Christmas Wishlist 1981
This past summer, my family sold the home that belonged to my grandparents, a place I spent some very happy Christmases in. I even wrote a blog post about it back in the fall.
While it was obviously a sad time, it also had it’s bright spots. One of them was discovering the woman kept everything I ever drew or wrote in her home. It was a really warm feeling to be honest.
Seeing as it’s Christmas, I thought I’d share my wishlist from I’m guessing 1981. Every year I’d cut out pictures from catalogs and present it to her so she’d know what I’m on about. I had posted one from 1979 but I totally forgot about this one.
As you can see Star Wars was my big thing that year.
Smurfs? That was total peer pressure, every kid in my class was into them that year and I felt kind of like the odd man out for not having any on my desk.
I did get the At-At from my folks (and it was EPIC!) but I’m not sure I got any of the other stuff, I certainly didn’t get any Smurfs.
Fond memories like this is why I started this site and I really wanted to share it. Thank you.
Smurfit ! I was totally not them. This really brings back memories.
…Smurfs
You were quite the little "marketer" … included graphics and everything 🙂
Motivated by their love, the best parents and grandparents do heart-warming stuff like this. It's a gift to have relatives like this. Found a similar cache three years ago while clearing out my dad's estate… he'd saved every Christmas card I'd ever, ever given him all the way back to the first ones "I" gave him written by my mom.
Smart move cutting out the ads, btw. That can mean the difference between getting Shockwave, the Decepticons' Military Operations Commander or stuff like Radio Shack's "Galactic Man" aka. KayBee Toys' "Robot Pistol".
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xpFVEYCmiE/UtKM473gmJI/AAAAAAAACWY/FBlZqzJIG-I/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG
Little kids can be awful franchise junkies and, in their defense, classic Transformers had incredibly cool box graphics.
While they're both great toys, Galactic Man's trigger location was… embarrassing… to say the least, particularly when noticed by older and more worldly cousins. After that, it's "can't unsee" in the worst possible way. The photographers working for Radio Shack moved heaven and earth, used every trick of perspective to minimize the damage on the box art, but they weren't there on Christmas morning.
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p214/Autobot_prime1979/IMG_0587.jpg
I am 50 years old and the Missing link I got for Christmas in the 80's is sitting on the coffee table in my den.I have never solved it 100 % but I never really tried too hard.I don't recognize the 2nd item was that a catalogue exclusive maybe?
I loved my missing link. And my pryaminx. I think I received them both the same year I got Run Yourself Ragged too. That was a great Christmas!
This was great, Brian, thanks for posting. Every year I find it difficult to get into the Christmas spirit (life is always hectic and moving so fast) but this helped. 🙂
This is great, awesome to see what you wanted way back then, please post more next year if you have found other lists or nostalgic stuff… We did have it really good back in the 70's aside from a gas crisis and economic issues here and there, really good memories for me too.
THis is just fantastic.
Your penmanship as a child would put most adults to shame today.