It seems like all means of childhood amusement, from toys to video games, are getting more complicated and alienating the user. While many of the toys are technologically advanced, there is no sense of relationship with the plaything like there used to be. One way to garner a sense of appreciation in children is by letting them take part in the creative process.
The classic example of this is plastic model kits. Not only do the kits require the child to have a hands-on relationship with the toy, but they also leave the child with a fully functional car, plane or other vehicle. My kids love the model kits that I have purchased for them, and I even enjoy helping out too.
One collection that is in every boy’s dream is a car collection. While this remains a fantasy for most of us even in adulthood, there is a way to achieve this visceral experience. The best way to sate the desire for a collection of cars is with collectible diecast cars; even adults are into collecting these attractive cars.
A diecast car is the exact model of the real thing, and serves as an adequate means of satisfying the urge to own classic cars. They are particularly popular among boys who appreciate how a car’s exterior is designed. In a way they can be considered works of art, especially the vintage models.
I’ve become convinced that Seattle is the Volkswagen bus capital of the United States, if not the world. It seems to be the city where the classic cars go to retire. It’s a rare day that I don’t see a different VW bus rolling through my neighborhood – often complete with rear curtains and fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror. I know there are a lot of aging hippies and tree-huggers in the area, so it makes perfect sense.
Just to prove the point, I started taking photos of all the VW buses I come across in my travels. I’ve been hanging them up on the fridge, and each day another snapshot or two is added to the collection. It’s to the point now that my wife is even getting me gag gifts involving the VW buses. She found some collectible holiday ornaments online that resemble a 21-window Volkswagen right down to the superficial details.
When I compare my own childhood to that of kids today, I can’t help but notice all the differences. There’s no question that kids still enjoy playing outside and that they have the same carefree spirit of my generation. However, the differences far outweigh the similarities. I remember the days when every kid had a hobby – and they weren’t all the same, either.
For instance, my next-door neighbor Gil was a huge baseball card collector. My cousin Fritz had a book of stamps that would rival that of the local post office. For my part, I enjoyed assembling model airplanes. Today it seems that all the kids play the very same videogames and don’t do much to stay busy on the hobby front. I got my son a few plastic model car kits for Christmas; hopefully he’ll enjoy customizing model vehicles as much as I did at his age.
Many action figures in the forefront today are limited in their crime-fighting abilities. They have a few special traits, such as web slinging or telepathy, but there are obvious shortcomings in all of them. Few people remember one of the most complete and versatile action figures of all-time, the aptly name Captain Action.
Unlike specialty heroes, a Captain Action action figure comes equipped with a variety of costumes, allowing him to transform into any number of classic comic book heroes. This maintains his anonymity and gives him the ability to wield an array of different attacks. Although you may only remember him from the ‘60’s, Captain Action is being revived and you can find him in toy aisles once again.
Are you looking to rekindle some of your childhood memories? For many of us, the toys that we played with in our early years are a crucial part of are childhood recollections. Now there is a company that is devoted to reviving and restoring a variety of nostalgic playthings, Playing Mantis Toys.
Many people know Praying Mantis from their popular line of Johnny Lightning toys, but the company also produces an assortment of other collectibles and is constantly expanding their line of products. They also specialize in old-fashioned models and die-cast collectibles. If you are looking for something to take you back to a simpler time of toys, before video games and iPods, check out Praying Mantis.
Even though the city has undergone many changes in the last few decades – most of them for the worse – my parents still make their home in Detroit. My mother still tells her friends and family detailed stories about the rhythm and blues renaissance that was the 1960s Motown scene. Such talented performers as the Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Diana Ross all got their start in Detroit.
My dad worked for General Motors until retiring last year, and his stories are equally tinged with nostalgia. He reminisces fondly about the days when Detroit really was motor city – before environmental concerns, foreign competition and economic recession put a kibosh on the domestic industry. I make a habit of bringing him a few classic holiday ornaments each Christmas. The ornaments feature model cars from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. When he sees them adorning the Christmas tree, I believe my dad is transported back to a happier, simpler time and place.
In the late 1950s and early ’60s, American automobile manufacturers were shifting gears. While luxury cars had been around for several decades, most vehicles were designed to get people from point A to point be with efficiency and safety made the top priorities. Big, four-seat luxury cars were becoming the new standard, and suddenly car makers had lost sight of the performance aspect of their vehicles. It was all show and no go.
The Ford Mustang changed everything in 1964, arriving on the heels of the two-seat Ford Thunderbird’s demise. The Mustang was the first of a new breed known as pony cars – vehicles that were relatively compact and focused on high-performance operation. In other words, they were driver’s cars complete with V8 engines, sporty styling and affordable base prices. The collectable diecast Mustang model cars provide clues about the line’s success, which endures even today. Although the Mustang model has seen a number of changes since its inception, it remains an American classic.
I was absolutely overjoyed a few months ago when my son expressed an interest in cars. He just turned 5 years old, and he derives an unbelievable amount of pleasure from pointing out the different makes and models that pass as I drive him to school in the morning. Although he’s becoming an expert on the designs and specifications of life-sized cars, I’ve also done my part to share the wonders of diecast model cars.
As a child, I managed to amass an enormous collection of matchbox cars. Dusting them off and passing them on to my son brought back a flood of happy memories that I had almost forgotten about entirely. Just a few nights ago, we both sat on the living room floor and marveled at the tremendous detail that characterizes each model. To be honest, my son was a bit more interested in pushing the car back and forth across the carpet and making gleeful engine noises with his mouth.
The history of action figures is inextricably linked to that of comic books. In the 1930s and ’40s, adolescent boys across America developed a fascination with the idea of a conquering hero. The United States was on the verge of joining the other Allies in World War II – a campaign to stop fascism from sweeping across the globe. With this atmosphere looming in the background, young kids invested their hopes and dreams about human potential into their comic heroes and action figures.
The Captain Action poseable action figure came along a bit later, in the 1960s, when comics culture enjoyed a resurgence. G.I. Joes were also becoming popular. At the time, action figures closely resembled real humans – they weren’t necessarily muscle-bound and airbrushed. The vintage Captain Action toy stands as a constant reminder of the excitement and realism that action figures once represented.