This week's assignment from the Pop Culture League is:
Do Over! If you could do it all over again...
I wish I would have taken photos of toy store aisles when I was a kid, especially during the Kenner Star Wars and Hasbro GI Joe run. When I look at photos like these, it totally takes me back to a very happy time.
Back then, we didn't carry cameras in our pockets like we do today, which begs the question. Who is taking photos of store displays today? Will we look back one day and think - "Hey, remember when the aisles were filled with Marvel Legends, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars? Those were the days."
If you want a trip down toy aisle memory lane, check out Plaid Stallion's Vintage Toy Store Picture Page. It's up to seventeen great pages.
Originally, I was going to write about toys I passed on only to be shocked by the secondary sticker price or scarcity later (Sideshow Platoon, Dragon Saving Private Ryan, 1/6 scale Heat figures of Val Kilmer and Robert Deniro). I will share with the biggest regret of something I've sold.
The 1/6 scale custom Snowspeeder. I purchased this off Ebay for about $150 years ago. It was built with wood. It was extremely detailed. There were instrument panels and wiring in the cockpit. It was a one of a kind work of art. I wish I would have taken more photos of it. I sold it later due to space. It's irreplaceable. Whoever has it now, I hope you are enjoying it.
More from the League.
Brother Midnight's Big Loo.
http://greenplasticsquirtgun.blogspot.com/2016/12/pop-culture-league-challenge-do-over.html
Toy Box's Comics and LPs
http://thetoybox1138.blogspot.com/2016/12/pop-culture-league-challenge-do-over.html
Spyda-Man's Subscription Boxes - don't do it
http://20yearsb42000.blogspot.com/2016/12/pop-culture-challenge-do-over-last-week.html
Like many of us, Jon sold his Star Wars stuff.
http://www.harveymercheum.com/2016/12/pop-culture-league-challenge-18/
Toy Break takes a punch, but does he get the girl?
http://toy-break.blogspot.com/2016/12/do-over.html
Mr. Smith shares the Do Over movies.
http://primordialbadgersmediahoard.blogspot.com/2016/12/pop-culture-league-challenge-do-over.html
Alexis says - you can pick your friends, but not your family.
http://collectorsuniverse.blogspot.com/2016/12/pop-culture-league-do-overs.html
Agreed! I actually make a point to take pictures of the toy aisles, focusing on the toys my kids like to look at -- Minecraft and Lego primarily. Maybe someday they will get a kick out of seeing the toy shelves of their youth. Of course, they will probably have full 360 degree walk-through virtual reality reminders by then!
ReplyDeleteYeah - I took a few from Force Awakens and Marvel Legends, but should make an effort to catalog it more.
DeleteToy aisles were much cooler back in the day. There wasn't so much junk competing for space.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Looking at the old pictures, there is so much of the good stuff. I go into a Star Wars aisle, and there is so much extra merchandised crap that toys take second fiddle. And none of that other stuff sells.
DeleteGreat, now I am going to be spending even MORE time on Plaid Stallions!
ReplyDeleteI never thought of pictures of toy aisles as being nostalgic, but WOW! Now I wish I had pictures of some of the stores I used to haunt! I would add hobby and comic book stores too...
Plaid Stallions rock!
DeleteAlong the same lines, I wish that I had pictures of my bedroom from when I was a kid. The posters on the wall, the sheets on the bed and the toys on the floor. I would love to see those again!
ReplyDeleteI know the Pop Culture League has come to an end, but with Brian's blessing we have taken up a weekly challenge over ar RetroRamblings.com called the Retro Revival Blog Challenge.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the first challenge here:
http://retroramblings.com/retro-revival-blog-challenge-week-1-snow-days/