I wish I still had...

[Richard D]

I had one of these in 1961, I was 6 and after playing with it I took it apart to see how the moving color picture was put on the screen on the side of the truck. Of course it never worked again. Anybody wanna guess what this will go for?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tchlink:top:us

[Tony V]

That is so cool!
-Tony

[vintagecollect]

.,.

[Captain Video]

That's the cuttest thing I ever saw!

[Arkay]

Cute toy, and fantastic collectible! I'd bet from the description that it doesn't actually work, but after all these years, one might not expecti it to, and it is still "valuable'" even non-working.

You wouldn't still have your non-working old one lying around, would you?

[Richard D]

Originally Posted by Arkay

Cute toy, and fantastic collectible! I'd bet from the description that it doesn't actually work, but after all these years, one might not expecti it to, and it is still "valuable'" even non-working.

You wouldn't still have your non-working old one lying around, would you?

No, I wish I did. As I remember it had a round color transparancy that rotated with a light in the center that projected the picture on the screen. You could have the truck remain still while the camera and cameraman rotated on the top of the truck in sync with the picture or have the truck move in a circle at the same time.

[Arkay]

Oh, and here I thought it had a real miniaturized color television camera and mini CRT screen built into it...

Actually, it sounds like a neat mechanism for a toy of that era. Compare it with the latest portable gameboy... Kids these days sure are spoiled! I honestly believe the old-style toys are better, in many respects. At least kids playing with them had to inject some imagination, some role-playing of their own, instead of having it spoon-fed to them. The old toys developed the mind; many new ones tend to "dumb people down". The old toys were more social, too: kids could play with them together and interact face-to-face, not over a modem.

God, I'm sounding like an old geezer already, ain't I?!

[Phil Nelson]

Almost as cool as the "Lil Abner Dogpatch Band" mechanical tin toy that I played with at my Grandma's house. Lil Abner, Daisy Mae, Pappy and Mammy Yokum sitting around an upright piano, dancing and playing instruments.

Those things go for a small fortune nowadays. Wish I had my Grandma's toy. I think one of my evil cousins talked her out of it her shortly before she passed.

Phil Nelson

[Keefla]

Originally Posted by Arkay

Kids these days sure are spoiled! I honestly believe the old-style toys are better, in many respects. At least kids playing with them had to inject some imagination, some role-playing of their own, instead of having it spoon-fed to them.

Most of the minivans these days have rear seat dvd players, and the '08 crysler vans will have rear seat Tv through Sirius. to which a friend of mine commented "kids these days hear of taking car trips in a smoke filled station wagon and wonder how we are still alive, 5 hours in a car with no tv?" Ill tell you how we made it....IMAGINATION. My sister is two years younger than me and we made up the most intricate games to play in the car, or we drew pictures, or *gasp* read books!?


Id never trade those long road trips with dad as the navigator, arm hanging out the window, listening to the AM news channel for the whole trip. Kids these days are missing out in my opinion.

[Sandy G]

My parents got me an "Old Smoky" steam tractor that actually ran. You'd put distilled water in it, set a match to a little white fuel tablet, & about 10 minutes later, you'd be in business ! The thing would run up & down the hall floor, had an ear-splitting whistle, & taught you NOT to touch hot things...I can only imagine what a field day they'd have w/something like that today-Open flame, live steam, & it took a little bit of "gumption" to work the thing. But you know, I enjoyed the hell outta it for a long time, & I never even came close to setting the house on fire or being scalded to death...

[Richard D]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

My parents got me an "Old Smoky" steam tractor that actually ran. You'd put distilled water in it, set a match to a little white fuel tablet, & about 10 minutes later, you'd be in business ! The thing would run up & down the hall floor, had an ear-splitting whistle, & taught you NOT to touch hot things...I can only imagine what a field day they'd have w/something like that today-Open flame, live steam, & it took a little bit of "gumption" to work the thing. But you know, I enjoyed the hell outta it for a long time, & I never even came close to setting the house on fire or being scalded to death...

http://cgi.ebay.com/MAMOD-TOY-STEAM-...QQcmdZViewItem

They are still available new, but by mail order and probably from another country. I think they are made in Germany.