June 27, 2007

A Trip Down 'Memory Lane'. (aka eBay)

Ezra has really started to outgrow a lot of the toys we have for him, or he's played with the same ones for two years so he's getting bored of them. Chris and I haven't really bought him a whole lot of toys, because we don't have a whole lot of extra room, for one, and also, because we believe that you don't need all the latest, greatest toys to have FUN. I want to encourage Ezra's imagination and creativity from this early age.

This doesn't mean that his room is full of rocks and bent spoons, but the toys we do buy require some... participation.

So, the last few days I've been scanning ebay for some good deals on toys. Ezra has reached this phase where he spends good chunks of time pretending. He'll grab a couple of toys and have them interacting and talking- often knocking the living daylights out of each other followed by a dramatic plunge to the ground by the losing opponent. His robot soars through the air and shoots at airplanes. The barn animals scold each other for jumping over the fences. The farmer runs from the gargantuan snake, only to be eaten a moment later. (he never had a chance.)

It is so much fun for us to see him playing this way. He's brilliant. Genius. This is all Spielberg worthy.

I thought it was high time to get Ezra a few new toys to jump-start this new talent.

Soooo, I bought a couple things.

Like this nice bunch of gently used Rescue Hero toys off of eBay:



And then I am also bidding on this giant lot of Little People toys:



And then maybe (just maybe!) I took little Ezzie bug to Toys R Us this morning and bought him this too:



I just put the garage toy together (Ezra is napping) and I can't wait to see the look on his face when he comes out into the living room and sees it all set up.

Why is it that buying toys is GARGANTUANLY, RIDICULOUSLY FUN?!?!

Also, while browsing ebay, I've stumbled upon a few blasts from the past. There are a lot of vintage toys for sale on there, and when I saw these ones in particular, I felt like a little kid again. Here are a few that I remember vividly from my childhood:








Ahhh... the memories!!

Do you remember your favorite toys from growing up?

15 comments:

misguidedmommy said...

i have that barnyard with all the accesories. my mom got it from a garage sale for like 2 bucks or something. most of my toys were barbies or cabbage patch. i even have the cabbage patch doll. however another favorite was my teddy ruxpin and my wiz kid little computer thingy mabobobber.

misguidedmommy said...

oh and rainbow bright and smurfs

Flo Paris said...

Last year I scored the ENTIRE little people village/people/accessories for $15 at a yard sale.I won the lottery.

Things I used to play with:
Old fisher price little people
Barbies (Still have them)
Smurfs (I still have those too!)
My Alf doll
Pound Puppies
Rainbow Bright
Strawberry Shortcake
My Little Pony (my dad made me actual, wooden stables for them!)

And, for some reason, I LOVED all the cheapo grocery store toys, like plastic finger tips with LONG fingernails, those parachute army men, and that really toxic smelling
goo that you put on the end of a straw and blow up into a balloon.

Anonymous said...

I had a dream about you guys last night. I was out visiting you, and you lived about 30 feet from a lake. Pretty sweet place. You were having a party, where I knew no one and felt awkward. Much like our favorite photo from your high school birthday party. hahaha! But then Randy came over and it was cool.

Anonymous said...

Emery, I totally remember the last 3, the farmhouse, the cash register, and the little house! How fun!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness I totally had that cash register.....It was like one of my favorite things. And those barnyard people I remember playing with those.....so crazy!

Anonymous said...

Gosh, seeing that western town again brings back some good memories, you can't go wrong with Fisher Price. I had the castle and parking garage too. But over the years all my childhood toys have disappeared... except for my teenage mutant ninja turtles, I just can't throw them away!

Anonymous said...

Ok, this is the first time I'm commenting on your blog! Just wanted to say that I had the EXACT same cash register when I was little. I'm stunned that it's vintage seeing as I'm only 15! When do toys suddenly become vintage? 2 years after they're made??!?! Anyway, I love your blog!! Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Emery: You may not know this but THE APPLE was the VERY FIRST toy ever purchased by DooDad and Momar. It was Jared's first toy. Why the heck didn't we keep them all?

Erin said...

LEGOS! LEGOS! LEGOS! For sure that was my favorite.

A close second was my pair of roller skates (totally old school; I even had a hand-me-down pair at one point with STEEL WHEELS. Needless to say, they didn't go very fast).

Third, probably the doll house my parents build me & my sisters. Lots of good pretend time.

kachina said...

oh my WORD! How can one be a child without having grown up with the WESTERN TOWN and the FARM set??? COME ON! : )

Excellent Parent said...

You now have some competition on the superhero toys! muhawwwwww

Em said...

My little pony, had every colour and all of them had hair cuts done by me! Not good!

Anonymous said...

Oh I relish the day when Ezra will comprehend Transformers. Best toy ever.

OH and I remember most of those toys from my childhood also, although really only in a warm fuzzy feeling sense and not a whole lot of specific memories

Anonymous said...

Oh, I know all those vintage toys. :)

I refuse to buy the new, current Little People stuff, and when we've received sets as gifts, I return them. Talk about lack of imagination with the current stuff!

G has all my old, vintage Little People & accessories, and he loves them!

I hope you both have fun with all your new toys! ;)