Hobby Thread - December 14, 2024 [TRex]

20241209-a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur learning how to juggle.jpg

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread.

We gave the Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies(TM) a spin and it landed on a theme of toys and games for this week. Apparently the Wheel is interested in fun and games.

This theme is a mix of nostalgia, hobbying, silliness, and honoring the 8 year old that still laughs at fart jokes. Warning: the content is going to be a bit more random than usual.

Are you wise in the ways of juggling? Did you play with jacks or jarts? Did you walk the dog with your yo yo? Did you play with action figures from television, movies or comics? Did you have a Red Ryder BB gun? If so, did you avoid shooting your eye out? We have covered Matchbox cars before, but seems rude to leave them out. What about other toys of metal and tin? Did you etch a sketch? Did you play tabletop hockey games with the knobs and spindles? Was silly putty in your world? Lincoln logs and tinker toys? View Master? Fisher Price? Marbles? Catch it cup and ball? Jenga? Pick up sticks?

The Hobby Thread has covered Legos, Hot Wheels, and Matchbox cars previously, so they will be out of scope for this thread. Trains and model trains are also in the Hobby Thread queue for their own dedicated thread, so we can leave them aside for now. Same for video games (including Pong).

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. Politics, current events and religious debates can live in threads elsewhere. Even though it is arguably religion, college football is fair game. Play nice. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls.

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This is a remarkable video for many different reasons, including a brush with Etch a Sketch royalty:

I am Princess Etch.
I am a full time etch a sketch artist.
For a small etch a sketch drawing, my prices start at around $120.
For a large etch a sketch drawing, at least around $2000.

Princess Etch also explains how to permanently save an etch a sketch drawing.

What does the inside of an etch a sketch look like? How does it work?

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There HAS to be jugglers among the Horde (other than juggling professional and personal obligations and emotional baggage). Juggling is not a collector hobby, but it qualifies as a hobby activity (unless you are a professional). Do you juggle tennis balls, bowling pins, chainsaws, etc.? Did you learn from others or did you teach yourself? Do you have a personal record for how many items you could keep in the air?

There are many videos on Youtube about learning to juggle. It is a great little case study of seeing how so many different people explanations the same or similar concepts. Anyway, here is one:

Idaho man juggles for more than 13 hours to break world record

The most balls juggled is 11 and was achieved by Alex Barron (UK), who managed 23 consecutive catches

The most consecutive chainsaw juggling catches is 105, and was achieved by Ian Stewart (Canada) in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada.

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Doubt that anyone collects silly putty but seems like it should be included here:

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Given these short arms, TRex is not wise in the ways of the yo yo. Are you?

Lurker Grendel is wise in the ways of the yo yo. How wise? Wise enough to have a collection and a BRIEFCASE for the collection!

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Lawn darts (or the commercial name of Jarts) were banned in the US in December 1988. They were first banned in 1970, but manufacturers got a leave of execution as long as the items were not sold as toys or in toy stores and included prominent personal injury warnings:

Even today, it is not legal to sell Jarts in the US or Canada. Interweb chatter suggests that some sellers market the box and quietly throw in the darts but looks like they are mostly legal kryptonite. Sites like ebay will purge listings.

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Slinky!

Mechanical engineer Richard James invented the Slinky by accident. In 1943, he was working to devise springs that could keep sensitive ship equipment steady at sea. After accidentally knocking some samples off a shelf, he watched in amazement as they gracefully walked down instead of falling. Along with his wife Betty, James developed a plan to turn his invention into the next big novelty toy. Betty combed the dictionary for an appropriate name and came up with Slinky. James designed a machine to coil 80 feet of wire into a two-inch spiral. The couple borrowed $500 to manufacture the first Slinkys. Initial sales proved sluggish but soared after Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia allowed demonstrations for Christmas 1945. The first 400 Slinkys sold within minutes. Museum of Play

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Does anyone collect marbles on pure aesthetic grounds?

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The Cabbage Patch Riots of 1983:

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Horde Trading Post:

A member of the Horde sent word of an intriguing collection of toys looking for a new home. A close family friend died a month ago and left his daughter with a room full of boxes and boxes of... robots. Toy robots of every size and function. Some are huge and RF controlled, others are tiny and intricate. Most are generic but there are quite a few famous ones like R2D2, Robby, an so on.

The gent started collecting robots as a kid and accumulated a robot horde of about 200 robots. All are around 40 years old or older. Most are new or nearly new and many are in boxes.

The collection has value for someone that appreciates robots, toys, or popular culture memorabilia. It would be a shame to unload them as individual toys via a generic estate sale.

If any amongst the Horde are personally interested or know someone who might be interested, shoot me a note and I will make an email introduction. TRex is not in the business of negotiating terms or logistics, so would leave it to you once the introduction is made. The collection is currently in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Public Service Announcement: The Hobby Thread theme next week will be Christmas crafting, so come prepared. Gifts, cards, decorations, nativities, food, etc. Anything you make or fashion for Christmas will be in scope. The mailbox is open if you want to send anything in advance.

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Follow-up on the license plate game from last week. Remember this photo of Nebraska license plates?

ICYMI, this late comment on the thread last week is on point:

TRex now appreciates the novelty of the high two digit numbers in that photo.

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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week with a theme of road trips? The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

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Notable comments from last week:

20241208-Screenshot 2024-12-07 220635.jpg

20241208-Screenshot 2024-12-07 220802.jpg

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Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

***

If toys and games are not your thing and you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, hijack the thread for your hobbying as you see fit. We will feature a different hobby next time. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com

Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Welcome Hobbiests

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 05:32 PM (fwDg9)

2 I taught myself to juggle over a weekend with three oranges.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at December 14, 2024 05:32 PM (aD39U)

3 At least I taught myself the 3 ball crossover kind. I was never able to really get the circling kind that lets you juggle more balls.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at December 14, 2024 05:33 PM (aD39U)

4 Came up today wife asked if I ever played Bridge, and no I haven't and no clue how.
Long ago played Peniche

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 05:35 PM (fwDg9)

5 I have a memory as a kid being at a church picnic. There was a big kid there that was throwing lawn darts as high as he possibly could. I was in awe and terrified at the same time. I wasn’t surprised years later when they were banned.

Posted by: HappyFun at December 14, 2024 05:36 PM (aIURK)

6 For what it's worth, I learned to juggle two oranges with one hand, then the other, and then I could do three with both hands.

I did this over a bed, otherwise I would have killed the oranges in short order.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at December 14, 2024 05:37 PM (aD39U)

7

I juggle helium balloons. I keep the strings tied to my wrist so they don't float away.

Posted by: Ped Xing at December 14, 2024 05:37 PM (2Lh/H)

8 This will tell you how old I am. I grew up in south Austin, Texas. When my parents moved to the house where I spent most of my childhood, we were one of the few houses south of Ben White Boulevard (now considered "central"). There was a tiny strip center on the north side of Ben White with a toy store. I bought a Slinky there for $1--which was a lot given my toy budget.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at December 14, 2024 05:38 PM (FEVMW)

9 Afternoon, Hobby Horde! Just got back from helping a friend work on his 1962 vintage International Scout, so that counts as hobby-related. We got the brakes completely taken apart, and new linings, cylinders, and hoses are being ordered.
I stopped at yard sale on the way back, and got a pair of 18" wiper blades for a dollar, and a lit of assorted wheel alignment shims for a dollar, and a powered trailer dolly for for five bucks.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 14, 2024 05:43 PM (8zz6B)

10 9 Afternoon, Hobby Horde! Just got back from helping a friend work on his 1962 vintage International Scout, so that counts as hobby-related. We got the brakes completely taken apart, and new linings, cylinders, and hoses are being ordered.
I stopped at yard sale on the way back, and got a pair of 18" wiper blades for a dollar, and a lit of assorted wheel alignment shims for a dollar, and a powered trailer dolly for for five bucks.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 14, 2024 05:43 PM
***
This may be the most AOP post ever.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 05:46 PM (IQ6Gq)

11 I do daily play solitaire on line as a hobby, and spider solitaire as a obsession, it's evil

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 05:47 PM (fwDg9)

12 Toys and games!

It's funny, but while I can recall exactly what I received for Xmas from age seven to thirteen, the specific gifts since then are gone from my memory. Not all; my mother gave me a labelmaker one year when I was in college, and somewhere in there I got a stocking stuffer of a ceramic Persian cat -- but I cannot recall what I received at age fourteen, or fifteen, etc.

I recall a motorized model tiger. You activated it with a pushbutton box on a cord -- this was long before remote controls were everywhere -- and the tiger would walk and even growl. "Bengali" the tiger, was the name. NO idea who made it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 05:47 PM (omVj0)

13 Excellent toys growing up, including several now completely banned or frowned upon.

Jarts. I believe these were the result of S&H Green Stamps. Along with (for sure) the Croquet set. I can say teens and alcohol + Croquet is not necessarily a good mixture. We never hurt anybody with the Jarts.

Tennis Ball Cannon, built with old-school pop or beer cans, and electrical tale. Add a little Ronsonol oe Zippo fluid - or perhaps Hairnet spray - a Splendid creation, utilizing ordinary materials found in many if not most homes. Fun For All Ages.

Posted by: Common Tater at December 14, 2024 05:49 PM (eOudo)

14 Came up today wife asked if I ever played Bridge, and no I haven't and no clue how.
Long ago played Peniche
Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 05:35 PM (fwDg9)

Bridge is basically Whist, with the addition of partnerships and bidding. Whist is mostly a game of chance, adding partnerships and bidding makes it into a game of skill. I am sure you can find a much better primer online than I could hope to give you.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 14, 2024 05:50 PM (8zz6B)

15 Tried juggling? It is one of those physical things that when you get it, you get it.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at December 14, 2024 05:50 PM (KiBMU)

16 Given my deft touch and agility, juggling was never a consideration. If the objects were not dangerous, the results would have been embarrassing and funny. If it involved sharp or pointed objects the results would have been tragic for myself and anyone in the vicinity.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 05:51 PM (yTvNw)

17 Toy guns were a big thing for me in my pre-teen years, since Westerns were all over TV and my reading included the Whitman tie-in novels for Roy Rogers, Bret maverick, etc. Mattel offered a wide range of "Shootin' Shell" handguns and rifles: the famous Colt Single Action Army, a Winchester lever action, a "rolling block" rifle, and lots more. Many were twin sets with plastic, tooled and leather-looking holsters -- the "Gunfighter," the "Vigilante," etc. Somebody, not Mattel, had a scale version of Josh Randall's Mare's Laig cut down rifle sidearm with soft plastic bullets -- which my brother and I promptly lost.

There was a big fad for WWII Army gear, thanks to TV shows like Combat. I had a Mattel Thompson submachine gun. It didn't fire the little plastic bullets, but would fire an entire roll of caps if you held the trigger back.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 05:53 PM (omVj0)

18 "Its not a doll dammit, it's an action figure!"
-9 year-old Franpsycho defending his Star Trek dolls

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 14, 2024 05:53 PM (RIvkX)

19 This may be the most AOP post ever.
Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 05:46 PM (IQ6Gq)

Hah! I have no use at all for a trailer dolly, but it has two stout little wheels on it, an electric motor of some size, and two decent-size AGM batteries. If, by chance, one or both batteries will take a charge, they are useful. If not, their scrap value should recoup my five bucks.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 14, 2024 05:53 PM (8zz6B)

20 I still have a metal slinky, one of the few in captivity that didn't ruin itself on the first day.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at December 14, 2024 05:53 PM (CHHv1)

21 Sorry to go OT, but I have a prayer request. My father was taken to the hospital earlier with respiratory distress. They think it's some type of infection, but he's 87 and at that age anything could be serious. I'd appreciate it if you would include him in your prayers. Thank you.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 05:54 PM (2UnvF)

22 For some reason playing marbles was not a 'thing' when growing up. We all had them but never played games with them. No idea why.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 05:54 PM (yTvNw)

23 13 Tennis Ball Cannon, built with old-school pop or beer cans, and electrical tale. Add a little Ronsonol oe Zippo fluid - or perhaps Hairnet spray - a Splendid creation, utilizing ordinary materials found in many if not most homes. Fun For All Ages.

Posted by: Common Tater at December 14, 2024 05:49 PM
***
I debated including a potato gun in the content, but opted to leave it for another Hobby Thread at some point.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 05:54 PM (IQ6Gq)

24 Time to hit the showers. I smell like brake fluid.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 14, 2024 05:55 PM (8zz6B)

25 utilizing ordinary materials found in many if not most homes, or a military barracks, Fun For All Ages.
Posted by: Common Tater at December 14, 2024 05:49 PM

FIFY

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 05:55 PM (fwDg9)

26 21 ... Duke,
Prayers up for your dad.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 05:55 PM (yTvNw)

27 Sorry to go OT, but I have a prayer request. My father was taken to the hospital earlier with respiratory distress. They think it's some type of infection, but he's 87 and at that age anything could be serious. I'd appreciate it if you would include him in your prayers. Thank you.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 05:54 PM (2UnvF)

May he make a swift and complete recovery!

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 14, 2024 05:56 PM (8zz6B)

28 A company called Hartland marketed a wide range of Western heroes, some mounted on their horses, some (the "Gunfighters" range) standing, with arms that swiveled, a gun in holster, and a hat that detached. They had Paladin, Bret Maverick, Cheyenne, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans -- and the pride of the range, Bat Masterson, in a silver-blue best and derby hat, with cross-draw holster, gun, and his famous cane. Seems to me I recall getting that one for Christmas when I was ten.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 05:56 PM (omVj0)

29 21 I'd appreciate it if you would include him in your prayers. Thank you.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 05:54 PM
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Best wishes. Prayers up.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 05:56 PM (IQ6Gq)

30 I remember many hydraulic fuid showers from A-10 Gau-8 gun jambs. Anything that can shoot 2400 or 4200 RPM can tie itself in knots when it goes wrong.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 05:58 PM (fwDg9)

31 Off topic but just noticed Navy jerseys and helmets have Jolly Rogers livery scheme in original colors.

Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 05:58 PM (A8PTZ)

32 Duke prayers for your dad

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:00 PM (fwDg9)

33 Duke, prayer for complete and speedy recovery

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 14, 2024 06:00 PM (RIvkX)

34 Prayers on the way, Duke.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 06:01 PM (mH6SG)

35 I don't think I ever got a Slinky to go more than 3 steps, and had a few of them.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:02 PM (fwDg9)

36 Naturally, beginning in 1964, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.-related toys were big. Ideal, who got the rights, marketed the "Napoleon Solo Gun," which was just the handgun with an "S" on the butt that would fire standard caps. But the big thing, $4.99 in 1965, was the complete "U.N.C.L.E. Special," the handgun with its attachments, the shoulder stock, rifle barrel extension, and telescopic sight. No magazine extension like the prop on the show, and the gun itself looked nothing like a Walther P-38. But both came with ID card and a triangular HQ badge.

I carried the ID card in my wallet for years, until my wallet was stolen in college. That was the item I missed most.

A little later Aurora produced scale model kits, one of Solo and one of Illya Kuryakin, designed to interlock and form a scene. I still have both, bought later, in the boxes and unbuilt.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 06:02 PM (omVj0)

37 Thanks everyone.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 06:03 PM (2UnvF)

38 before the kids found out there were no African herds in the US

... unless you drove through some Texan's safari. D'OH! (Although that might properly belong in the Pet Thread.)
Slightly also tangential, here's a question about whether Tatiana the Tiger is hanging out in Alaska -
youtu.be/QIMvZPdHibM
Amur tigers don't roam northwest of that patch of Russia; Siberia is cold and desolate even for Tatiana. There remain however questions about if some drunk Russian brought some kitties over as pets back when the Tsar owned both sides of the Strait.

Posted by: gKWVE at December 14, 2024 06:03 PM (gKWVE)

39 I learned to juggle in high school, but my juggling is more of a joke than a game.

Posted by: Cybersmythe at December 14, 2024 06:03 PM (7hVPm)

40 30 I remember many hydraulic fuid showers from A-10 Gau-8 gun jambs. Anything that can shoot 2400 or 4200 RPM can tie itself in knots when it goes wrong.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 05:58 PM
***
You will likely appreciate the upcoming Wednesday ONT.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 06:04 PM (IQ6Gq)

41 *or northeast, more to the point

Posted by: gKWVE at December 14, 2024 06:04 PM (gKWVE)

42 So-called 'action figures' like GI Joe came a little after my time but I remember the commercials. But every boy had a LOT of those little plastic army men. The bazooka men were especially popular. They were inexpensive, which pleased our parents, and led to some impromptu battle scenarios that would have made actual generals gasp in horror. They also made great targets when we tried to aerial bomb them with pebbles.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 06:04 PM (yTvNw)

43 Wolfus, my neighborhood was more Get Smart there was a year or two every kid walked around carrying a toy pistol.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 14, 2024 06:06 PM (RIvkX)

44 I did take a road trip last week. I went to Lindsborg, KS. It was settled by Swedes and they make a big deal of it. Did a quick tour of the museum. Had lunch at the White Peacock, which is your classic coffee bar. Was a nice trip. I may do another next week, this time to Dodge City. My co-worker grew up watching Gunsmoke and asked if I’d send her pictures if I go there. Thought it might be pretty for the holidays.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 14, 2024 06:07 PM (NQtI0)

45 Yeah, plastic soldiers and plastic dinosaurs were big when I was a kid. We used to stage battles between the two.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 06:08 PM (mH6SG)

46 My '65 Xmas gift was AMT's 1/12 scale 1937 Cord model. It was a beautiful thing; the detailing was good as I recall -- it should be, at that scale. They'd molded the body in a deep red, the engine and running gear in black, and the bucket seats in tan, so I didn't need to do as much painting as I usually did on my model cars.

In '66, I got the 1/8 scale Monogram Jaguar XKE 2 + 2, the fastback that in real life (and the model) had a tiny "back seat" area behind the front seat. As I recall, the doors opened (not sure about the rear hatch), and the wheels could be turned via the steering wheel, like the Cord above. My mother was quite proud of my work, and kept the model in a paper bag on a closet shelf until she passed in '86. When I found it, only the door handles and a couple of other chrome bits had fallen off. Revell cement was the best.

Wish I'd kept it, and the Hartland figures I mentioned above.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 06:08 PM (omVj0)

47 Action figures are after me, my GI Joe was 12 inches.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:08 PM (fwDg9)

48 MARBLES ... Until recently, I wasn't aware that marble racing was very popular ... For perspective, check out the YT videos for Jelle's Marble Racing League.

Posted by: Kathy at December 14, 2024 06:10 PM (qpw89)

49 Kung Fu grip ftw!

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 14, 2024 06:10 PM (RIvkX)

50 45 Yeah, plastic soldiers and plastic dinosaurs were big when I was a kid. We used to stage battles between the two.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 06:08 PM
***
Hello Mr. Deal. I have contemplated a HT dinosaur theme at some point. Stay tuned...

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 06:11 PM (IQ6Gq)

51

Can I wear really nice brown two tone dress shoes with a black suit?

I'm dumb about dressing nice.

Posted by: Just Askin at December 14, 2024 06:11 PM (Yseqf)

52 Yeah, plastic soldiers and plastic dinosaurs were big when I was a kid. We used to stage battles between the two.
Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024

***
I recall having a set of painted, plastic dinosaurs around the time I started school. Like all kids, I knew and could spell the names of each one.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 06:11 PM (omVj0)

53 Howdy, TRex. Thanks for the thread.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 06:12 PM (mH6SG)

54 In the end, Mothra always won. *ducks*

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 06:12 PM (mH6SG)

55 Can I wear really nice brown two tone dress shoes with a black suit?

I'm dumb about dressing nice.
Posted by: Just Askin at December 14, 2024

***
No, JA. A blue suit, a grey, a tan, sure. But something like a black suit really needs black shoes. I have a Hugo Boss black suit, and when I wear it I toss on a white shirt and light-colored tie, yellow or red. I don't want to look like a funeral director!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 06:13 PM (omVj0)

56 A number of us carried the U.N.C.L.E. sidearms around during school. The teachers and principal were remarkably cool with it all.

Posted by: Tonypete at December 14, 2024 06:13 PM (WXNFJ)

57 My grandfather made what we called Chinese Checkers, sort of remember 6 or 8 sides multple people could play at once if you wanted, it was a star pointed and you moved marbles across. Wonder what happened to the board he made.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:14 PM (fwDg9)

58 Of the toys mentioned, I loved Silly Putty, Etch-a-Sketch (those videos are so cool), and Slinky. Silly Putty was squishable, which attracts kids, and you could roll it over Sunday comics to lift some cartoons. We never tried to create art with an Etch-a-Sketch but did have contests to see who could get rid of all the material on the screen fastest. The alternative was to make the straightest lines using two hands which is harder that you might think. Slinky was a challenge since kids didn't have too much control of the movements. It took just the right touch to send them down the stairs without crashing.

If I had a Slinky now I would have to be careful not to catch my beard in it. Not a problem when I was in grade school.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 06:16 PM (yTvNw)

59 Can I wear really nice brown two tone dress shoes with a black suit?

I'm dumb about dressing nice.
Posted by: Just Askin at December 14, 2024 06:11 PM (Yseqf)
====

If you are from 'Brooklyn.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 14, 2024 06:16 PM (RIvkX)

60 Looked Chinese Checkers up, it was 6 pointed as I was thinking.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:16 PM (fwDg9)

61 I have a VF84 F4J in the box unassembled for the past 20 something years. I was in that squadron when it was current inventory. Special place in my heart.

Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:17 PM (jgmnb)

62 Also, one of very popular toys in my crowd was a cutaway model of a jet engine. It was a big hit with the guys in grade school.

I wonder what ever happened to it? Probably fed into the pyro experiments along with some of my plastic models during the Ghoulardi era.

Posted by: Tonypete at December 14, 2024 06:17 PM (WXNFJ)

63 Sure! Just don’t, you know, actually go anywhere or let anyone see you dressed like that.

Posted by: Common Tater at December 14, 2024 06:18 PM (eOudo)

64 No, JA. A blue suit, a grey, a tan, sure. But something like a black suit really needs black shoes. I have a Hugo Boss black suit, and when I wear it I toss on a white shirt and light-colored tie, yellow or red. I don't want to look like a funeral director!
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 06:13 PM (omVj0)
Are you Johnny Cash? You are, aren’t you?

Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:19 PM (jgmnb)

65 60 Looked Chinese Checkers up, it was 6 pointed as I was thinking.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:16 PM
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I never would have remembered this game without prompting, but vaguely recall it. Think it involved jumping your own marbles around the board but don't really remember how it worked.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 06:19 PM (IQ6Gq)

66 Probably fed into the pyro experiments along with some of my plastic models during the Ghoulardi era.

Heh. The "cool it with the boom-booms" treatment.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 06:19 PM (mH6SG)

67 Not at Christmas, but birthday presents, were the Marx playsets: a big $3.50 to $5.00 box containing close to 100 1.5" figures, other accessories like horses, wagons, laminated tin buildings, and more. There was a Fort Apache set with plastic log walls for the fort and its buildings, a big-time "Foreign Legion" set (off the Buster Crabbe TV series) with Arab tents and swordsmen on horses, one for Zorro, one for Roy Rogers' Double-R-Bar Ranch. The one I wish I'd kept was the Flintstones one, with Fred and the other characters, the stone-looking houses of Bedrock, their car, etc.

And Marx was smart: They molded the pieces in different colors, so even out of the box the sets were colorful and fun to look at and play with.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 06:21 PM (omVj0)

68 Are you Johnny Cash? You are, aren’t you?
Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024

***
Ain't much fun being in Folsom Prison. Or trying to put together a Cadillac one piece at a time.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at December 14, 2024 06:22 PM (omVj0)

69 PSA, Breaking news: The Drone question is solved.

https://tinyurl.com/4hxhx6fu

Posted by: Braenyard - some absent friends are more equal than others at December 14, 2024 06:23 PM (lUcMX)

70 I've talked about this before, but I remember the Christmas where I asked for a Colecovision gaming system. One of my relatives, who was about the same age, also asked for one, and there were two identical boxes under the tree. We KNEW what was there, and we both made a nuisance of ourselves by begging to open them on Christmas Eve. We finally broke our parents and got to open one. We stayed up until 3 AM playing Donkey Kong.

Posted by: PabloD at December 14, 2024 06:24 PM (NXK/x)

71 I had rocks to play with but lost them in a canoe incident.

Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:24 PM (jgmnb)

72 Some time in the early to mid 60s, yo-yos became a huge thing in our area. (Yes, I miss Tommy Smothers as the Yo-Yo Man.) The most desired, and expensive, were the butterfly versions which, in theory, were better for doing tricks. I'm sure I'm not the only kid who bonked himself on the head trying to learn those tricks. There was something satisfying in just sending it down and back up smartly. It also taught us to tie proper knots so the yo-yo didn't go into orbit. Wonder how I would do with one today.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 06:24 PM (yTvNw)

73 Navy.

Carry on.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 14, 2024 06:26 PM (LkLld)

74 Do you like to take a yo-yo for a ride?

Posted by: pawn, RIP Vic at December 14, 2024 06:27 PM (QB+5g)

75 61 I have a VF84 F4J in the box unassembled for the past 20 something years. I was in that squadron when it was current inventory. Special place in my heart.

Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:17 PM
***
Jolly Rogers? Vagabonds?

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 06:27 PM (IQ6Gq)

76 70 I've talked about this before, but I remember the Christmas where I asked for a Colecovision gaming system. One of my relatives, who was about the same age, also asked for one, and there were two identical boxes under the tree. We KNEW what was there, and we both made a nuisance of ourselves by begging to open them on Christmas Eve. We finally broke our parents and got to open one. We stayed up until 3 AM playing Donkey Kong.

that colecovision fcking ROCKED

I remember that xmas when we got the colecovision! and the dk was so great. (if ugly) I was playing it on a simulator not that long ago lol

also YAY NAVY

Posted by: BlackOrchid at December 14, 2024 06:29 PM (Pv3Rg)

77 Braenyard your lucky I wasn't eating, might have been a fatality

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:29 PM (fwDg9)

78 I also remember being 6 or 7 and asking for the Star Trek USS Enterprise play set with the bridge and transporter room. The only action figure I wanted was Spock, because I knew Spock could run the entire ship by himself.

Posted by: PabloD at December 14, 2024 06:29 PM (NXK/x)

79 do you guys remember the old "Slime'? there was one with plastic eyeballs in it

"Slime! It's alive! It can look at you STRAIGHT in the EYES!"

Posted by: BlackOrchid at December 14, 2024 06:30 PM (Pv3Rg)

80 Duke prayers up for you and your Dad.
Just Askin, IMO yes, you can wear nice two tone brown shoes with a black suit.
Now let's all root for Navy to finish off Army!

Posted by: Grateful - the range bag lady at December 14, 2024 06:30 PM (IQ6Gq)

81 I have 10 new gr___hasts. I painted the screaming bell with Screaming Bell.

https://x.com/BourbnChicken/status/1868076022421463310

Posted by: BourbonChicken at December 14, 2024 06:32 PM (lhenN)

82 just scrolled up - prayers to your father, Duke!

Posted by: BlackOrchid at December 14, 2024 06:32 PM (Pv3Rg)

83 The ultimate Christmas or birthday gift, at least for boys, was a Red Ryder BB gun. Our house had the largest garage and we set up a target gallery. A couple of nested cardboard boxes made a fine back stop. The targets could be anything non-breakable (no glass). The empty BB tubes were good and so were those little green plastic army men on their molded stands. We got pretty damn good at knocking over those targets even out to 20 feet. Not bad since the sights weren't exactly sniper quality.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 06:32 PM (yTvNw)

84 I can't believe you censored "grimfaggots".

No wait it's grim-ghasts.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at December 14, 2024 06:33 PM (lhenN)

85 That was a high scoring affair for an Army/Navy game.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 06:33 PM (2UnvF)

86 my hobby is needlepoint lately...

but then I broke my wrist so that's on hold a little bit longer!

Posted by: BlackOrchid at December 14, 2024 06:33 PM (Pv3Rg)

87 Question for woodworkers- I'm making a hiking staff for my son for Christmas out of a cedar branch. All the stripping and sanding done, and one light coat of oak stain. Just finished giving it a coat of vinyl sealer.

Is there any benefit to a second coat of the sealer, before I start with the coats of lacquer? It was raw wood except for the stain.

Posted by: skywch at December 14, 2024 06:36 PM (uqhmb)

88 JTB - I got a Daisy that was either a Red Rider or similar model for my 6th birthday. My youth model .410 single shot was a couple of years later, and then a Ruger 10/22. I was genetically coded to collect firearms...

Posted by: PabloD at December 14, 2024 06:36 PM (NXK/x)

89 Sorry to hear about your dad, Duke.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 14, 2024 06:37 PM (LkLld)

90 Everyone had those paddles with a ball attached with an elastic. After failing to consistently keep the ball bouncing we started to see who could smack the ball hard enough to break the elastic and send the ball into low earth orbit. That thin elastic was marketing genius. It would wear out and break quickly and a new toy would have to be bought. At least they didn't cost much. Maybe a quarter.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 06:38 PM (yTvNw)

91 BourbonChicken that is a great job on a fantastic figure

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:38 PM (fwDg9)

92 85 That was a high scoring affair for an Army/Navy game.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 06:33 PM (2UnvF
Duke, your Dad a vet?

Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:38 PM (jgmnb)

93 I feel like I'm scrubbing the floor after a P Diddy and Jay-Z white party.

Y'all need to get your daughters up out of here because the wife is coming home soon.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at December 14, 2024 06:40 PM (/MR36)

94 I was looking at the top picture again, and I'm happy that I didn't see any running chainsaws or flaming torches in the juggling set.

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at December 14, 2024 06:41 PM (VNX3d)

95 Thanks for the excellent Hobby thread, TRex. Content heavy!
Prayers up for your dad, Duke.

Posted by: scampydog at December 14, 2024 06:41 PM (LVaYG)

96 87 ... skywch,
A second coat of sealer wouldn't be a bad idea since the hiking staff will be outdoors in different weather. Remember to seal the ends as well as the staff. You can also use a good wax over the lacquer for extra protection.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 06:46 PM (yTvNw)

97 Model kits -- the Universal Monsters (from Aurora, I think), and the anatomy model kits (Visible Man, etc) cluttered up the shelf space in my room. Also microscope and chemistry stuff back when a chemistry set was still a chemistry set and you could get a LOT more in the way of chemicals than you can get these days.

A good word here for the late lamented Trost Hobby Shop at 63rd and Albany in Chicago Lawn. Lotsa cool stuff -- science toys, model trains and cars and planes... The place had it all. Spent plenty of time and $$$ there when I was a kid.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at December 14, 2024 06:46 PM (q3u5l)

98 Duke, your Dad a vet?
Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:38 PM (jgmnb)

-------------------

Yep. Marine is the family tradition going back to the beginning.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 06:47 PM (2UnvF)

99 I worked three new countries last week, bringing my total up to 157 so far: DU0A Philippines, ZD7CTO St Helena, and Z62NS Kosovo. DX conditions excellent. Solar cycle 25 peaks next summer.

Posted by: Keep gp Out Yo MF'n Mouf! at December 14, 2024 06:48 PM (7biUw)

100 BlackOrchid, sorry to hear about your wrist. Bone pain is no fun....I did one piece of needlepoint ages ago for my brother. Told him to cherish it, because that was the last piece I'd ever make. Instead adopted crocheting, counted cross stitch, and now into making Christmas ornaments...

Posted by: Grateful - the range bag lady at December 14, 2024 06:51 PM (IQ6Gq)

101 Hey.... anyone into drones?

Hear there's all the rage in New Jersey. ✈️

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 14, 2024 06:51 PM (Q4IgG)

102 Thanks, JTB!

Prayers for your dad, Duke.

Posted by: skywch at December 14, 2024 06:51 PM (uqhmb)

103 Yep. Marine is the family tradition going back to the beginning.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 06:47 PM (2UnvF
Pappy Eromero was Army in WW II, he told me they’d put me in the infantry, so I enlisted Navy.
We whupped ‘em again, Josey!

Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:52 PM (jgmnb)

104 I don't think wife or daughters have much to fear from P Diddy.

Posted by: gKWVE at December 14, 2024 06:53 PM (gKWVE)

105 "back when a chemistry set was still a chemistry set"

Lame-O chemicals: logwood, sodium silicate, phenolphthalein soln.

Better: KNO3, KMnO4.

Posted by: Keep gp Out Yo MF'n Mouf! at December 14, 2024 06:53 PM (7biUw)

106 100
Posted by: Grateful - the range bag lady at December 14, 2024 06:51 PM
***
Congratulations to Grateful for the 100th post award.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 06:54 PM (IQ6Gq)

107 Off theme. Our local tobacco store had a huge sale of Savinelli pipes. I came home with a few: Clark's Favorite, a rusticated 316 KS, and a Rossi Mezzanotte. They all are superb pipes, light for their size and comfortable to clench. I've wanted to try Savinelli pipes for a long time and this was a good opportunity. These will probably go into the top tier of pipe rotation, especially for reading sessions, along with the Nording freehands and 4th Generation pipes.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 06:56 PM (yTvNw)

108 Hit up an estate sale today. Picked up 3 models. Aircraft aren't normally my thing but it was 80% day. Got a F86D, T33A and a HH43B. 80% of meant I paid $16 for all 3. Still in the original boxes, all parts in original bags. Should be an interesting diversion from building tanks!

Posted by: Stacy0311 at December 14, 2024 06:56 PM (pV9Qz)

109 We made Jarts more challenging by having the opposing targets in front and back yards. So the players would chuck them up and over the entire house, from front yard to back, alternating. Because the game instructions weren't dangerous enough.

Posted by: goatexchange at December 14, 2024 06:56 PM (CrLNP)

110 Was it Papa Hemingway who said the only real sports are mountain climbing, auto racing and backyard Jarts?

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:59 PM (fwDg9)

111 110 Was it Papa Hemingway who said the only real sports are mountain climbing, auto racing and backyard Jarts?

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 06:59 PM
***
Ha!

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 07:00 PM (IQ6Gq)

112 If Hemingway didn't say that, he should have. But I think he'd have probably tossed boxing and bullfighting in there too.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at December 14, 2024 07:01 PM (q3u5l)

113 Worked a lot on my 15mm British 2nd Life Guard cavalry., finished the Horse Guard and 1st Life Guard of Waterloo.

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 07:02 PM (fwDg9)

114 Posted by: Duke Lowell at December 14, 2024 05:54 PM (2UnvF)

Prayers up!

Posted by: Commissar Hrothgar (hOUT3) ~ Next year in Corsicana - again! ~ at December 14, 2024 07:02 PM (hOUT3)

115 Oddly enough, one of the gifts I remember best was a 160 electronic devices. It was a wooden box, with different types of electronic devices, wires, and spring-loaded contacts with instructions to create several different types of electronics - radios, sound devices, photo-electrics, and so on.

It looked like the top one here: https://tinyurl.com/55ub8568

It's probably what set me up for computer programming in later years.

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at December 14, 2024 07:03 PM (VNX3d)

116 71 I had rocks to play with but lost them in a canoe incident.
Posted by: Eromero at December 14, 2024 06:24 PM (jgmnb)

Rocks AND a canoe, luxury...

On a really good day I might get to play with dirt!

Posted by: Commissar Hrothgar (hOUT3) ~ Next year in Corsicana - again! ~ at December 14, 2024 07:06 PM (hOUT3)

117 115 Oddly enough, one of the gifts I remember best was a 160 electronic devices.

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at December 14, 2024 07:03 PM
***
Great post. I had a vague idea at one point for a theme of Radio Shack and adjacent and didn't develop it further. Your post would be spot on.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 07:06 PM (IQ6Gq)

118 Not really a toy or game but chemistry sets and microscopes were a BIG DEAL gift. This was so long ago the sets included bottles of mercury (gasp!). And even small towns had a hobby shop that sold bottles of chemicals, test tubes, and slides for the microscope. Those places were magic.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 07:06 PM (yTvNw)

119 Yep, I can recall having a bottle of mercury. In those days, a 13-year-old kid could walk into a hardware store and buy a gallon of muriatic (fairly concentrated hydrochloric) acid -- can't for the life of me remember what I wanted it for -- with almost no questions asked.

Those were the days...

Posted by: Just Some Guy at December 14, 2024 07:09 PM (q3u5l)

120 Not really a toy or game but chemistry sets and microscopes were a BIG DEAL gift. This was so long ago the sets included bottles of mercury (gasp!). And even small towns had a hobby shop that sold bottles of chemicals, test tubes, and slides for the microscope. Those places were magic.
Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 07:06 PM (yTvNw)

Never got into chemistry much. My Dad would have loved it if I had, though, but I'm not quite sure how much of the house would have survived!

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at December 14, 2024 07:09 PM (VNX3d)

121 I have a family that moved in next to me about 4 yrs ago. 7 kids, all homeschooled. About a yr after moving in Mom died. Dad now raises all the kids. Still homeschooled. One of the kids outdoor activities is knife throwing. Dad made them a target and the knives are flying. I would feel better if the target wasn't facing the road I walk by with my dogs but whatever. Not sure if safer than jarts or not!

Posted by: Molly k. at December 14, 2024 07:13 PM (j/yko)

122 Keep gp Out Yo MF'n Mouf!

No 1:1 molar mixture of (HSO3F) and (SbF5) in my chemistry set. A good thing too. I was so lame with the kit I had.

Only with an outstanding teacher did I get turned on to chemistry, in college.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at December 14, 2024 07:14 PM (u82oZ)

123 Never came close to blowing up the house, but I did once manage to do something (never figured out quite what) that had chlorine gas coming off some tube I was heating and the reaction continued even after I doused the flame. Opened the window, left and closed the door behind me and stayed out for an hour. Gas was gone. Lizard was dead, though.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at December 14, 2024 07:15 PM (q3u5l)

124

Managed to get an acceptable polish on my really nice black shoes. Won't last. There's something weird about the leather and neither the shoe repair shop nor a couple of night valets at some very nice hotels have ever been able today.Get up actual shine on the damn things...

All eyes will be on my wife anyway she's a 1, and will be dressed to kill...

Posted by: Just Askin at December 14, 2024 07:21 PM (Sqo+q)

125 Any boat hobby moron hobbyists here?

Posted by: JackStraw at December 14, 2024 07:22 PM (LkLld)

126 And even small towns had a hobby shop that sold bottles of chemicals, test tubes, and slides for the microscope. Those places were magic.

I can remember my 12 year old self pestering my dad to drive me to the hobby shop so I could get some more sodium thiosulfate.

"You need WHAT??"

Posted by: Cheerful Reprobate at December 14, 2024 07:23 PM (99t1i)

127 I'm not sure I learned much chemistry from those chemistry sets although learning not to spill odd substances or burn down the house with the alcohol heater were probably valuable skills to acquire.

But that microscope revealed hidden worlds in a drop of water from a puddle. We were kind of groomed for that by my grandfather. He had a good magnifying glass and started showing us kids things as soon as we were old enough to hold it steady. It might be details on a coin or what a grasshopper face really looked like or the veins in a leaf. I use one today to note the subtleties in artwork. A good, well made glass magnifier is a wonderful tool (and toy). Plastic just doesn't do the job as well.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 07:23 PM (yTvNw)

128 Time to say thank you before the next act takes the AoS stage. As always, thanks for being here. If you're a lurker, thanks for reading (but send a note so I know you're out there).

Reminder: The Hobby Thread theme next week will be Christmas crafting, so come prepared. Gifts, cards, decorations, nativities, food, etc. Anything you make or fashion for Christmas will be in scope. The mailbox is open if you want to send anything in advance.

Posted by: TRex at December 14, 2024 07:25 PM (IQ6Gq)

129 Any boat hobby moron hobbyists here?

I once managed to get a Sunfish back to shore during a microburst. It was ugly.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 07:27 PM (mH6SG)

130 TRex,

Thanks for another great thread. It was fun to remember the excitement some of those toys and games brought to a young person.

Posted by: JTB at December 14, 2024 07:28 PM (yTvNw)

131 The old Gilbert chem sets had some manuals -- beginning, intermediate, and advanced. The advanced one went into stuff like the balancing of chemical equations, valence, and tons more things that I don't remember any more. I do remember that I didn't see some of that material in science classes until second term chemistry in high school. They may have been making science "toys" but they weren't just playing around.

The microscopes and telescopes were terrific too.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at December 14, 2024 07:29 PM (q3u5l)

132 And thanks for the thread, TRex. Hadn't thought about some of this stuff in years and years.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at December 14, 2024 07:30 PM (q3u5l)

133 Boats come in two sizes I would think, human and models

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 07:30 PM (fwDg9)

134 >>I once managed to get a Sunfish back to shore during a microburst. It was ugly.

Remind me to tell you a story about Sunfish sometime.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 14, 2024 07:30 PM (LkLld)

135 Anybody remember the frustration ball? It was a plastic globe with nine or 10 cups glued to the inside of it. The 1st cup had a notch in the side, where the metal ball went in, and the idea was to dump it from one cup to the next in sequential order. Getting it all the way to number nine or 10 was a lot harder than it sounds. I haven't seen one in quite some time,but they may still be around.

Posted by: Cheerful Reprobate at December 14, 2024 07:31 PM (99t1i)

136 I decided on a whim to buy a pint of pine tar (lots of uses and it was cheap) so I also bought half a pound of beeswax, and I whipped up a batch of boot and leather dressing at 1:1. It gets very stiff when it sets up, and it is very sticky, so I add in about half as much coconut oil since it will go liquid at around 70F.

It will rub into leather very nicely with the only drawback that it will stay slightly tacky for a couple of days until it absorbs, and even then it is a little tacky unless you buff it very well with a cloth.

On the whole it is cheaper than Huberd's shoe grease but it is more work.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 14, 2024 07:31 PM (D7oie)

137 Remind me to tell you a story about Sunfish sometime.

Looking forward to it, JS.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at December 14, 2024 07:31 PM (mH6SG)

138 As I recall Sunfish were/are just glorified paddle-boards with a sail (exaggerating a bit). Definitely not something you want in extreme weather - though if the water's not cold (it shouldn't be, I'd think if you're on a Sunfish), you can just roll off and hang on.

These days there are pretty slick very low profile sailboats like Lasers, or even simpler/smaller ones like Hobie Bravos, that sort of fill the Sunfish niche. I think.

Posted by: rhomboid at December 14, 2024 07:33 PM (1m82a)

139 WE HAZ A MOVIE MARQUE SIGN

Posted by: Skip at December 14, 2024 07:34 PM (fwDg9)

140 The tree sits on the large piece of OSB painted white - meaning (technically) I made the decision to put up the train this year. Bad cold has frozen all major activities this week but now it's fading.

Post-war Lionel, O scale. Had the locomotive fixed a few years ago, and a few of the cars with lights got the soldering they needed to make the lights work. I really should get/borrow a soldering iron and fix the other cars.

I usually just put up a big oval, or a figure eight, with the tree/stand in one end. No scenery or accessories - have a few, but haven't put in the effort to upgrade the set-up. All the stuff is original, bought for my older brothers in the 50s.

Posted by: rhomboid at December 14, 2024 07:37 PM (1m82a)

141 I had a friend's friend bring his 18 footer to my parents beach house on Assawoman Bay in Ocean City, MD. one year. Between the surf getting it out into the ocean and the low tides on the bay... I'd say it was pretty well trashed after 7 days.

Like it wouldn't run trashed.

Oh... and had a hole in it.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 14, 2024 07:57 PM (Q4IgG)

142 >>> Even today, it is not legal to sell Jarts in the US or Canada. Interweb chatter suggests that some sellers market the box and quietly throw in the darts but looks like they are mostly legal kryptonite. Sites like ebay will purge listings.

What if they were marketed as weapons?

Thrown overhand as direct fire vs underhand indirect fire.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at December 14, 2024 08:04 PM (/lPRQ)

143 They Toy and Miniature Museum in Kansas City might be a home for the robot collection:
https://toyandminiaturemuseum.org/

Posted by: KCSteve at December 14, 2024 08:49 PM (bxAlI)

144 Yes to juggling, when Juggling for Dummies came out, got up to 4, will try to do it again 30 years later with more.
Yes to etch a sketch, but never very good at it.
Yes to silly putty. Loved Sunday comics hijinx
Slinky, always got tangled after a week or two and irretrievably deformed, but great while it lasted.
Jarts, hellz yeah, with the right loft you always could get out of the way. Never throw overhand.
Marbles, fun, but didn't learn how kids played them with a circle and competitively, just tried to hit the other kids marbles.
Got totally caught up in the fourth grade yo yo craze back in '72. Was great at it, would have turned pro but, you know, politics.

Posted by: jimmymcnulty at December 14, 2024 10:17 PM (oPwYY)

145 Thanks! I feel famous.
Anyone with a yo-yo in their hand is a friend of mine. I was once in line playing with my yo-yo and this Hot blond asks me if I was in anger management Also…. Turns out they gave them yo-yos to placate their anger.
Pro tip: look for the girls with yo-yos.

Posted by: Grendel at December 14, 2024 11:03 PM (Mkoos)

146 I haνe reаd so many articles or revieԝs regarding the blogger lovers h᧐wеνer this poѕt is in fact a fastidiouѕ post,
keep it up.

Posted by: britannic at December 15, 2024 01:36 AM (++ONz)

147 I will bring this up in a future hobby thread, but we had some pretty fierce jacks competitions in fourth and fifth grades in elementary school. Anyone remember playing jacks?

Posted by: NoLongerintheBellyoftheBeast at December 15, 2024 06:50 AM (OpLc2)

148 Here's a belated "Thank you," TRex! You do great work here with the hobby thread.

Posted by: SPinRH_F-16 at December 15, 2024 07:03 AM (NezMn)

149 Wow! This blog looks just like my old one! It's on a totally different subject but it has pretty much the same layout
and design. Wonderful choice of colors!

Posted by: escorts aberdeen at December 16, 2024 04:03 PM (cpn5x)

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