nevinsrip | 25 Dec 2015 10:52 a.m. PST |
It's Christmas morning 1961. I'm awake and heading downstairs to see what Santa left for me. I'm 10 years old and past the Santa stage so I know that it's my parents. My eyes are closed because I so desperately want to open them and see what I've wanted more than anything else in my whole life. And when I open them, there it is. All set up in it's glory. The Marx Giant Blue and Gray playset. All 330 pieces in a spectacular 4 color box. I've lived 64 Christmases. Nothing has ever topped that. You? |
DisasterWargamer | 25 Dec 2015 11:00 a.m. PST |
Great topic My father always enjoyed setting up things – my experience was coming downstairs and as my lights adjusted to a dark room lit only by the tree (later I found out is was 5:30 am) – and I had a larger fort guarded my MPC Germans and being attacked by a variety of other MPC WWII figures. What topped that was my experience as a father when I built my son a large modular castle set up in the living room guard and attacked by a number of Schleich Knights – He walked right past it to his stocking and did a double take and then a triple take before spending the rest of the morning amid the castle and his knights – That was priceless… |
bc1745 | 25 Dec 2015 11:27 a.m. PST |
Race n Chase scalectrix racing game when I was ten…… Dad and Uncle played with it all Xmas day…..Boxing Day my Great uncle and Grandpa played with it ( both in their mid 70's) Why was this a great present……it ment I could concentrate on the Tamiya Churchill Crocadile kit without being interrupted!! Chris |
Jamesonsafari | 25 Dec 2015 11:27 a.m. PST |
Nice. I still have the castle my dad made me when I was 9 or 10. |
Dynaman8789 | 25 Dec 2015 11:39 a.m. PST |
The year I got Squad Leader for Christmas kinda stands out, since it was all I asked for – Mom made me wrap it myself and wait till Christmas to open it. Worth the wait since I had bought "Cross of Iron" in the summer with some cash I had on hand for some reason thinking gamette meant small game. |
David Manley | 25 Dec 2015 11:55 a.m. PST |
Here's what I've got this year :)
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Bashytubits | 25 Dec 2015 11:59 a.m. PST |
Nooooo, someone has sold Winston into captivity. TMP link |
Wretched Peasant Scum | 25 Dec 2015 12:09 p.m. PST |
I know you are into naval warfare David, but Alpaca spit isn't a suitable medium for water features. |
boggler | 25 Dec 2015 12:26 p.m. PST |
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cloudcaptain | 25 Dec 2015 12:28 p.m. PST |
For me it was waking up to the Original AT-AT and Millenium Falcon. A close second was my Invasion of Anzio playset. Think I got a DFC Fantasy playset the same year. |
John the OFM | 25 Dec 2015 12:35 p.m. PST |
Aurora Model Motoring set. Every year for the next few years, I would buy more sets with my Christmas money. Combine that with the railroad, my brother's Girder and Panel sets, Erector sets, newat! |
Old Smokie | 25 Dec 2015 12:49 p.m. PST |
Airfix The Battle of Waterloo Assault Set 1974 |
myxemail | 25 Dec 2015 1:01 p.m. PST |
GI Joes in the early 60s. The real GI Joes. Later years brought the various action figures from Marx: a cowboy, an Indian, a couple of knights, US cavalry trooper and officer. Good times and many years of quality play |
(Leftee) | 25 Dec 2015 2:02 p.m. PST |
Was that the airfix game with the calipers and vinyl mat! That was a great Christmas! |
Kevin C | 25 Dec 2015 2:07 p.m. PST |
The best toy I ever received for Christmas was the Guns of Navarone playset which I remember opening back in the mid 1970s. Here is a youtube link that will show why it was so cool: YouTube link Kevin |
Leadjunky | 25 Dec 2015 2:25 p.m. PST |
I second the Guns of Navarone play set followed by a metal castle box with knights and vikings. My cousin got the fort apache version. The boxes folded up like a suitcase and stored all the pieces inside. |
Old Smokie | 25 Dec 2015 2:27 p.m. PST |
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Rich Bliss | 25 Dec 2015 2:40 p.m. PST |
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RavenscraftCybernetics | 25 Dec 2015 2:51 p.m. PST |
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general btsherman | 25 Dec 2015 4:30 p.m. PST |
It was Battle Masters for me. |
Waco Joe | 25 Dec 2015 6:08 p.m. PST |
Man that was fun. Got the Lost in Space one the next year |
Ragbones | 25 Dec 2015 7:30 p.m. PST |
A toss up between the Christmas I received the "John Wayne" Marx Alamo playset and the Christmas I received the Deluxe Reading Battlewagon battleship. |
Doctor X | 25 Dec 2015 8:59 p.m. PST |
Rock'em Sock'em Robots. We played it so much over that holiday that the blue robots head gear got stripped from wear and tear. |
redbanner4145 | 25 Dec 2015 9:14 p.m. PST |
The Marx Alamo, late 50s. |
Coelacanth1938 | 26 Dec 2015 4:11 a.m. PST |
@ Waco Joe I got the Lost In Space play set one year. But all I got was the saucer and tubing. Apparently somebody had helped themselves to a few extras at my expense. If I ever get rich, I'm going to buy a LiS play set from a collector. |
Legends In Time Skip | 26 Dec 2015 6:17 a.m. PST |
A lot, and all of them contained some sort of Army play set. "Marx" in particular were wonderful sets that contained hundreds of pieces and captured my total attention for weeks afterwards. They were indeed the most magical of days! |
Schogun | 26 Dec 2015 6:46 a.m. PST |
1965 -- I really wanted the game Nuclear War by Douglas Malewicki. I figured probably not because of the subject matter. Sure enough, Christmas day, no Nukie War. A few days later a package arrived in the mail and there it was. Other than that, probably a Marx-a-Copter. |
skippy0001 | 26 Dec 2015 7:20 a.m. PST |
Late fifties-Army Men and Lincoln Logs. |
Legion 4 | 26 Dec 2015 8:49 a.m. PST |
I loved all the different Marx sets I got thru out my youth. |
Bismarck | 26 Dec 2015 10:42 a.m. PST |
I had some great Marx sets. The Farm was my first, very early 50s, not sure of the following order but Fort Apache, the Alamo, a western town set,Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, there was one "Army training center" that had barracks, soldiers, sailors, Marines in dress blues and Air Force personnel. but last but not least, and my uncontested all time favorite.. the Battleground set. Looking at the box, think around '55 or maybe '57. Still have it including the box! A few of the leftovers from the training center set as well as a few more additions from that time period are in there as well. When nobody was around, still played with that even in Jr. High and High School. If I still had the tin buildings, they would be worth a tidy sum today. |
ViscountEric | 28 Dec 2015 11:15 a.m. PST |
A bit younger than most of you, and the folks never had much money, so it felt more like Christmas during Yard Sale Season. Marx Fighting Knights Set, GI Joe Sea Wolf sub in box, and the Death Star Playset (only missing the trash compactor foam) for ten bucks was a steal back then then. Actual Christmas? Over the years it was the Star Wars Cantina set (Sears Edition), a B-Wing Fighter, and a Cobra Hydrofoil. Then again, between taking my girls (4 and 6) to see Star Wars, a pile of gaming books, and a Dr Who-a-palooza for my eldest, this year pretty much destroys childhood nostalgia. |