Most memorable childhood Christmas present!

[Fisher of Men]

Hey guys,

Life has kept me very busy for the past few months.  I am now on a two week break and have time to hang around here more.

In the spirit of the season, what is the most (or a few of) memorable Christmas present(s) you ever received as a child?

The first that I have memory of was a little red Tonka firetruck with an extension ladder.  Another special one was the Evil Knevil stunt cycle (you cranked a little launcher device and then pushed a button for it to go).

[Olebiker]

Mine was memorable only because of how disappointing it was.  This would have been about 1960.  All my friends were getting 3 speed "English racer" bikes.  I got up on Christmas morning to a Sears Roebuck J.C. Higgins tank of a bike with headlights, white-wall tires, a luggage rack, chrome fenders, streamers and a mud flap that said "Have Bike, Will Travel."

By the time the weather got warm enough to ride it I had stripped it down to just the essentials and rode it to death.

[firefightn15]

Star Trek figures, Tonka dump and endloader (the all metal ones), and of all things a Red Ryder BB gun. And I never shot my eye out.

And I almost forgot, It wasn't my favorite but I also got the same Eval Knievel set up Fisher of Men did.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

[Uncle Leo]

Mine would have been recieving some of the first Hot Wheels cars. I believe it was 1968, I do not remember which ones I recieved but I did recieve 3 of them. Boy if I had them today who knows how much they would be worth.

[nick76]

I can say that while I am not that old (33), the only christmas gift that I still have from my childhood is a photo album that my mom made for my brother and I. Dad had just lost his job, mom could not find work other than as a cashier at the local supermarket, and we were flat broke while mom and dad had to file bankruptcy. I wanted the coolest transformers money ccould buy, and all I got for x-mas that year was a photo album and a cassette tape of my mom apologizing for messing x-mas up. The tape has long since been broken, but I have that album in my drawer here at the office. It seems sad, and yes I was ticked when that was all I got, but looking back it was the best gift I ever got. I have shared this gift with my children hoping one day they understand that all those toys will be worthless and broken.

[Fisher of Men]

Nick,

That's what Christmas is all about.  Thanks for sharing that story.  I'm sure that my parents did without lots of years and even remember a couple of years my mom even told us that Christmas would not be as good for us.  It seems that, no matter how thin, the budget would always include a six-pack of tubesocks and underwear (not cool at the time, but a need)!

Dick,

I forgot about my first bike (at least my own, not a hand-me-down).  Around 1976, I got a red bike (banana seat, "ape-hanger" handle bars, flame-job, white letter wide back tire, chrome fenders, and streamers). 

[.dsaavedra.]

I can say that while I am not that old (33), the only christmas gift that I still have from my childhood is a photo album that my mom made for my brother and I. Dad had just lost his job, mom could not find work other than as a cashier at the local supermarket, and we were flat broke while mom and dad had to file bankruptcy. I wanted the coolest transformers money ccould buy, and all I got for x-mas that year was a photo album and a cassette tape of my mom apologizing for messing x-mas up. The tape has long since been broken, but I have that album in my drawer here at the office. It seems sad, and yes I was ticked when that was all I got, but looking back it was the best gift I ever got. I have shared this gift with my children hoping one day they understand that all those toys will be worthless and broken.

that was a great story, thanks for sharing!

[dave]

NFL electric football. The one where all the players just vibrated around the field. Mid 70's.

[Uncle Leo]

I can say that while I am not that old (33), the only christmas gift that I still have from my childhood is a photo album that my mom made for my brother and I. Dad had just lost his job, mom could not find work other than as a cashier at the local supermarket, and we were flat broke while mom and dad had to file bankruptcy. I wanted the coolest transformers money ccould buy, and all I got for x-mas that year was a photo album and a cassette tape of my mom apologizing for messing x-mas up. The tape has long since been broken, but I have that album in my drawer here at the office. It seems sad, and yes I was ticked when that was all I got, but looking back it was the best gift I ever got. I have shared this gift with my children hoping one day they understand that all those toys will be worthless and broken.

The true meaning of Christmas, I applaud you for sharing that with your children, we have lost the true meaning but this re-enforces that

[.dsaavedra.]

probably gonna say mine was my fish tank.

[fourbizz]

Diamondback Viper Feather Weight BMX when I was 7.

Ruger 10/22 when I was 11.

And as a big kid, the first Christmas I spent with my girl she gave me a Powell 734C, Chronarch B, Lowrance X96, and a 3:16 Armageddon. I decided to keep her. ;D

[-HAWK-]

Diamondback Viper Feather Weight BMX when I was 7.

Ruger 10/22 when I was 11.

And as a big kid, the first Christmas I spent with my girl she gave me a Powell 734C, Chronarch B, Lowrance X96, and a 3:16 Armageddon. I decided to keep her. ;D

Are you serious???? :o

I hope you married her!

[Lund Explorer]

Being a twin, it wasn't like the other 364 days were all that easy.  Christmas though always held its own little troubles so to speak.  Especially when you parents and both sets of grandparents were all firm believers in equal rights for both of us.  Sometimes a lack of communication between all these folks didn't help much either.

My tenth Christmas was a case in point.  Christmas Eve always found us heading south to visit Dad's side of the family.  There was always something anti-climactic about watching your brother open a present when you knew that next gift you got was the exact same thing.  That year it did hold a little excitement though as we both got new electric train sets.

The next morning, we had our own celebration at home before heading out in the other direction to Mom's family.  We eagerly (?) opened up gifts at home though it seemed like we didn't get the normal "haul" of goodies.

When we arrived at the second set of grandparent's, a slight problem came up in the kitchen.  My Mother had decided to tell Grandma what we had gotten the night before.

Yup, to make this long story a little bit shorter.  We each got a 2nd train set!  It wasn't until we were heading home that night that we got let in on the whole secret.  The reason the mornings pickings seemed a little slim was, you guessed it.

Now what do two boys do with SIX, count 'em SIX train sets?

[fish-fighting-illini]

  I can think of a few.

  The grand prize winner was a 1/24th(? think huge cars) scale slot car race set complete with a high banked oval! Oh we were the talk of the town fo rmonths. I think the thing took up at least 1 if not 2 4x8 sheets of plywood.  I heard that thing was so cool that my uncle and parents stayed up all night playing with it. When morning came and they took us to the basement to see it the cars were still warm!

  A couple of others come to mind:

Photo Electric football

Monday night football

Some nice huge Tonka firetrucks all heavy guage metal.

  We were not exactly well to do so the sacrifice that my parents made must have been extrordinary.

  I remember well into my adulthood my mother telling me that on a daily basis she waited for all of us to eat and ate what was left. She said many a night she was pretty hungry after dinner.

  We as kids had no idea that this was happening.

[b.Lee]

First bike, 5 years old, said it was from Santa but I knew better because we didn't have a chimney

[Redlinerobert]

memories...

Dont ask me ages because I dont remember.   ;D

Stretch Armstrong. 

Kuwahara BMX bike

Odyssey2 Video Game System

Colecovison and games

Those were the days.

[bass or bass ?]

As a younger kid (age 9), I'd say my Schwinn American 2 speed 26" bicycle. As an older kid (age 13) , a Guild Starfire III electric guitar and Remington .22 rifle with nylon stock. Still have that rifle as a much older kid (age 58), the guitar led to a lifelong second career as a pro/semi-pro musician, although I switched to electric and upright bass at age 24.

[bilgerat]

Mine would have been recieving some of the first Hot Wheels cars. I believe it was 1968, I do not remember which ones I recieved but I did recieve 3 of them. Boy if I had them today who knows how much they would be worth.

I shudder thinking about the Hess trucks, Hot Wheels, etc. my brother and I destroyed with firecrackers, M-80's, etc. All of the late sixties/early seventies stuff that is worth money now..

The gift I remenber most was from when I was about 5 or 6 years old. It was a toy cockpit simulator from a jet airliner. I was quite the airplane freak back then.

Hey Robert, I had the Stretch Armstrong too. Did you cut yours open to see what was inside ?

[FishingBuds]

I had to find a picture of it, man! it brings me back

[guitarkid]

My first G.I. Joe, It was a Duke all decked out in the desert storm Camo.

-gk

[Triton21]

When I was 6 years old got a wooden stock/forearm Daisy Red Rider with a rawhide strap looped through the ring.  I made the moles, rats, mice, and other vermin live hard.  Had to put the end of the barrel on my top of my foot to **** it, LOL  Was the Christmas of 1949.

Kelley

[Gone_Phishin]

A Sheridan Silver Streak pellet gun when I was around nine.

When I was a teenager I received a 12ga. 870 Express.

As one can imagine, I sent quite a few birds to their maker.

[firefightn15]

When I was 6 years old got a wooden stock/forearm Daisy Red Rider with a rawhide strap looped through the ring. I made the moles, rats, mice, and other vermin live hard. Had to put the end of the barrel on my top of my foot to **** it, LOL Was the Christmas of 1949.

Kelley

When I got mine after about a day or two I decided it wasn't shootin' bb's. Put the muzzle in the palm of my hand.......it was. :-[

Fisher of Men, that brings back memories.

Had a Stretch Armstrong too, but I was too young to remember; I think mine was a hand me down.  When were they made?

[South FLA]

http://theswca.com/index.php?action=disp_item&item_id=39603