Bad Toys everywhere.
The League of Extraordinary Bloggers is at it again and this week's topic is one that I am all too familiar with:
Why did I buy that? Why did I sell that? My biggest regret is…
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Showing posts with label Toy Regrets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toy Regrets. Show all posts
Monday, October 14, 2013
Monday, September 10, 2012
Toy Regrets- Lighting the way Home
I'm a toy girl. I can't quite explain it, but my whole life has been about collecting all kinds of toys, from action figures to dolls and even some things in between. Not to mention all those other items that fall on the outskirts of a regular toy range. (If something like that even exists.) Most of my collection has been with me, growing in numbers; much like me. As year goes by, I get older and my collection does too. Older and larger. (Though I am really doing my best to lose some weight. When you can't get a pair of jeans past your thighs and hips, something needs to be done.)
Part of the problem growing up with my collection was that my parents were always like, "You have too much. We need to put some stuff in the attic to make room for all the other stuff you have now." So about every year or two my brother and I would go through the painful task of deciding which items we'd be holding onto and the items that would be finding their doom in the heat of the attic. It was never easy.
Of course every time we'd put stuff up in the attic, we'd find ways to sneak older stuff back out. Or my brother and I would find ways to blackmail our parents into going back into the attic for certain items. It would work until we got older, and then we'd just travel through the attic ourselves. Much to our parent's annoyance.
About 20 years ago I lost my Princess of Power action dolls for a brief moment. It was an "everything must go" attic experience. My parents were tired of looking at all the stuff, so I sadly put everything up. I'm talking about my She-Ra and He-Man items. Grayskull and Snake Mountain. Barbie dolls. My Little Pony. Strawberry Shortcake. Thundercats. Everything. I hated it. However later on that year I tricked my mom into "looking" for something in the attic. With my plan in order, I found ways to sneak items out. Quickly spiriting everything away, I was so thrilled to be reunited with She-Ra and her friends.
Except one of She-Ra's friends was missing. For some reason Glimmer had not been packed with the other POP action dolls. It just never made any sense to me, "Where was Glimmer?" Now I am not sure if I have stressed this to you all, but for 20 years I have searched through the two main attics in my parent's home looking for my long lost Glimmer. I have never been able to find her.
It has been a story that my family and friends are painfully aware of. They all know about my searches and anguish over having absolutely no clue what happened to her. I even joked that my mom somehow got rid of Glimmer. (The biggest way to punish me growing up was by taking something from my collection. I was a bratty lil child so there have been many items we have found hidden throughout the house years later that can be traced back to those bratty ways.) So I thought that was it. Glimmer would be gone for good.
Not so fast. About three years ago my husband, who I was dating at the time, got me a mint Glimmer for my birthday. He knew how important Glimmer was and what she represented. After all, she was a part of my life. She-Ra is with me every day. I can't emphasise that enough. So that birthday gift was very special to me. I finally had Glimmer! All new and shiny! With her card. (Don't worry, she'll show up on a Toy Chest Tuesday one day.) Plus it felt amazing to have this man in my life that truly understood me. Yes diamonds can be a girl's best friend, but a mint Glimmer is truly the way to my heart.
Anyways, the light was still burning though for my old Glimmer. The new Glimmer I had was wonderful. Simply wonderful. However I couldn't handle knowing that somewhere in the heat of the attic was a lost Glimmer, just waiting to be in a safer place with air conditioning. So I continued to search. Never finding her.
Years went by and I still never found her. I have certainly cursed myself for sure. How did she get separated from my other POP items? Was I not looking well enough on my trips to the attic? Would I be able to get over this? After all, it was just a figure. Would the world really need to end if I never found her? My biggest Toy Regret was that I had not formulated a better packing plan for these items when they went up in the attic. Everything was just scattered, much like my brain.
Now let's flash forward to the present. My brother has come to town to visit for a little while. I have been thrilled to say the least. In an interesting turn of events, my mom and brother joined me with the idea to rummage through the attics. Our goal was simple, we were looking for things to keep, sell, or donate. So we were all on board. Besides, I was going to do a nice Heroic Hottie feature last week, but I needed a certain play set first. My biggest goal throughout this process was to find Grayskull.
There are three attics in my parent's house. One attic is in the garage, but we never go up there because there is really nothing there. Next we have an attic in the hallway that is a pull down. The ladder comes down from the ceiling and the walk up can be quite terrifying. The final attic is in the loft, and we just have to climb through a small doorway. The final attic has always been our go-to attic.
On Night 1, we were in that attic. We found some good things but no Grayskull. My brother then decided that a more thorough investigation would need to commence in the hallway attic. So the next day we set out on a course to brave the hot new world of the hallway attic. I had only been to the top of the ladder. That attic scares me slightly, if only because the ladder is wonky. My big hips can sink ships. I was not about to risk falling.
My brother braved through it. He was like, "We're searching through everything!" And did he find the stuff. Oh my goodness. We found boxes and boxes of things that even I had forgotten I owned. A Robeast coffin from Voltron? Check. A pretty swan from Keypers? Check. An awesome Jessica Rabbit pvc figure? Check. I was so happy and excited to see these items again. But I was really hoping to see a Castle Grayskull. I still had my fingers crossed.
After awhile my brother found himself getting worn out. But he kept pushing, "M, I just want to travel a little further back, there is something in the back." All I wanted for him was to be careful. I told him to forget about it, to hurry back down. It was too hot up there.
And then he said it, "M, I see Grayskull." I flipped out. "Can you get it? Is it visible?" My heart was beating so fast. There was silence. Until my brother called out, "I've got it! I'm bringing it down." I was jumping for joy, I finally had Grayskull again! My trifecta of MOTU and POP playsets would be complete. My dad was in the other room laughing at our excitement, he thought we were so silly. My mom was cooking something and she had kept saying Grayskull was in the loft, but we were like, "No! It's here! We have it!" Meanwhile my husband was drinking a beer soaking up the sun outside.
What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. My brother had yet to reach the ladder when he decided to stop. He called out, "M, there's something in here." There was a pause. And then he uttered the most magical phrase ever, "I think there is a She-Ra doll in here." My adrenaline spiked. I was ready to race up the damn wonky ladder, big hips and all, "What do you mean?" My mind was racing. I dared not think it could be true. Instead I thought of other things I have owned that he was possibly looking at. But I had nothing come to mind.
Then he walked closer to the attic ladder opening, leaving his light behind. He handed something to me. In the dim light, I saw her. It was Glimmer. After 20 years of searching and speculating her whereabouts, I was looking at her again. He looked at me and said, "Is this..." I nodded and crawled up to reach for her. "Yes. Oh my. You found Glimmer. You found Glimmer." I lost it right there. I just started sobbing. I couldn't stop crying, which got my brother crying. We both couldn't believe it. This whole time Glimmer had been in Grayskull at the back of the hallway attic. We couldn't stop crying. After 20 long years, it was finally over. Glimmer was home.
My dad thought we were nuts. He couldn't stop laughing, saying, "Ya'll are crazy! It is just a toy!" My mom rushed in shouting, "I told you I never got rid of her! I need to put you two on youtube! You both look crazy!" We were. My brother knew how important this was to me. He knew the amount of time I had spent searching through the attic. And now here she was, in Perfuma's skirt no less, but she was finally with me. So let's look at some quick pictures!
Now I am not sure why I had put her in Perfuma's skirt, but I am glad to have Perfuma's skirt too. That skirt has been missing, but I was somehow alright with that. Either way Glimmer looks pretty good for being in the attic for 20 years. Now she is in need of a trip to the Sink Spa where I will do my best to have her looking her fighting best. (There will be a follow up!)
And as for that other little item my brother found, well...
I need to do some castle cleaning, but when it is all said and done, September's Heroic Hottie is going to have some great pictures! So keep it here folks! This is going to be a big week! Huge! I have found so many items that there will be some fantastic Toy Chest Tuesdays coming up. With all the work that I will be doing to restore and clean some of these items, I will not be doing a Toy Chest Tuesday tomorrow, but it will be worth it. This week is just going to be huge!
Before I go, let me also share something else that we found in all those boxes. I have always written in a diary. Writing a diary and chronicling certain events has always been something I love to do. (I don't call this joint Diary of a Dorkette for nothing.) So I have been reading over these old diaries from when I was in elementary and middle school. Let me tell ya'll something. My goofy ass was writing about toys and dolls that I wanted to collect and display back then. I got such a kick out of that. I will have to share some of those things with you all. I sounded so happy and hopeful. This was all before I became a megabitch teenager, but it is still nice to have those old diaries. Alright! I hope everyone is well and enjoying their Monday. Keep it here folks, it is going to be great! Until next time!!
Part of the problem growing up with my collection was that my parents were always like, "You have too much. We need to put some stuff in the attic to make room for all the other stuff you have now." So about every year or two my brother and I would go through the painful task of deciding which items we'd be holding onto and the items that would be finding their doom in the heat of the attic. It was never easy.
Of course every time we'd put stuff up in the attic, we'd find ways to sneak older stuff back out. Or my brother and I would find ways to blackmail our parents into going back into the attic for certain items. It would work until we got older, and then we'd just travel through the attic ourselves. Much to our parent's annoyance.
About 20 years ago I lost my Princess of Power action dolls for a brief moment. It was an "everything must go" attic experience. My parents were tired of looking at all the stuff, so I sadly put everything up. I'm talking about my She-Ra and He-Man items. Grayskull and Snake Mountain. Barbie dolls. My Little Pony. Strawberry Shortcake. Thundercats. Everything. I hated it. However later on that year I tricked my mom into "looking" for something in the attic. With my plan in order, I found ways to sneak items out. Quickly spiriting everything away, I was so thrilled to be reunited with She-Ra and her friends.
Except one of She-Ra's friends was missing. For some reason Glimmer had not been packed with the other POP action dolls. It just never made any sense to me, "Where was Glimmer?" Now I am not sure if I have stressed this to you all, but for 20 years I have searched through the two main attics in my parent's home looking for my long lost Glimmer. I have never been able to find her.
It has been a story that my family and friends are painfully aware of. They all know about my searches and anguish over having absolutely no clue what happened to her. I even joked that my mom somehow got rid of Glimmer. (The biggest way to punish me growing up was by taking something from my collection. I was a bratty lil child so there have been many items we have found hidden throughout the house years later that can be traced back to those bratty ways.) So I thought that was it. Glimmer would be gone for good.
Not so fast. About three years ago my husband, who I was dating at the time, got me a mint Glimmer for my birthday. He knew how important Glimmer was and what she represented. After all, she was a part of my life. She-Ra is with me every day. I can't emphasise that enough. So that birthday gift was very special to me. I finally had Glimmer! All new and shiny! With her card. (Don't worry, she'll show up on a Toy Chest Tuesday one day.) Plus it felt amazing to have this man in my life that truly understood me. Yes diamonds can be a girl's best friend, but a mint Glimmer is truly the way to my heart.
Anyways, the light was still burning though for my old Glimmer. The new Glimmer I had was wonderful. Simply wonderful. However I couldn't handle knowing that somewhere in the heat of the attic was a lost Glimmer, just waiting to be in a safer place with air conditioning. So I continued to search. Never finding her.
Years went by and I still never found her. I have certainly cursed myself for sure. How did she get separated from my other POP items? Was I not looking well enough on my trips to the attic? Would I be able to get over this? After all, it was just a figure. Would the world really need to end if I never found her? My biggest Toy Regret was that I had not formulated a better packing plan for these items when they went up in the attic. Everything was just scattered, much like my brain.
Now let's flash forward to the present. My brother has come to town to visit for a little while. I have been thrilled to say the least. In an interesting turn of events, my mom and brother joined me with the idea to rummage through the attics. Our goal was simple, we were looking for things to keep, sell, or donate. So we were all on board. Besides, I was going to do a nice Heroic Hottie feature last week, but I needed a certain play set first. My biggest goal throughout this process was to find Grayskull.
There are three attics in my parent's house. One attic is in the garage, but we never go up there because there is really nothing there. Next we have an attic in the hallway that is a pull down. The ladder comes down from the ceiling and the walk up can be quite terrifying. The final attic is in the loft, and we just have to climb through a small doorway. The final attic has always been our go-to attic.
On Night 1, we were in that attic. We found some good things but no Grayskull. My brother then decided that a more thorough investigation would need to commence in the hallway attic. So the next day we set out on a course to brave the hot new world of the hallway attic. I had only been to the top of the ladder. That attic scares me slightly, if only because the ladder is wonky. My big hips can sink ships. I was not about to risk falling.
My brother braved through it. He was like, "We're searching through everything!" And did he find the stuff. Oh my goodness. We found boxes and boxes of things that even I had forgotten I owned. A Robeast coffin from Voltron? Check. A pretty swan from Keypers? Check. An awesome Jessica Rabbit pvc figure? Check. I was so happy and excited to see these items again. But I was really hoping to see a Castle Grayskull. I still had my fingers crossed.
After awhile my brother found himself getting worn out. But he kept pushing, "M, I just want to travel a little further back, there is something in the back." All I wanted for him was to be careful. I told him to forget about it, to hurry back down. It was too hot up there.
And then he said it, "M, I see Grayskull." I flipped out. "Can you get it? Is it visible?" My heart was beating so fast. There was silence. Until my brother called out, "I've got it! I'm bringing it down." I was jumping for joy, I finally had Grayskull again! My trifecta of MOTU and POP playsets would be complete. My dad was in the other room laughing at our excitement, he thought we were so silly. My mom was cooking something and she had kept saying Grayskull was in the loft, but we were like, "No! It's here! We have it!" Meanwhile my husband was drinking a beer soaking up the sun outside.
What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. My brother had yet to reach the ladder when he decided to stop. He called out, "M, there's something in here." There was a pause. And then he uttered the most magical phrase ever, "I think there is a She-Ra doll in here." My adrenaline spiked. I was ready to race up the damn wonky ladder, big hips and all, "What do you mean?" My mind was racing. I dared not think it could be true. Instead I thought of other things I have owned that he was possibly looking at. But I had nothing come to mind.
Then he walked closer to the attic ladder opening, leaving his light behind. He handed something to me. In the dim light, I saw her. It was Glimmer. After 20 years of searching and speculating her whereabouts, I was looking at her again. He looked at me and said, "Is this..." I nodded and crawled up to reach for her. "Yes. Oh my. You found Glimmer. You found Glimmer." I lost it right there. I just started sobbing. I couldn't stop crying, which got my brother crying. We both couldn't believe it. This whole time Glimmer had been in Grayskull at the back of the hallway attic. We couldn't stop crying. After 20 long years, it was finally over. Glimmer was home.
My dad thought we were nuts. He couldn't stop laughing, saying, "Ya'll are crazy! It is just a toy!" My mom rushed in shouting, "I told you I never got rid of her! I need to put you two on youtube! You both look crazy!" We were. My brother knew how important this was to me. He knew the amount of time I had spent searching through the attic. And now here she was, in Perfuma's skirt no less, but she was finally with me. So let's look at some quick pictures!
Now I am not sure why I had put her in Perfuma's skirt, but I am glad to have Perfuma's skirt too. That skirt has been missing, but I was somehow alright with that. Either way Glimmer looks pretty good for being in the attic for 20 years. Now she is in need of a trip to the Sink Spa where I will do my best to have her looking her fighting best. (There will be a follow up!)
And as for that other little item my brother found, well...
I need to do some castle cleaning, but when it is all said and done, September's Heroic Hottie is going to have some great pictures! So keep it here folks! This is going to be a big week! Huge! I have found so many items that there will be some fantastic Toy Chest Tuesdays coming up. With all the work that I will be doing to restore and clean some of these items, I will not be doing a Toy Chest Tuesday tomorrow, but it will be worth it. This week is just going to be huge!
Before I go, let me also share something else that we found in all those boxes. I have always written in a diary. Writing a diary and chronicling certain events has always been something I love to do. (I don't call this joint Diary of a Dorkette for nothing.) So I have been reading over these old diaries from when I was in elementary and middle school. Let me tell ya'll something. My goofy ass was writing about toys and dolls that I wanted to collect and display back then. I got such a kick out of that. I will have to share some of those things with you all. I sounded so happy and hopeful. This was all before I became a megabitch teenager, but it is still nice to have those old diaries. Alright! I hope everyone is well and enjoying their Monday. Keep it here folks, it is going to be great! Until next time!!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Toy Regrets- Attack of the 50 Foot Doll
Hello dear readers. It is time for that wonderful trip down my brutal tragic past of toy collecting memories. For those who are just tuning in, check out this previous installment of Toy Regrets to fully understand what kind of madness that's about to go down.
Growing up I was a Barbie girl. There were many other dolls on the shelves, but I only had eyes for Barbie and her awkward unfolding karate chop arms. She had the best clothes. The coolest cars. And a dreamy man made of plastic. That sounds really weird, but his name was Ken if that changes anything.
Well in the late '80s Barbie got a real run for her money by way of Jem. As in Jem and the Holograms. Needless to say I was obsessed over Jem and all her songs. Unlike Barbie, Jem also had a really nasty arch nemesis. Pizzazz and her other trashily fun bandmates made me yearn for the days when I too would get to wear tight animal print dresses and have a wild mane of green teased hair.
There was only one problem with Hasbro's Jem dolls. They were gigantic compared to Barbie. Couple that with my serious neurotic ways as a child, and there was much back and forth with wanting to have my own Jem doll. Everytime I'd watch an episode of Jem I'd say, "Oh I just would love a Jem doll!" I'd go to the toy aisle with good intentions, fully ready to pick out my first Jem doll. There was always some nervousness about who I'd pick first. Every time I'd chicken out and pick something else instead. I just had serious issues with buying another doll that would be larger than Barbie. How would they coexist? What kind of world would have disproportioned Barbie and glamazonian Jem attending the same parties? These were serious issues.
So I did nothing. I simply played with the idea of wanting Jem dolls. The waiting was fine for me. I truly believed that Jem would be around for a long time, so my indecisiveness would be safe. After all, Jem truly gave Barbie some competition. Would we have even seen Barbie and the Rockers had Jem not come along? These are the important philosophical questions of the day people! However Jem soon began to fade away from the toy scene, apparently her longevity wasn't as strong as I had thought.
As the line of Jem dolls slowly started disappearing from the shelves, my heart started to panic. Would I get over my issues and finally nab a Jem doll before it was too late? Finally my point of personal growth had arrived to the conclusion that I would actually pick out my first Jem doll, if the opportunity were to ever present itself.
One weekend, my baby brother and I were going to spend the weekend with our Nana. Since we didn't see our Nana that much, she enjoyed taking us to a store and spoiling us just a little. On the way to Walmart I whispered to my brother, "I'm finally going to do this, I will get a Jem doll!" He looked at me like I was coo-coo-crazy. I was excited, so it didn't really matter. I felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone, showing off my wild side and announcing to the world that I was not some neurotic mess of a child!
So there we were, walking through the toy aisle in Walmart. My eyes fell upon the remaining Jem dolls on the shelves. The Glitter 'n Gold Jem doll was smiling at me from her plastic tomb. She was telling me, "Miss M, you are here! Finally. Pick me! You will never regret it! I am wearing gold lamé, your favorite!" I reached out and held the box in my hands. I did love gold lamé. The Glitter 'n Gold Jem doll had that "new look." As did the Glitter 'n Gold Rio. There was even a Glitter 'n Gold Roadster in a badly beaten up box. It was all so new and exciting. I felt like a rebel.
I started to get nervous. I had wasted so much time turning away Jem dolls before, that I wasn't sure what to do. That was when Barbie suddenly appeared, perched up on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, "Oh Miss M, what are you doing? Jem? Just look at how tall she is. And those arms! Does she have cankles? Listen kid, I get that you want to try something new, something different, but stick to what you know. Barbie is the only doll for you." I nodded. Barbie's attack on Jem's character was clear: Jem was a dangerous and new choice. Barbie was the only doll I knew.
Jem cried out in her tomb, "Wait! Barbie has been around forever, don't let her win. Now is your chance, pick me Miss M! I come with a cassette! I'll help you sing, I'll turn you into a star! You won't end up hating yourself twenty years from now!" Oh it had just gotten out of control. All the voices were just too much. I was exhausted. My brain was telling me to listen to Barbie, but my heart was pleading for me to pick Jem.
I picked neither. To end the madness of choosing, I decided to go in the opposite direction with Ariel. Tyco had just come out with a new line of Little Mermaid dolls to accompany the Disney movie. The display for the Little Mermaid dolls was new and shiny. I placed Jem back on her bare shelf and went about my way. Barbie approved of picking Ariel. The Little Mermaid dolls were shorter than Barbie. The blonde bombshell was pleased with my decision. Barbie was still safe, high atop her perch of perfection. No one would be outdoing her.
As for Jem, she sat on that shelf looking on at me as I made a grave mistake. She knew I wouldn't feel it immediately, but Jem knew that there would come a time that I would regret that fateful day. Secretly, I knew she was right.
Years would go by and I would grow older. My love for Barbie would still be there, though our relationship would be different. I realized that Barbie could use her powers for good and evil. She was a bit chaotic with her sense of perfection, and goodness knows I have been far from perfect.
Like most dorky folk, I began to inquire about the toys that got away. A part of me always wanted to correct the wrongs I made as a silly child. I would grow to regret passing on the chance to own a Jem doll. After all, Jem only had her one chance in the spotlight. Unlike Barbie's long storied career on toy shelves, Hasbro had scrapped any future plans of a Jem comeback. And while I patiently waited for Jem's return, I had to settle for stalking ebay with the hopes of finding the dolls. Upon seeing the price for those old Jem dolls, I had this to say, "Hundreds of dollas for Jem dolls!? I ain't got time for that!" I realize I could just buy some loose Jem dolls, but let's be real, I'm still neurotic and won't settle for anything less than mint.
So now I sit by quietly awaiting for the return of Jem. Most things get a second chance, third if their lucky, but I have hope that Hasbro will finally find a way to bring Jem back to the toy aisle. I have some major making up to do.
Or do I? Is it entirely possible that I have somehow managed to own a Jem doll after all this time? I guess there is only one way to find out, and I'm not sayin' a word until then. So until next time dear readers, absolutely no Toy Regrets!
I leave you with this...
Growing up I was a Barbie girl. There were many other dolls on the shelves, but I only had eyes for Barbie and her awkward unfolding karate chop arms. She had the best clothes. The coolest cars. And a dreamy man made of plastic. That sounds really weird, but his name was Ken if that changes anything.
Well in the late '80s Barbie got a real run for her money by way of Jem. As in Jem and the Holograms. Needless to say I was obsessed over Jem and all her songs. Unlike Barbie, Jem also had a really nasty arch nemesis. Pizzazz and her other trashily fun bandmates made me yearn for the days when I too would get to wear tight animal print dresses and have a wild mane of green teased hair.
There was only one problem with Hasbro's Jem dolls. They were gigantic compared to Barbie. Couple that with my serious neurotic ways as a child, and there was much back and forth with wanting to have my own Jem doll. Everytime I'd watch an episode of Jem I'd say, "Oh I just would love a Jem doll!" I'd go to the toy aisle with good intentions, fully ready to pick out my first Jem doll. There was always some nervousness about who I'd pick first. Every time I'd chicken out and pick something else instead. I just had serious issues with buying another doll that would be larger than Barbie. How would they coexist? What kind of world would have disproportioned Barbie and glamazonian Jem attending the same parties? These were serious issues.
So I did nothing. I simply played with the idea of wanting Jem dolls. The waiting was fine for me. I truly believed that Jem would be around for a long time, so my indecisiveness would be safe. After all, Jem truly gave Barbie some competition. Would we have even seen Barbie and the Rockers had Jem not come along? These are the important philosophical questions of the day people! However Jem soon began to fade away from the toy scene, apparently her longevity wasn't as strong as I had thought.
As the line of Jem dolls slowly started disappearing from the shelves, my heart started to panic. Would I get over my issues and finally nab a Jem doll before it was too late? Finally my point of personal growth had arrived to the conclusion that I would actually pick out my first Jem doll, if the opportunity were to ever present itself.
One weekend, my baby brother and I were going to spend the weekend with our Nana. Since we didn't see our Nana that much, she enjoyed taking us to a store and spoiling us just a little. On the way to Walmart I whispered to my brother, "I'm finally going to do this, I will get a Jem doll!" He looked at me like I was coo-coo-crazy. I was excited, so it didn't really matter. I felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone, showing off my wild side and announcing to the world that I was not some neurotic mess of a child!
So there we were, walking through the toy aisle in Walmart. My eyes fell upon the remaining Jem dolls on the shelves. The Glitter 'n Gold Jem doll was smiling at me from her plastic tomb. She was telling me, "Miss M, you are here! Finally. Pick me! You will never regret it! I am wearing gold lamé, your favorite!" I reached out and held the box in my hands. I did love gold lamé. The Glitter 'n Gold Jem doll had that "new look." As did the Glitter 'n Gold Rio. There was even a Glitter 'n Gold Roadster in a badly beaten up box. It was all so new and exciting. I felt like a rebel.
I started to get nervous. I had wasted so much time turning away Jem dolls before, that I wasn't sure what to do. That was when Barbie suddenly appeared, perched up on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, "Oh Miss M, what are you doing? Jem? Just look at how tall she is. And those arms! Does she have cankles? Listen kid, I get that you want to try something new, something different, but stick to what you know. Barbie is the only doll for you." I nodded. Barbie's attack on Jem's character was clear: Jem was a dangerous and new choice. Barbie was the only doll I knew.
Jem cried out in her tomb, "Wait! Barbie has been around forever, don't let her win. Now is your chance, pick me Miss M! I come with a cassette! I'll help you sing, I'll turn you into a star! You won't end up hating yourself twenty years from now!" Oh it had just gotten out of control. All the voices were just too much. I was exhausted. My brain was telling me to listen to Barbie, but my heart was pleading for me to pick Jem.
I picked neither. To end the madness of choosing, I decided to go in the opposite direction with Ariel. Tyco had just come out with a new line of Little Mermaid dolls to accompany the Disney movie. The display for the Little Mermaid dolls was new and shiny. I placed Jem back on her bare shelf and went about my way. Barbie approved of picking Ariel. The Little Mermaid dolls were shorter than Barbie. The blonde bombshell was pleased with my decision. Barbie was still safe, high atop her perch of perfection. No one would be outdoing her.
As for Jem, she sat on that shelf looking on at me as I made a grave mistake. She knew I wouldn't feel it immediately, but Jem knew that there would come a time that I would regret that fateful day. Secretly, I knew she was right.
Years would go by and I would grow older. My love for Barbie would still be there, though our relationship would be different. I realized that Barbie could use her powers for good and evil. She was a bit chaotic with her sense of perfection, and goodness knows I have been far from perfect.
Like most dorky folk, I began to inquire about the toys that got away. A part of me always wanted to correct the wrongs I made as a silly child. I would grow to regret passing on the chance to own a Jem doll. After all, Jem only had her one chance in the spotlight. Unlike Barbie's long storied career on toy shelves, Hasbro had scrapped any future plans of a Jem comeback. And while I patiently waited for Jem's return, I had to settle for stalking ebay with the hopes of finding the dolls. Upon seeing the price for those old Jem dolls, I had this to say, "Hundreds of dollas for Jem dolls!? I ain't got time for that!" I realize I could just buy some loose Jem dolls, but let's be real, I'm still neurotic and won't settle for anything less than mint.
So now I sit by quietly awaiting for the return of Jem. Most things get a second chance, third if their lucky, but I have hope that Hasbro will finally find a way to bring Jem back to the toy aisle. I have some major making up to do.
Or do I? Is it entirely possible that I have somehow managed to own a Jem doll after all this time? I guess there is only one way to find out, and I'm not sayin' a word until then. So until next time dear readers, absolutely no Toy Regrets!
I leave you with this...
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Toy Regrets- The True Time Travel Value
There aren't many things that I regret in this life. I have no regrets over my grunge goddess phase as a teen. Regrets have no place in my romantic past with all the questionable men I have dated. Even the most obscene fashion and hair choices have only helped me become the fabulous woman I am today, so really, I don't regret much.
Except when it deals with the addictive hobby of collecting toys and dolls. Oh there are plenty of regrets and misses that haunt me to this very day. It is shocking how many terrible choices I have made in regards to the toy aisle. I am typically spot on with my collecting adventures. I see a rare gem and I either hide it on another aisle (it is free layaway) or I quickly pick it up and rush to the cash register before some other dorky person can clobber me over the head for it. (We live in dangerous times.)
So the story I am about to share with you all is absolutely true. This is not like a roach story where I embellish my silly life experiences. Oh no. I like to call this cautionary tale, The True Time Travel Value.
Once upon a time, around 1994, my quirky family and I were making our way to a small Texas town to visit family. My family is like a traveling reality show that no one watches. My dad looks like a mafia kingpin, but is as loveable as Teddy Rupskin, while my mom is loud and ready to cut anyone's eyes out that messes with her children. I also have a younger brother who is a creative genius. But in '94, I was a gloriously surly mess while my brother still shared a passion with me for collecting toys.
We enjoyed traveling from the big city to the countryside to visit my mom's extended family. There were all these delicious country kitchens where the pastries and baked goods added pounds to your butt with just one look. It was heaven.
Anyway, we eventually got to the town and no trip was ever complete without a stop to the town square. Basic shops for basic needs lined the storefront windows, and it was all so cute. Real life for the town folk, but an innocent time for the clueless city dwellers. My mom had made a beeline for the floral shop while my dad was heading to the True Value hardware store. Neither place appealed to my brother and I, but we figured the True Value store would at least sell candy. The floral shop would only end up irritating our allergies and boredom.
My dad got lost in the True Value while my brother and I walked around looking for the candy aisle. We saw some candy, but stumbled upon something even better... a toy aisle! We both were shocked to see a toy aisle in a hardware store, but much like Hansel and Gretel, we kept on walking to the delicious destination, throwing caution to the wind.
It was a simple toy aisle, the shelves on the left side had girl toys while the right side had stuff for the boys. However, what we stumbled upon defied all our senses. All the toys before us were from the '80s. We had somehow been transported back in time. I was completely stunned. My brother ran down the aisle first, amazed to be finding these old artifacts.
For him this was a new experience. He was getting to see all the great toys in their packages that had been out before he was born. I was motionless, completely in shock. My eyes first rested upon some Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I also noticed some My Little Pony and stampers from the Cabbage Patch Kids. There were also Robotech figures and some Transformers. I didn't know what to do or how to react.
I was standing among the heavy weight toys from my past. Toys that I still cherished and had never let go of. I had walked up to the Strawberry Shortcake dolls and touched the boxes to make sure they were real. They were very real. Slightly dusty, but real nonetheless. I could not believe what we had found. This was big. This was like finding old dinosaur bones still intact under a park bench. Or finding a Van Gogh in a garage sale.
The experience would only get bigger. While still in a daze, my brother found a way to break me out of my reverie and called out wildly, "M! M! They have She-Ra." I lost it right there. At first I wasn't completely sure I had heard him correctly. But I looked in the direction of his pointed finger and I could not stop shaking. At the top of the shelf rested a mint in box Crystal Falls and a mint in box Sea Harp. My heart felt funny and I felt so dizzy. There were no She-Ra dolls, just the playsets.
There were Masters of the Universe figures though. I remember being shocked to see 2 mint Moss Man figures and a Spikor looking back at me. There may have been some SilverHawks too, but after seeing She-Ra and He-Man products for sale I couldn't recall much. My brother and I looked at each other with full grins. Forget candy. We were in the midst of a second Christmas.
Plans were instantly put into motion with how we were going to con our parents into buying every toy. This was a once in a lifetime moment to purchase these old toys. (We had no clue that Ebay would one day be invented.)
Sadly my parents thought we were insane. There was no possible way they were going to buy up every toy in the store. "But they don't make this stuff anymore! Don't you understand what this means?" My brother and I cried out. Showing little understanding my dad replied, "Haven't we aleady bought this stuff before? Why do we need to buy it again?" I looked at my brother as if to say, "I got this" and pleaded my case, "That is the point! I don't have these exact toys though, but now I can! You can't find this stuff in Toysrus anymore, ok?"
My pleas were met with laughter, "We can't buy all this stuff. We aren't made of money." My next point came fast and furious, "But you could buy most of it and just save it for next Christmas!" Nothing worked. We eventually came to an agreement though, we could each pick out two of the smaller items, but he was not purchasing the bigger items. To add insult to injury, both my mom and dad were ready to get going. What!? We had just gotten there!
Folks, this was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make. Had I been older it would have been easy. I would have scooped everything up and charged the hell out of it leaving a trail of debt and destruction in my wake. Blazing on ahead is the American way, is it not? However this was all a Greek tragedy. The deficit was going to be ok that day, but my heart would not.
I looked at the Crystal Falls box and whispered, "I am so sorry. I'm gonna have to leave you behind." I went with a Strawberry Shortcake doll, Cherry Cuddler, because I had always wanted her. My next choice was Dana Sterling from Robotech. I had never owned any of the Robotech figures, but I had always been interested in the packaging and artwork. I figured I should try something new instead of picking something that I have already owned, like a My Little Pony or He-Man figure. It was a major toy regret.
Looking back I would have summoned up my inner Erica Kane and demanded that my parents think of the investment pieces before them and at least buy a few of the bigger items, like the Crystal Falls. Instead I settled for something new. I should've at least picked up the Moss Man! But no, I had to go and choose blasted Dana Sterling from Robotech. Homegirl can be found on ebay for next to nothing now, while a mint Crystal Falls requires a kidney donation.
Oh dear readers, this just makes me sick. I had two tickets to paradise and I wasted them. Well, Cherry Cuddler has never been a waste, but you all know what I mean. Eventually my Dana Sterling would suffer a broken thumb and loose crotch joints.
And what of the magical time traveling toy aisle? It would be many years later until my family returned to the small True Value in the Texas countryside. They had returned on a trip without me. My brother had delivered the sad news that almost all of the old toys were gone. However about six years ago (in 2006) my brother had gone back to the True Value and surprised me with a lovely Christmas present.
These two Masters of the Universe Golden Books had somehow managed to stick around in the store for a very long time. My brother bought these books in that True Value in 2006. That boggles my mind. They had been sitting in a store for 20 years, waiting for the perfect owner.
A year after that my mom, aunt, brother, and I had gone back. It had been so long since I had been there. So many of the family members that lived in the small Texas town had passed away, there had never been any reason to really visit. However we wanted to visit the cemetary and walk around the town square. We walked into the True Value and everything had changed. The toy aisle was up to date with current toys. I had wanted to inquire about the vintage artifacts my brother and I had once fell upon, but I did not. The last thing anyone needed was a sad dorkette trying to find the fountain of toys. However I will never be able to forget what my brother and I came across in '94. We had found treasure.
Alright dear readers, that is about it for my new feature! Keep it here because there will be more Toy Regrets in the future! Until next time...
Except when it deals with the addictive hobby of collecting toys and dolls. Oh there are plenty of regrets and misses that haunt me to this very day. It is shocking how many terrible choices I have made in regards to the toy aisle. I am typically spot on with my collecting adventures. I see a rare gem and I either hide it on another aisle (it is free layaway) or I quickly pick it up and rush to the cash register before some other dorky person can clobber me over the head for it. (We live in dangerous times.)
So the story I am about to share with you all is absolutely true. This is not like a roach story where I embellish my silly life experiences. Oh no. I like to call this cautionary tale, The True Time Travel Value.
Once upon a time, around 1994, my quirky family and I were making our way to a small Texas town to visit family. My family is like a traveling reality show that no one watches. My dad looks like a mafia kingpin, but is as loveable as Teddy Rupskin, while my mom is loud and ready to cut anyone's eyes out that messes with her children. I also have a younger brother who is a creative genius. But in '94, I was a gloriously surly mess while my brother still shared a passion with me for collecting toys.
We enjoyed traveling from the big city to the countryside to visit my mom's extended family. There were all these delicious country kitchens where the pastries and baked goods added pounds to your butt with just one look. It was heaven.
Anyway, we eventually got to the town and no trip was ever complete without a stop to the town square. Basic shops for basic needs lined the storefront windows, and it was all so cute. Real life for the town folk, but an innocent time for the clueless city dwellers. My mom had made a beeline for the floral shop while my dad was heading to the True Value hardware store. Neither place appealed to my brother and I, but we figured the True Value store would at least sell candy. The floral shop would only end up irritating our allergies and boredom.
My dad got lost in the True Value while my brother and I walked around looking for the candy aisle. We saw some candy, but stumbled upon something even better... a toy aisle! We both were shocked to see a toy aisle in a hardware store, but much like Hansel and Gretel, we kept on walking to the delicious destination, throwing caution to the wind.
It was a simple toy aisle, the shelves on the left side had girl toys while the right side had stuff for the boys. However, what we stumbled upon defied all our senses. All the toys before us were from the '80s. We had somehow been transported back in time. I was completely stunned. My brother ran down the aisle first, amazed to be finding these old artifacts.
For him this was a new experience. He was getting to see all the great toys in their packages that had been out before he was born. I was motionless, completely in shock. My eyes first rested upon some Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I also noticed some My Little Pony and stampers from the Cabbage Patch Kids. There were also Robotech figures and some Transformers. I didn't know what to do or how to react.
I was standing among the heavy weight toys from my past. Toys that I still cherished and had never let go of. I had walked up to the Strawberry Shortcake dolls and touched the boxes to make sure they were real. They were very real. Slightly dusty, but real nonetheless. I could not believe what we had found. This was big. This was like finding old dinosaur bones still intact under a park bench. Or finding a Van Gogh in a garage sale.
The experience would only get bigger. While still in a daze, my brother found a way to break me out of my reverie and called out wildly, "M! M! They have She-Ra." I lost it right there. At first I wasn't completely sure I had heard him correctly. But I looked in the direction of his pointed finger and I could not stop shaking. At the top of the shelf rested a mint in box Crystal Falls and a mint in box Sea Harp. My heart felt funny and I felt so dizzy. There were no She-Ra dolls, just the playsets.
There were Masters of the Universe figures though. I remember being shocked to see 2 mint Moss Man figures and a Spikor looking back at me. There may have been some SilverHawks too, but after seeing She-Ra and He-Man products for sale I couldn't recall much. My brother and I looked at each other with full grins. Forget candy. We were in the midst of a second Christmas.
Plans were instantly put into motion with how we were going to con our parents into buying every toy. This was a once in a lifetime moment to purchase these old toys. (We had no clue that Ebay would one day be invented.)
Sadly my parents thought we were insane. There was no possible way they were going to buy up every toy in the store. "But they don't make this stuff anymore! Don't you understand what this means?" My brother and I cried out. Showing little understanding my dad replied, "Haven't we aleady bought this stuff before? Why do we need to buy it again?" I looked at my brother as if to say, "I got this" and pleaded my case, "That is the point! I don't have these exact toys though, but now I can! You can't find this stuff in Toysrus anymore, ok?"
My pleas were met with laughter, "We can't buy all this stuff. We aren't made of money." My next point came fast and furious, "But you could buy most of it and just save it for next Christmas!" Nothing worked. We eventually came to an agreement though, we could each pick out two of the smaller items, but he was not purchasing the bigger items. To add insult to injury, both my mom and dad were ready to get going. What!? We had just gotten there!
Folks, this was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make. Had I been older it would have been easy. I would have scooped everything up and charged the hell out of it leaving a trail of debt and destruction in my wake. Blazing on ahead is the American way, is it not? However this was all a Greek tragedy. The deficit was going to be ok that day, but my heart would not.
I looked at the Crystal Falls box and whispered, "I am so sorry. I'm gonna have to leave you behind." I went with a Strawberry Shortcake doll, Cherry Cuddler, because I had always wanted her. My next choice was Dana Sterling from Robotech. I had never owned any of the Robotech figures, but I had always been interested in the packaging and artwork. I figured I should try something new instead of picking something that I have already owned, like a My Little Pony or He-Man figure. It was a major toy regret.
Looking back I would have summoned up my inner Erica Kane and demanded that my parents think of the investment pieces before them and at least buy a few of the bigger items, like the Crystal Falls. Instead I settled for something new. I should've at least picked up the Moss Man! But no, I had to go and choose blasted Dana Sterling from Robotech. Homegirl can be found on ebay for next to nothing now, while a mint Crystal Falls requires a kidney donation.
Oh dear readers, this just makes me sick. I had two tickets to paradise and I wasted them. Well, Cherry Cuddler has never been a waste, but you all know what I mean. Eventually my Dana Sterling would suffer a broken thumb and loose crotch joints.
And what of the magical time traveling toy aisle? It would be many years later until my family returned to the small True Value in the Texas countryside. They had returned on a trip without me. My brother had delivered the sad news that almost all of the old toys were gone. However about six years ago (in 2006) my brother had gone back to the True Value and surprised me with a lovely Christmas present.
These two Masters of the Universe Golden Books had somehow managed to stick around in the store for a very long time. My brother bought these books in that True Value in 2006. That boggles my mind. They had been sitting in a store for 20 years, waiting for the perfect owner.
A year after that my mom, aunt, brother, and I had gone back. It had been so long since I had been there. So many of the family members that lived in the small Texas town had passed away, there had never been any reason to really visit. However we wanted to visit the cemetary and walk around the town square. We walked into the True Value and everything had changed. The toy aisle was up to date with current toys. I had wanted to inquire about the vintage artifacts my brother and I had once fell upon, but I did not. The last thing anyone needed was a sad dorkette trying to find the fountain of toys. However I will never be able to forget what my brother and I came across in '94. We had found treasure.
Alright dear readers, that is about it for my new feature! Keep it here because there will be more Toy Regrets in the future! Until next time...
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