dollars. One of my friends sold me his whole GI Joe collection, tons of figures & vehicles, 2 of the big ass bases, etc.

I waited for the first big snow and went out and had a trippin fuggin battle in the freezing cold. I think that was the only time I played with them.

Had the WWF version of the hockey game. Every game was two halves, each side of Journeys Greatest Hits.

[Dutch]

This?

[Dutch]

America. Fuck yeah.

[Dutch]

I grew up playing neighborhood football, if I was by myself, I would go outside and throw the ball on the roof and wait for the random bounces. It was a great drill for hand-eye coordination.

[MacroGuru]

.





I was asked this question the other day and this toy came to mind. This was awesome.

http://www.toysyouhad.com/Mastercast...aster%20Caster

[johnnyshaka]

Slot hockey was very popular as my house and long after the players were busted my brother and I still managed to make up plenty of games using just the table and the puck...good times.

Here's another toy I had endless hours of fun with...indoors and out, all year round!

[Dutch]

Nice, I remember that one!

Here's one I terrorized my sister with...

[PadresFan104]

Originally Posted by Mike D

I grew up playing neighborhood football, if I was by myself, I would go outside and throw the ball on the roof and wait for the random bounces. It was a great drill for hand-eye coordination.

Ha! My roof taught me how to catch a football and the elementary school wall next to my house was my tennis opponent.

As for the toys I miss, it would have to be my collection of Matchbox cars.... My parents lost them somewhere along the way, really wish I had them to pass down to my kids/grandkids....

[sterlingice]

Ball on roof was how I got pretty good at catching a baseball

SI

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

I had the little blue football kicker where you set the ball up on a stand at his feet, set up the little plastic goalpoast and then smashed his head down to make his leg kick. I loved to replay last second fg attempts with that fella..

Super Toe, I had one of those too

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by Mike D

This?

Look up about 10 posts from yours, Mike. But yeah, and thanks for trying.

[CU Tiger]

Well this is a little later than the football thrower, and its video game related.

But I first started playing my junior year of college this super immersive game, over the next 8 years I probably wasted a full month of life or more every downloadable expansion I quickly shelled out the dollars for....then in 07 it stopped....and Ive hung around ever since.

Lol but seriously

[saldana]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

I miss MicroNauts. Made popular by the Sears catalog.

i loved these...i remember the christmas that my dad stayed up all night trying to put MegaCity together by morning (i was still young enough to believe in Santa)

days of my life were spent playing with them.

[saldana]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

I had the little blue football kicker where you set the ball up on a stand at his feet, set up the little plastic goalpoast and then smashed his head down to make his leg kick. I loved to replay last second fg attempts with that fella.

i had this guy too! he was awesome...had lots of contests with my buddies to see who could kick the longest field goal

[path12]

We had a Super Toe as well. After a couple weeks my brother tried a long field goal and his leg flew off.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

I miss MicroNauts. Made popular by the Sears catalog.

Yes, and Yes.

[Karlifornia]

[Coffee Warlord]

[EagleFan]

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

I have the boxed set still. It was in mint condition until my 12 yr old found it and went crazy reading it.

[path12]

EF, I still have my copies of Statis Pro Football, Baseball & Basketball, and a fairly trashed copy of Pennant Race that I got almost 75% through a season on playing every game for all teams.

I love this thread.

[Logan]

The second pic in EF's post reminded me of this:

Starting Lineup Talking Baseball. Wow did I love that.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Logan

The second pic in EF's post reminded me of this:

Starting Lineup Talking Baseball. Wow did I love that.

I had a similar football game...can't remember the name of it, but same thing. Plastic stadium, keypad, etc.

[bob]

Beyond Legos and Matchbox Cards, here are a few more:

M.A.S.K. (TV series) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sky Commanders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Construx - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Micro Machines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[JetsIn06]

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Mike D

America. Fuck yeah.

I bought Madden for the iPad just because it had this game mode.