Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[admin]

Nostalgia seems to fuel the interest in collecting old toys, witness thirty-somethings like me buying up toys they had when a nipper

One of my favourites was the Evel Knievel stunt bike, and I remember having quite a selection of Action Man toys (boys with dolls, weird really) - eg pilot with helicopter, scout car, deep sea diver, and the Steve Austin 6 million dollar man toy - cool stuff back in the 70s.

Before radio controlled cars came down to a realistic orice, shops like Tandy did a roaring trade in sonic-controlled cars during the 70s. You had a car, with a receiver thing in the roof, and a hand-held clicker. You'd click in different ways, each of which would have a different effect to the car's direction.

One of the early radio control cars I had could only go forwards, or reverse and turn to the left at the same time (I think it was a Tandy/Realistic or Radio Shack Porsche 928). Perhaps the best r/c toy I had, again from Tandy, was a Porsche 924 Turbo. It was quite a large toy and went like stink, although was probably quite tame compared to modern petrol-engine r/c cars.

Below is one of the toys in my collection, produced by Marx Toys - a remote control toy tank!


Rick

[Stuchamp]

Funny, we were discussing this subject over here a few days ago.
A friend of mine still has every toy he ever had as a kid. Being an only child his toys have remained in mint to very good condition. Some were never opened and are still in the original packaging. They have been stored in a dry attic for the last 45+ years.
Some of his collection includes a complete Lionel steam train set from the 50's, a huge Pam-Am 4-engined prop plane. We put in new batteries and it works like new. Props turn, landing and interior lights glow, doors open, landing gear retracts. Very cool plane!
Also a Marx battery operated slot car set, plus Sears HO & 1/32 & 1/24 electric slot car sets. Many tinplate cars, buses, etc. Tonka trucks, John Deere tractor farm set and many other items. All of these are from the mid 50's to early 60's. Lots of stuff I had never seen before or don't remember seeing.
He has all of this insured but only for a fraction of the current value. He'going to photograph all the items and get more insurance coverage.
Nothing is for sale, I tried. Everything is being left to his grandchildren.

As for myself, one of my favorite things was a JC Penney/Marx Indianapolis Speedway Special electric slot car set. It came with 2 Watson front engine roadsters with banked turns.
I found one on ebay a few years ago and won the bidding. It's a complete set with original box and the set is like new. We tried it out and everything works great! Sure did bring back a lot of fond memories!

Another favorite that I'm still looking for is a 1965 Sears Spyder Mark IV Stingray bike. It had a chrome frame, white seat with red flames, 3-speeds, hand brakes, and a drag slick rear tire. I had a lot of bicycles but this was my all time favorite!

[admin]

Wow, would love to have a look around in his loft if its got all that gear in there, amazing!!

talking of bikes, when I was a kid it was the Raleigh Chopper, and smaller Budgie, that we all wanted. Really cool looking bikes, although the Chopper had its gearlever on the crossbar between your legs, so you really didn't want to slide off that long saddle too quickly or else you'd do yourself a mischief!! The local library used to give out loads of information leaflets, so we'd regularly help ourselves, and make flapper things that stuck into the rear wheel spokes, giving the bike a motorcycle(ish) soundtrack as you rode along. Ultimate accessory was a small 9v radio strapped to the crossbar, near the gearlever, with wires running up to a speaker behind the seat back - music while you move! it was about the time of Adam and the Ants, so whenever I hear Prince Charming, I remember my old bike and its home-made audio gear

Rick

[oldgoaly]

Stuchamp, i had one that got stolen, that was the last xmas present i received from my Dad, he passed from cancer Dec 16 the next year. never did get bike back. tt

[Stuchamp]

Looks like we both need one

[62rebel]

forgive me, chaps, but this thread was asking to be renewed! i also had a small squad of GI Joe (our version of Action Man) figures with much equipment... also the marvelous Marx Johnny West figures, not as well articulated but wonderfully modeled. i used to scrounge bits of old baby carriages to construct my woefully crude versions of LRDG trucks, having watched "Play Dirty" one too many times... graduated to model car kits in my teens and the full size ones a little later! i still collect some GI Joe and build kits, but the toys i enjoy the most are my cars. i worried my parents constantly one year for a Schwinn StingRay 5-speed bike, with banana seat and ape-hanger handle bars... i loved that thing, and rode the wheels off it. it went byebye during my Navy stint, and i never replaced it.

[old gto]

My younger brother & I had boxes full of "MatchBox" cars when we were kids. I was shocked to see many of the same ones we bought for 17 cents way back then, offered for sale at a toy show+auction for prices ranging from $50 to $100 each!