I grew up in a middle class household. This was back when middle class was achievable from a single, blue-collar job providing income. Some how, I was fortunate to have had a bounty of toys while growing up. Christmases and birthdays had big toys and there were smaller toys throughout the year.
I often had space or action/adventure themed toys, starting with toys I inherited from my older brother like the large, 12″ G.I. Joes. Adventure People offered a kind of role play with action figures in outdoor activities. Space: 1999 had a brief but big impact with a massive Mattel Eagle playlet and a variety of smaller toys.
Superheroes took over for a time. With Super Friends on TV and my interest in comic books growing, it was natural for them to take over my playtime. But then Micronauts, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek came along. Overthrowing spandex for lasers and spaceships.
The 1980s brought new waves of action and adventure, with a new type of G.I. Joe and a variety of robot toys that could combine and transform. Star Wars still stayed in the mix for the first few years of that decade, even when newer and more complex playthings came on the scene.
Many of these toys were saved. Boxed away for years. Some in an unused bedroom. Others I kept in climate controlled storage.
Before my family moved across states, I divested myself of many of the toys. We had been planning our move long in advance and it took several years to downsize enough. Many toys, especially ones I got as an adult, I sold at local toy shows. Unfortunately, those are not pictured here. The toys recorded here are ones I sold online through various sites.
These photos were not that well planned in advance. In most cases I was just trying to get a decent photo for a listing or post. I’d put a white cloth or backing board, depending on where I was taking the picture. Many times I had a camera with a flash that gave even lighting while others it was just my phone’s camera and I had to make do with room lighting or sometimes light coming in from a window.
I hope you find the photos and short stories of my recollections of playing with them interesting. Come experience the toys that made me.