I love all things retro, but retro toys are more than just a walk down memory lane for me, its more of a nostalgic passion. And I cant be the only one with all of the classic lines making a come back in one way or another, the BigTrak being one example which was relaunched in 2010 with absolutely no need for any updates or modernisation even to the outer box - that says alot. So here is my personal top ten favourite classic toys (any of these will do for my xmas present please family - and yes I am a big kid!)
- Tamiya Hornet RC kit
- Scalextric set
- Big Trak
- Nintendo Gameboy (original version)
- Atari 2600 games console
- Starwars figures and vehicles
- Lego
- Raleigh Burner BMX
- Matchbox diecast cars
- Chemistry set
1. Tamiya Hornet RC kit
This has to be my number one as this is the toy that got me most excited as a kid. Ive kept the facination with Tamiya radio controlled cars as can be seen my various other blogs and articles show. The reason for being specific with the Hornet over general RC vehicles is that even as a child I knew that the prebuilt offerings from shops like Toys R Us, Argos and Tandy (long time ago) were no where near as good or as fast.
2. Scalextric set
I didnt actually own one of these as a child but have more than made up for it in adult life. I have the Super Saloons set which has BMW and Mondeo saloon cars with the usual amount of track and bits. I sourced a box of straights and corners and can make a track that runs the whole of my living room. This is such an unusual toy as its so repetitive, yet it can hold my attention for hours as I practice getting the optimal speed from the car without losing it on the corners. Amazingly the Scalextric set can even be fun with just a figure of 8 track which proves how great a retro toy it is and deserves the number 2 spot in my list.
3. Big Trak
Re-released in 2010 the Big Trak is an icon of retro toys. It uses the keypad on the top to allow users to programme a series of commands to control movement played out after making calculations to try and figure out how to make it navigate around the living room. Impossible to programme and noisey and jerky to run even on the flattest carpet but it still manages to capture the magic. The advertisement originally broadcast in the 1980's showed a boy setting the Big Trak up to take an apple to his dad using the tipper attachement (sold seperately). Many copies came afterward, the best being a little robot with a keypad on his head called 'George' made by Tomy I believe, but nothing compared to the MB Big Trak. Get one today!
4. Nintendo Gameboy (classic)
Just for Tetris and the original Mario Bros. game this holds my number four slot. I used to sit for hours on end playing both those games which were as good as they were frustrating. I always loved the design Nintendo gave to this unit having thought it out very well. Solid build, long lasting battery life and a comfortable design which itself has become iconic. Its clear to see where the Nintendo 3DS roots came from.
6. Starwars Figures and Vehicles
7. Lego
8. Raleigh Burner (Super Tuff) BMX
9. Matchbox Diecast Cars
10. Chemistry Set
Well its pretty clear to see where my childhood was spent and how. Just looking at the pictures makes me feel warm with nostalgia. Glad I grew up before the world went safety concious mad, Im suprised Lego hasnt been officially banned from the market place due to containing small parts with sharp edges!?
