Best Christmas Present You Ever Received as a Kid?

[NoHuddleKelly12]

Besides my copy of “Armed & Dangerous” by JK and Carucci that my mom got me the year it came out ?, I’d have to say it was getting a RC wooden airplane model to build that had a wingspan of something crazy like 5 or 6 feet, during the height of my aviation kick early teen years, from my grandfather. Yours? 

[BringBackFergy]

[RochesterRob]

10 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Besides my copy of “Armed & Dangerous” by JK and Carucci that my mom got me the year it came out ?, I’d have to say it was getting a RC wooden airplane model to build that had a wingspan of something crazy like 5 or 6 feet, during the height of my aviation kick early teen years, from my grandfather. Yours? 

  I'm giving away my approximate age when I say this but Erector Set was by far the best although I received many good things.  The electronic age was not here when I was a kid.

Edited December 4, 2018 by RochesterRob

[Buffalo_Gal]

Barbies were not the bazillion dollar industry they are today when I was a kid. I recall going with my grandmother to a friend's house (my grandmother's friend), and the daughter of the friend had a Barbie set-up that was amazing to me. Probably 3-4 dolls, a ton of Barbie clothes, all the little shoes that get lost or cause great pain when stepped on in the dark, and a Barbie dream house! That Christmas I asked for a similar set-up... and got a Barbie doll, some clothing for the doll, and a storage case my grandfather made (which was wonderful).

Kids didn't get everything and anything they asked for back when I was little, so I was thrilled with what I received.  

[NoHuddleKelly12]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

Barbies were not the bazillion dollar industry they are today when I was a kid. I recall going with my grandmother to a friend's house (my grandmother's friend), and the daughter of the friend had a Barbie set-up that was amazing to me. Probably 3-4 dolls, a ton of Barbie clothes, all the little shoes that get lost or cause great pain when stepped on in the dark, and a Barbie dream house! That Christmas I asked for a similar set-up... and got a Barbie doll, some clothing for the doll, and a storage case my grandfather made (which was wonderful).

Kids didn't get everything and anything they asked for back when I was little, so I was thrilled with what I received.  

Amen to that Buffalo_Gal. 

[Another Fan]

A $100 bill from my grandmother when I was in middle school.  Up until that point I never saw or touched money that high 

[Augie]

Honestly, I remember a few hockey sticks, and a bike, and that stupid vibrating football field, but nothing stands out. For that reason, years ago, my sister started doing “experiences” instead of “things” years ago. They skipped all birthday and Christmas gifts as a family, but they saved enough to significantly offset the cost of their Christmas trip to Paris. Off season made it cheaper.

 

We are going very light on purpose this year, but my wife just booked our flights to Spain later in the year. I don’t need any sweaters, or a bigger TV, but I’m REALLY looking forward to this trip. No, we don’t spend THAT much for the holidays, but if you save a big chunk of the cost....I’ll feel a little better about the cost of the trip. 

 

We did get a puppy one time as a kid. Her name was Molly. Great gift, until we started calling her Molly Dumb Dog, and she was sent off to the farm. A GOOD dog would have won hands down. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

7 minutes ago, Augie said:

Honestly, I remember a few hockey sticks, and a bike, and that stupid vibrating football field, but nothing stands out. For that reason, years ago, my sister started doing “experiences” instead of “things” years ago. They skipped all birthday and Christmas gifts as a family, but they saved enough to significantly offset the cost of their Christmas trip to Paris. Off season made it cheaper.

 

We are going very light on purpose this year, but my wife just booked our flights to Spain later in the year. I don’t need any sweaters, or a bigger TV, but I’m REALLY looking forward to this trip. No, we don’t spend THAT much for the holidays, but if you save a big chunk of the cost....I’ll feel a little better about the cost of the trip. 

 

We did get a puppy one time as a kid. Her name was Molly. Great gift, until we started calling her Molly Dumb Dog, and she was sent off to the farm. A GOOD dog would have won hands down. 

Touché Augie--pets are definitely hit or miss if parents don't exercise some due diligence up front! Also, cool idea with the experiences versus "things" take. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

5 minutes ago, Another Fan said:

A $100 bill from my grandmother when I was in middle school.  Up until that point I never saw or touched money that high 

My grandfather won $2k back in 1976 or so in the NYS lottery.  I think on one of the first scratch offs. Forget what year.  Had to be pre-1978...That's when he died, 1978.  Well, he let me hold the cash.

 

With that being said, anyway...  That's when I felt icky inside for the first time as an 8 year old Liberal having to give back somebody's else's $$$$$...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...I should have just told him it was an ill gotton sin, or better yet just stole it and became a conservative Christian Evangelist. I would have been up on that podium today.

 

?

[Royale with Cheese]

Super Nintendo with Street Fighter II and the arcade joystick.  

 

[Mark80]

Nintedo64, the year it was impossible to find.

[Augie]

7 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Touché Augie--pets are definitely hit or miss if parents don't exercise some due diligence up front! Also, cool idea with the experiences versus "things" take. 

 

We’ve done Golden Retrievers ever since. We’ve had a 100% hit rate! I have one sleeping at my feet right now. She was a birthday present 9 years ago. I remember two birthday presents, both were Golden Retrievers.   ?

[SinceThe70s]

Marklin electric train set. It was a starter set that I added to over the years. It's around 47 years old and comes out for Christmas most years. 

[Bullpen]

Had to be either my Intellivision gaming console or a hot wheels garage set. I played with both for a loooooooooong time.  

[Seasons1992]

GT Snow Racer in the late 80's. A very fast, very deadly weapon on the hills of Chestnut Ridge......

 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

15 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

GT Snow Racer in the late 80's. A very fast, very deadly weapon on the hills of Chestnut Ridge......

 

WOWZER--definitely would've put my red UFO style plastic saucer to same! 

[Rockpile233]

N64 with Mario 64 the year they came out. 

 

I love that famous “kid gets N64” YouTube video because my reaction was along those lines.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

2 hours ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

Barbies were not the bazillion dollar industry they are today when I was a kid. I recall going with my grandmother to a friend's house (my grandmother's friend), and the daughter of the friend had a Barbie set-up that was amazing to me. Probably 3-4 dolls, a ton of Barbie clothes, all the little shoes that get lost or cause great pain when stepped on in the dark, and a Barbie dream house! That Christmas I asked for a similar set-up... and got a Barbie doll, some clothing for the doll, and a storage case my grandfather made (which was wonderful).

Kids didn't get everything and anything they asked for back when I was little, so I was thrilled with what I received.  

 

My wife and I have guidelines about buying Christmas presents for our two children.

 

Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.  Of course, we always throw in a couple other small gifts from their wish lists.

 

My favorite Christmas present from childhood was the original Nintendo.  I recall wanting it so badly.

 

 

[teef]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Super Nintendo with Street Fighter II and the arcade joystick.  

 

 

1 hour ago, Mark80 said:

Nintedo64, the year it was impossible to find.

mine was super mario 2.  same situation that it was incredibly hard to find.  my mom tells the story about how she looked for weeks with no luck.  days before christmas she wandered into a toys r us to give it a final shot, and the employee told her to wait a minute as they just got a new box in which may have some games.  sure enough there were a couple of copies of super mario 2.  apparently the box was still cold from being in the truck.

 

i'm sure it wasn't the best gift, but i do remember that fondly.  

[The Poojer]

Frampton Comes Alive :-)

 

Edited December 4, 2018 by The Poojer

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

My first guitar. Even though I didn't appriciate it at the time, because I was dropping hints that I wanted to learn the piano. I fell in love with the instrument about two years later. 

 

Although my wife has been heavily hinting that I'm getting Rolling Stones ticket(s) this year, which would literally make me cry.

[plenzmd1]

11 minutes ago, The Real Buffalo Joe said:

Although my wife has been heavily hinting that I'm getting Rolling Stones ticket(s) this year, which would literally make me cry.

 

my wife just bought her Mom two bomb tickets for the DC show..wife and her will go.

 

MIL drives me nuts, but I must say at 73 I  have no worries about her being in the front standing room pit right in front of the stage. She has never seen them, loves them, and would never spend this kind of money on a ticket..( must say i had a heart attack when she told me the price too).

 

I don't remember one thing.. I remember a #8 generic football jersey..just loved it cause it had a number on it. Wore the hell out of that thing. Slot car stuff was huge. And I think one year I got rock em sock em robots, my brother got Battling Tops..and shocking we would get in fights over the toy fights!!!!

Edited December 4, 2018 by plenzmd1

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

1 minute ago, plenzmd1 said:

my wife just bought her Mom to bomb tickets for the DC show..wife and her will go.

 

MIL drives me nuts, but I must say at 73 I  have no worries about her being in the front standing room pit right in front of the stage. She has never seen them, loves them, and would never spend this kind of money on a ticket..( must sau i had a heart attack when she told ne the price too).

I just visited with my wife's 90 year old grandmother. She used to work at a law firm, and at some point in the late 70s early 80s, she had to do some work with Mick Jagger over some land he owned. She had no idea who the guy was at the time. "I don't listen to the music you kids listen to." She also liked all of the music in our wedding ceremony "Except that one new sounding Rock and Roll song." She was talking about The Good Ol' Boys from Waylon Jennings.

 

1 minute ago, plenzmd1 said:

And i think one year I got rock em sock em robots, my brother got Battling Tops..and shocking we would get in fights over the toy fights!!!!

My mom won some sort of badminton set in a chinese auction once. My brother and I set it up in the backyard and had multiple shoving matches over the rules that neither of us understood. 

[The Poojer]

How high were you????

 

3 hours ago, Another Fan said:

A $100 bill from my grandmother when I was in middle school.  Up until that point I never saw or touched money that high 

[Buffalo_Gal]

3 hours ago, Augie said:

Honestly, I remember a few hockey sticks, and a bike, and that stupid vibrating football field, but nothing stands out. For that reason, years ago, my sister started doing “experiences” instead of “things” years ago. They skipped all birthday and Christmas gifts as a family, but they saved enough to significantly offset the cost of their Christmas trip to Paris. Off season made it cheaper.

 

We are going very light on purpose this year, but my wife just booked our flights to Spain later in the year. I don’t need any sweaters, or a bigger TV, but I’m REALLY looking forward to this trip. No, we don’t spend THAT much for the holidays, but if you save a big chunk of the cost....I’ll feel a little better about the cost of the trip. 

 

We did get a puppy one time as a kid. Her name was Molly. Great gift, until we started calling her Molly Dumb Dog, and she was sent off to the farm. A GOOD dog would have won hands down. 

After shoveling out my MIL's house (which really wasn't bad!) Hubby and I decided this year that "experiences" were the way to go instead of buying more "stuff". We have trips booked to the Panama Canal and NZ and Australia (together). We are waffling on eastern Europe or 6 weeks in Italy for fall 2019 (the one not chosen for 2019 will happen in fall 2020). 

Anytime my husband gives me a squinty-side-eye look on cost I ask him if he'd rather leave the money to Sonny-boy? (my son, his step-son) That always results in clicking the "buy now" button.  We have not traveled overseas for years as our dog was very ill for many years, and any travel had to involve him (the poor little pooch passed away last month  ?) so big overseas trips are on the agenda before we get another dog (probably dogs). 

[Nextmanup]

1 hour ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

 

My wife and I have guidelines about buying Christmas presents for our two children.

 

Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.  Of course, we always throw in a couple other small gifts from their wish lists.

 

My favorite Christmas present from childhood was the original Nintendo.  I recall wanting it so badly.

 

 

Your guidelines remind me of the saying about what a bride needs to have on her wedding day...

 

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

 

[KD in CA]

8 hours ago, Augie said:

For that reason, years ago, my sister started doing “experiences” instead of “things” years ago. They skipped all birthday and Christmas gifts as a family, but they saved enough to significantly offset the cost of their Christmas trip to Paris. Off season made it cheaper. 

 

Fantastic idea.  Experiences vastly trump things in life. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

3 hours ago, KD in CA said:

 

Fantastic idea.  Experiences vastly trump things in life. 

That's what we have always done since Christmas is just another day here so far away from family.  Maybe a few small gifts.  Most Christmas' I work, I can't think of one where we went back and visited family.  2009 drove to Florida.  2015 San Francisco, drove up to Squaw Valley.  Not sure what we will do this year.

 

It's not like the Children didn't wake up to nothing when they were young... They had a stocking and a few nice things... But we always do something throughout the year when I am off. 

 

Being so isolated from family has made us independent... Children appreciate the quality time and experiences more.

[LeGOATski]

Always Legos

 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

22 hours ago, BringBackFergy said:

 

THIS.

 

144 dollars back then was a fortune.

 

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

18 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

Your guidelines remind me of the saying about what a bride needs to have on her wedding day...

 

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

 

For a groom it's much easier. Something rented, something rented, something rented, boxers.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Not as a child, but did want to say the best Christmas present I ever received was a donation to a local animal shelter in my name, given by my second wife.  You would be amazed how that brightened my holidays.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

12 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Not as a child, but did want to say the best Christmas present I ever received was a donation to a local animal shelter in my name, given by my second wife.  You would be amazed how that brightened my holidays.

Different, yet spot on. Good call 

[coloradobillsfan]

Coleco Telstar Arcade

and a few years later a Commodore 64

Little did I know I was gaining skills that would lead to a career in IT

[PastaJoe]

 

GI Joe Rat Patrol Jeep and a stack of uniforms about 50 years ago. I still have the Jeep and the box, and my GI Joes. But they are well played with, because back them who thought about collectors items.

[Marv's Neighbor]

Gotta be my Lionel Train.  Added to it every year, and have quite a large layout now.  They do take up a lot of room but; you can learn a lot about AC current, insulators, AC phasing etc.  Things that are not taught enough today.

 

Bought my wife an LGB.  German train, larger than Lionel but runs on a DC transformer.  Electric transformer, not what most of today's kids would understand.  No sparks, no rug burn holes, and runs cool and reliably without much supervision.

[Augie]

On 12/4/2018 at 12:24 PM, BringBackFergy said:

 

I only remember having rousing games of Pong. Not sure we had all that fancy stuff! 

 

It’s hard to imagine that was only 38 years ago, and now we’re driving remote control science lab/cars around on Mars? Thank about that! 

[Marv's Neighbor]

7 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I only remember having rousing games of Pong. Not sure we had all that fancy stuff! 

 

It’s hard to imagine that was only 38 years ago, and now we’re driving remote control science lab/cars around on Mars? Thank about that! 

Sattlers??

[buffaloboyinATL]

On 12/4/2018 at 2:56 PM, Johnny Hammersticks said:

 

My wife and I have guidelines about buying Christmas presents for our two children.

 

Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.  Of course, we always throw in a couple other small gifts from their wish lists.

 

My favorite Christmas present from childhood was the original Nintendo.  I recall wanting it so badly.

 

 

My wife tries to use that same guideline too, but lucky for my kids, I always talk her out of it.

[/dev/null]

The original Nintendo Entertainment System.  

 

I wanted one so bad but my Dad said they were too expensive and I'd just get bored with it.  Woke up on Christmas Day and was thrilled.  I remember the look of joy on my Mom's face and Dad looking at her like "oh no you didn't"