Things I DIDN'T Have as a Kid

How I Spent My Childhood #4: Things I DIDN'T Have as a Kid.....but always wanted!

Welcome back once again to my little corner of Retrojunk, where I sit and fondly remember various things from my childhood. This week, I'm thinking back on things that I always wanted, but never had for various reasons. Let's get to it!


Hit Stix

Now while I don't remember very much about this toy, I DO remember being super pumped when I saw the commercials. The producers did a very good job at making these things sound incredible. Supposedly, you could walk around playing "air drums" but actually produce drum sounds. Pretty cool concept.



They were a combo of fluorescent orange and yellow, a pretty extreme and eye catching color coordination back in the early 90's. Each stick had a thin cord running from it to a sound box that you wore on a belt. All you had to do was make a striking motion in the air like you would while playing actual drums, and the sticks registered this "hit", and sent a signal to the sound box that emitted a sound as if you had just rapped a snare drum.

I wanted these things so much. I could lay around and daydream about being the coolest kid in school if I had those things. Walking through the halls, playing a radical solo, with lots of girls following me and talking about how cool I was. Sigh. Just wasn't meant to be I guess.


Lazer Tag



Lazer Tag was a pretty cool concept back in the day. It allowed you and your friends to actually hunt and stalk each other in a safe manner. You would each have a "lazer" gun, and a vest or helmet that had a sensor on it to detect when you were shot by your opponent. It was such a popular concept, that it actually spawned a short lived cartoon, and even a pro wrestler named Lazer Tron!



Now at the time this came out, my cousin and I were neighbors. We both wanted these things so we could play all day, and really amp up our games of hide and seek. The problem with this toy was the fact that it was so darn expensive. For one blaster and vest with sensor was something in the $50 range when it came out. That's expensive today for a toy, so you can imagine how it was received by my parents in the late 80's. It was a no go. Sadly, no one I knew ever owned this either, so I've never actually layed eyes on a real model or even heard stories about how well they worked.


Rock Tumbler & Chemistry Set

When I was growing up, one of the most anticipated times of the year was the release of the Sears Christmas Wish Book. It usually came out in October, and from the first day of the month on, I would get off the bus and check the mail to see if it had arrived. Once it did, kids would spend hours, days, and weeks going through each page very carefully and use it as a guide to make our own personal wish list.

Of course the book was filled with all the latest action figures, dolls, remote controlled vehicles and the like, but it also had a page or two of more educational toys. And in these pages were a Rock Tumbler and a Chemistry Set. Each and every year, those two items would go onto my wish list, and every year I would be disappointed when they weren't under the tree.



The rock tumbler was just a simple little machine that would work it's magic and convert small stones in beautiful, rounded and polished treasure. Now in all honesty, my desire for this went beyond educational. I had pictured myself churning out these beautiful little stones and then seeling them for a mint, and being rich before the age of 12. I see now that that dream was silly, but I still hold a grudge with my folks for never getting me the rock tumbler.



As for the chemistry set, I was totally sucked in by the idea of perfoming all kinds of experiments to see what would happen. As was the case with the rock tumbler, this never made it under the tree. I asked my parents years later why, and they said they were afaid I would mix the wrong chemicals together and cause a small explosion or something. THAT IS EXACTLY WHY I WANTED THE DARN THING!!! So in hindsight, it was probably a good idea that my folks never caved to my desires for the chemistry set.


USS Flagg Aircraft Carrier from the GI Joe toy line



This single toy was, and still is, my Holy Grail. Never was there another toy that came before GI Joe in my eyes. It was the grand daddy of 'em all. I had most of the figures, the vehicles, the playsets, the action packs, and nearly anything else tied to the GI Joe toy line. But the one thing that always elluded me was this aircraft carrier.

When fully assembled, this toy was a whopping six feet in length! That goes beyon the realm of toy, and into the realm of something more like a coffee table. It was released in 1986 with a hefty retail price of $89.95, so it was definitely not to be found in my house. My dad would have had an easier time giving birth to one than actually paying that much for a toy.



But for years I would sit and think about all the cool battles that could have been had featuring the Flagg at the center of the action. It was so big, you could have incorporated many planes and helicopters on it's deck. You could have loaded it with fifty or more figures without cramping things too much. Even while typing this, my mind is drifting away to endless assaults on Cobra Island with this thing as the center piece.

As an adult in the early 2000's, I tried again to acquire one. Searching on ebay, I found dozens of them, but none complete. The incomplete ones there were going for several hundred dollars. I actually did see one in a comic book shop one time, still sealed in it's original box, but with a price tag of $1500. If I could have ever decided which child to sell, I may have ended up with it.

But who knows, maybe one day I'll run across a good deal on a complete one and be able to purchase it. Then my friends, the battle for superiority of the bedroom will resume once more.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this latest article. If you ever had any experiences with any of these toys, then please share your comments. I'm eager to see how everyone enjoyed these things that I missed out on.

Next week, I'll be back to take you on another stroll of my memory lane. Until then, keep reminding yourself that age is only a state of mind, and we never have to fully grow up as long as Retrojunk is here.

Warmest Regards,
Mickey Yarber