What Cool Toys Do You Have?

[Melusine]

My parents were visiting me last week, and I forgot about this toy I had put under the shelf. Mine is translucent blue. My mother was playing with it, and it drives the cats bonkers:
http://www.starmagic.com/The-Amazing-String-Thing.html

I also have a cheapy radio-controlled Flying Saucer that some dude was peddling to all the businesses in my area. It's so light that there has to be NO WIND, but it does have lights.

I still have a Pocket Simon. After all these years, I still love Simon. :boohoo:

What cool or funky toys do you have? Discovery sends me a catalogue with some neat stuff that I could spend oodles of money on.

[antoniseb]

I have a Champion pear-wood framed Cosmic Wimpout set.

[Grand_Lunar]

I consider a 5500-watt generator I bought my toy.

In terms of traditional ones, I haven't any. :(

[captain swoop]

My toy is my Yamaha R1!!

[crosscountry]

My motorcycle is my best toy, then my digital camera. You know what they say about men, same a boys but with more expensive toys.

[Argos]

My toys are my telescope, binocs and RC planes. :) ;)

[Lianachan]

First thing that comes to mind is my lightsaber, and my better half ("her indoors") would say that my handheld GPS would probably count too.

[Nicolas]

Well, I do consider my audioset, PC and instruments toys, but to keep in spirit of the thread, I'll nominate my Casio SK-1 sampler:

LINK (http://www.tonymason.com/casio/images/sk1_crap.jpg)

Can you say "old skool"? :D

[Melusine]

I have a Champion pear-wood framed Cosmic Wimpout set.
I don't know what that is--should I? Do you have link? :D

[captain swoop]

Sapient Pear wood?

[Melusine]

Some of those toys are too serious; I mean, I could say my piano is a toy, but I was looking for TOYS. (Argos, RC planes do count, but I already knew that. Why don't you have pictures of them? ;) )

Little plastic dinosaurs would count, and someone here has a big collection of them, if I recall correctly. A RC dino would be even better.

[Argos]

Melusine, I´d be happy to show a photo of my newest eyes apple, a 100-inch Piper cub. I have to scan the pics cause I´m still a chemical guy when it comes to photos. Later. ;)

[Melusine]

Melusine, I´d be happy to show a photo of my newest eyes apple, a 100-inch Piper cub. I have to scan the pics cause I´m still a chemical guy when it comes to photos. Later. ;)
Bullscata, you digitally enhance. You're not that chemical! C'mon, fork them over. BTW, there are a lot of new Brazilian rocks next door, but those aren't toys.

[Moose]

Currently my favorite is my Lego TIE Bomber that actually shoots this rubber "Torpedo" projectile half-way across the room.

Should I ever get disposable cash burning a hole in my pocket, I'm going to order that sweet Lego Star Destroyer model I've been attracted to for a year now.

[Eric Vaxxine]

1) Red Ducati 748. Handle With Care.

2) 1962 Fender Stratocaster.
(add compression, turn amp up to 11 and beat the chords out with a drumstick) Handle Roughly.
If the strings break, replace with 1973 Les Paul Deluxe.

[Gruesome]

Should I ever get disposable cash burning a hole in my pocket, I'm going to order that sweet Lego Star Destroyer model I've been attracted to for a year now.

Oooh! (http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=10030) Looks kewl.

[crosscountry]

My toys are my telescope, binocs and RC planes. :) ;)


Forgot my telescope. Only problem is that I haven't used it much since I have access to the school's 14in SC

[mid]

I (heart) my Dreamcast Arcade Stick.

[tlbs101]

Well, I do consider my audioset, PC and instruments toys, but to keep in spirit of the thread, I'll nominate my Casio SK-1 sampler:


I also have a home recording studio. PC with Cakewalk software and 2 CD burners, Behringer mixer board, microphones, stands, PA, monitor speakers, Casio STK-558 MIDI keyboard, a host of instruments (I can play all except the saxophone).

I have produced several CD tracks for Church, and one brass track for a friend (still in process), but other than that, I consider the "studio" a big toy.

[randb]

my computer.
graphing calculator. (does that count?)

[crosscountry]

my computer.
graphing calculator. (does that count?)


geek....




I almost put mine too.:whistle:

[MrClean]

My toys are my telescope, binocs and RC planes. :) ;)

Oh? Do you fly RC as well?

http://spadworld.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10161/Gamera_and_Clean.JPG

[Argos]

Oh? Do you fly RC as well?

Hey, that´s a cool... er... flying wing. :shifty: ;)

I´m more into scale (both sail planes and powered). I´m scanning some photos to show ya later.

[Parrothead]

A bunch of 1:18 scale model cars including a Jim Clark Lotus 49, Steve McQueen Porsche 917K (from the movie LeMans) and a number of "Bond Cars" including an Aston Martin DB-5 (with weapons), Submarine Lotus, Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (with weapons) and Zao's Jaguar XKR Roadster (with weapons). Years ago my sister gave me a stuffed Tasmanian Devil, that "speaks and spins" after pressing its sides ... my cat was quite afraid of it, for some reason... edit to add, my alarm clock is Marvin the Martian and his rocketship, it's "blasting off" wakes me up, no problem. :)

[TheBlackCat]

I have:

-Samus Aran action figure by Joyride. It is a piece of junk, the joints have such a limited range of motion that it you can't do any of Samus's main poses, but it's still Samus so I had to have it. You can take her helmet of and replace it with her unhelmeted head, although people might wonder why I have what looks like a doll's head sitting on my shelf.
-Techno Zoids-line Iron Kong. I modified the shoulder-mounted rocket launcher so it will actually fire the rockets, something it is not meant to do for some reason.
-Techno Zoids-line Ultrasaurus. I added some additional weapons I scavanged from other toys.
-A gasoline engine-powered fan-driven race car. It is not controllable, though
-several boxes of legos
-A little gunam action figure a colleague got me while attending a conference in Japan.
-A stuffed loon I got in Canada
-A remote-controlled robotic arm (3 DOF, wired remote) I assembled
-Several model rockets, including one with a built-in camera
-A piece of metal with little pins drilled into it and a piece of glass in front of it. If you push an object into it the pins get pushed through, showing the imprint of the shape. It currently has my hand imprinted on it
-A wooden sword and a wooden shield with a demon painted on it (it had the outline, I painted in colors)
-A walrus beeny-baby given to me by one of my high school classmates who was absolutely obsessed with walruses. He was our homeking king.
-A plastic dinosaur figure that roars whenever you pick it up. I taped a piece of paper over the light sensor because it was driving my parents insane.
-a puzzle box that can't be opened unless you know the trick
-a metal taxi and double-decker bus my father got for me in London
-A box from egypt that when opened has a snake pop out and hit your finger
-A wooden trolly from San Fransisco that I have had since I was like 3

Those are the only things I can recall that can really be considered toys, most of the stuff in my room are figures, artifacts, fossiles, rocks, souveniers, sharp objects, dead animals, and other such things from around the world but they aren't really toys.

[snarkophilus]

I have a few Ninja Turtles on my bookcase, glaring down at He-Man and Skeletor on the wall shelf. A big rubber rat that is greasy to the touch (still, ten years after I first got it). Various puzzles consisting of wooden pieces that must be assembled in a 3-D way. Milton Bradley's "Don't Break the Ice." (I am looking for "Don't Wake the Dragon," possibly the greatest board game ever made.) A little horn/kazoo thing that I stole from my sister when she was 4. Wayne Gretzky bobblehead. Many Pez dispensers. Play-Doh, crayons, et cetera. I thought I had some Hot Wheels, but I don't see them around... maybe I gave them away.

Watching over it all are all the stuffed animals I've ever owned, perched upon the furniture. "Cluttered" does not begin to describe my apartment.

I used to have a bunch of model dinosaurs and a Klingon Cruiser, but someone dropped a TV on that box when I last moved, saving the TV but annihilating my models.

And paper cranes. They're sort of toys, and I am obsessed with them. I have probably a hundred scattered all over the place, hanging by threads from random stuff or just sitting in any vacant location. Whenever I have idle time, whether it be walking somewhere or sitting in a bar or whatever, I'm making one. They just accumulate.

Toys are fun!

[Dragon Star]

WOAH! MrClean actually looks just like Mr. Clean!

[Melusine]

The Black Cat said:

-Several model rockets, including one with a built-in camera
-A piece of metal with little pins drilled into it and a piece of glass in front of it. If you push an object into it the pins get pushed through, showing the imprint of the shape. It currently has my hand imprinted on it


Rocket with camera...cool.

The second item is called Prodigy...I bought one for a boyfriend once--the large one and you could imprint your face on it. I was very surprised by it in the kitchen one morning. :whistle:

I do have my Lone Ranger cap-gun from when I was a kid, but no caps. I can twirl it, is all. My parents threw out all our games (we had tons), but I have here Battleship, Deluxe Monopoly, some geometric puzzles, Yahtzee (no-brainer game) and a nice Backgammon case we played to death in high school (outside in the dark by candle, no less, so there are some wax drippings). I can't forget Scrabble! An original edition.

The string thingy I first mentioned can be set in its base and set on a table as a moving piece of art that glows under a blacklight. Perhaps I should do that while reading Briane Greene's newest book....:razz:

[Nicolas]

Some of those toys are too serious; I mean, I could say my piano is a toy, but I was looking for TOYS.

Oh that SK-1 sampler certainly is a toy. You can do nice things with it, but it is also perfectly suitable for a fart song. Need to say more? :D

[mugaliens]

I'd have to count my flight simulator, X-plane: http://www.x-plane.com/

The scenary (7 dual-layer DVDs for 60 GB) makes MS Flight Simulator's "scenary" look like a poor impressionist painting by comparison. There's a link to the makers of the scenary with some pretty good clips. Here's one of Crete: http://www.global-scenery.org/crete/pictures/Crete_14.html

Never been there, but I do want to go this summer.

Other than that, just my computer and networking stuff, which I use to keep in touch with friends back home.

[cjl]

Hmmm

My rockets (yeah, big ones :D)
My RC boat (55", 25cc gas)
My RC car (getting a Revo 3.3 soon)
and the scope of course :D

[Parrothead]

Oooh, if we're talking games... let's see Concentration, Payday, downhill ski game (making paths down a mountain using tiles), Life, Careers, Crokinole/Checkers, Rebound, Movie Makers (?), Inventors, Monopoly (Astronomy Edition), an onyx backgammon/chess set, can't remember the name of it but it involves placing magnets flat and then balancing others around them at 45 degree angles without having them "attract" each other, I pretty sure there's a "Buck-a-roo" somewhere... LOL!

edit: the magnet game is called Polarity (http://www.polaritygame.com/game/overview), I picked it up in the mid-late '80's IIRC.

[Trebuchet]

See my avatar. I also have some smaller ones.

And I still have my Daisy Red Ryder Carbine from 50 years ago.

And a couple of really old "Pluto Platter" Frisbees.

[Captain Kidd]

You'll shoot your eye out. Sorry, sorry

Hmm, Batou, Motoko, a Tachikoma, FRX-00 (http://www.jtw.zaq.ne.jp/cfblg701/meivuyukikaze.html) (yeah, yeah, these people make some money off of us being suckers for Collector's Boxes) and the full Galaxy Angel cast.

Then there's the typical geek "boy toys" of my digital SLR, 'puter, etc. My Silverado was a toy too until gas (wow "only" $2.50 at the time), insurance, and a baby put paid to it. Last, but not least, and not mine by any stretch of the imagination although I get to work on her, is 610 (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=120532). (Little something extra for you aviation types. ;) )

I just know there's something I'm forgetting and it'll come to life tonight when I sleep and strangle me for not giving it honors.

Oh, do books count? We bought this house partly because the living room focuses on a bookcase enshrouded fireplace rather than a TV. They're still stacked two deep and across the tops with spillage to other floors. A fire, tea/coffee/coco, and a book on a wintery day seals the blissfulness for us.

...

I must sound so boring.

[snarkophilus]

Hmm, Batou, Motoko, a Tachikoma

Oh! I want a Tachikoma! Pardon? You mean yours is just a model? Aww.... I had my hopes up so high, too. ;)

I wonder what one of those things would cost in real life, if they existed.

Motoko is my current desktop wallpaper.

[Nicolas]

The scenary (7 dual-layer DVDs for 60 GB) makes MS Flight Simulator's "scenary" look like a poor impressionist painting by comparison.

Scenery :)

Well, Xplane has high res altitude data and satellite textures, but MS COF has loads of 3D culture objects that are missing in XPlane, so both have their strengths.

MS COF (http://www.loguk.com/photos/uncategorized/lcyapproach.jpg)

MS COF uses 150m data for its height maps as standrad. HOwever, there are packs with increased height resolution (like 38m for the national parks and Mexico). As yoiu can see, in that case the 3D looks quite like Xplane, but there's also the 3D culture objects.

MS COF Mexico pack (http://www.flymex.com.mx/2004norte/sobresierra737.jpg)

I don't have these simulators (MS COF used to be really expensive, XPlane "somewhat less" :D ). I do have Falcon 4.0 with packs, but those have a few problems. I like my Grand Prix Legends more, with a gig of packs (makes it look like the finest race game though it is years old :D). And I play it with another toy of mine: an arcade steering wheel :cool:

[Chip]

Hiëronymus Bosch Action Figures. (I'm trying to collect them all.)

http://www.3d-mouseion.com/engels/bosch_eng.htm

I all have a considerable number of 1/72 scale model planes I built over the years. A legacy of being a sometimes sickly kid. (Also composed a lot of music.)

[captain swoop]

I suppose I could add my Digital SLR, Les Paul, Marshall amp and my WW2 flying jackets.

[Maksutov]

I have this "brain" thing, which does all sorts of unusual entertainment functions.

After all these years, it still tends to amuse me, on occasion.

Regarding its net worth, that would probably come in around two cents.

[Melusine]

Captain Kidd, I like you, but I resent the term "boy toys." My sister was the first girl on the Little League team in our town (regrettably, I was bat-girl, iow, slave/gum runner/cap-holder). We had trains, race cars and one year I asked for a self-propelling dumptruck. Yes, I had a Baby Alive, kitchen sets and our Barbie dolls lived EXTRAVAGANT lives--we tied strings around them and brought them in the ocean surf, they reenacted Nancy Drew mysteries, etc, etc. but we were UNISEX-TOY-girls!

Our trains were cool, but my cousins has the most awesome train set-up in their house in Virginia, along with (it's still on the wall), the most incredible beer can collection. All the remote control toys are great--I've always wanted a RC boat. However, there are RC cars and trucks kids use in my apt. complex that are hideously noisy--I would like a RC tank to fire at them. (Don't laugh, my boyfried, who was 10 yrs older than me, blew up tanks in the backyard during my Estes Rocket phase. I humored him, because he would bring up Malcolm Forbes's toy soldier collection, and who's going to argue with that?)

Maksutov....No toys? :think:

Some of you do remind me of "The 40 Year Old Virgin" movie, where he had those action-toys in their original containers. (He did end up parting with them.) I think there's an age thing here--I don't play with all these fancy simulators, though one can go to JSC and do that. I crashed the shuttle, but did very well with the Mars rovers--it's fun. I would be very bored with someone who doesn't like to act like a kid or has no youthful spirit.

I mean, look at what JPL/NASA does--VERY BIG remote control toys! Lol.

No, CK, books aren't toys, unless they're something like the Sabine Trilogy or interactive CC-voice books, which little kids love.

I misspoke, the Monopoly I have is the Commemorative Edition in a tin box. There's an Astronomy edition? When we had a German exchange student living with us while he was in high school, he subjected my father to ENDLESS games of Monopoly and could NEVER win. We thought it hysterical. Don't know why he liked it so much (he was a Trekkie and is now a heart surgeon. ~eek~) We still speak in Monopoly terms, i.e. the "fleabag hotels" of Baltic and Mediterranean Ave. I guess Monopoly has been the #1 most altered game: remember that controversial one some years ago?

I have pictures of my family playing with yard Jarts. Nobody was impaled. :rolleyes:

Ok, I'm going to brag: When I was a kid I had a red, battery-operated convertible sports car in 1971 from F.A.O. Schwarz in NYC. No other kid in my town had one of these--now it's no big deal, though they're mostly plastic deals. Ironically, my godfather who spoiled me with these things, was decapitated in a car accident when I was seven. The battery died before then, and was too expensive to fix, or something. It was not a cheapy plastic thing. So, my first car was essentially a red convertible, but I can't remember what company made it.

Argos, still waiting for those planes......;)

[Parrothead]

There's an Astronomy edition? Yup! Astronomy Edition (http://www.boardgames.com/asedmon.html). It was a splurge purchase for me, I saw it and just had to buy it.

Out of those games I listed above, Polarity has to be the coolest (and most aggravating at times), it can be fun finding a "balance point" where you can set a magnet, so it sits at various angles, in the play area, without disturbing other game pieces. It is especially fun trying to set one around a "tower", as the magnet is practically on edge and some distance from the tower. LOL!

From my earlier list: Lotus 49 (http://www02.exoto.com/Collectibles/index.asp?display=GrandPrix/Lotus49/Menu.asp)

McQueen Porsche (http://www.motorsportcollector.com/AutoArt917/AutoArtMcQueen917.html)
Submarine Lotus (http://www.1-18scalecars.com/0Lotus_Esprit_007_Submarine.htm)
Vanquish (http://www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/list_reviews/xq/ASP/id.BST10011/qx/reviewpix.htm)
JagXKR (http://www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/list_reviews/xq/ASP/id.BST10012/qx/reviewpix.htm)

[Captain Kidd]

Captain Kidd, I like you, but I resent the term "boy toys." No defamation intended to any gender, age, race, religion, hair color, or shoe size. Half the reason I used quotes, to indicate a class of item, not to single it out for any one particular group of people. My apologies if the intent and the interpretation of my wording were off.

I also got a bit liberal with the definition of toy too as a $1000 camera body is not something I’ll give to my 22 month old. Hence the references to the camera, locomotive, books, whatnot; items I’ve taken great please in during my youth and continue to do so today.

I also know a couple people that would take me to task for using “geek”.

[Andromeda321]

As I'm in college and have precious little space for toys of my own, the coolest thing I currently have is a 10mW green laser pointer. Great for nights at the observatory when you want to point something out/ see if you can reach the skyscrapers a few miles away/ freak the hell out of people walking on the quad below... :rolleyes:
And seeing as no one else uses it, I suppose I can count the university's amateur radio station in this...

http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/large/5368.jpg

[Melusine]

As I'm in college and have precious little space for toys of my own, the coolest thing I currently have is a 10mW green laser pointer. Great for nights at the observatory when you want to point something out/ see if you can reach the skyscrapers a few miles away/ freak the hell out of people walking on the quad below... :rolleyes:
And seeing as no one else uses it, I suppose I can count the university's amateur radio station in this...

The laser pointers are fun, and useful, when people don't do stupid things like point them in people's eyes. :naughty: Some of the AAs use them to guide people around the constellations and they really do help a lot. Any success with turning out lights? I really wanted to do that last Saturday (on a garage roof). I don't have a green one, but a red dot one. Saturday I went outside and kept blinking it around my cat who was sitting up in the window. Drove him nuts trying to catch the "red bug." (I was careful to keep it away from his eyes.) Good picture--you look like the next Ellie Arroway...

Parrothead suggested Polarity:

Utilizing the forces of magnetism, players take turns placing hovering magnetic discs on the board in order to impose chaos on their opponent. This chaos, which causes discs that are in play to come together in a flash of magnetic frenzy, results in scoring opportunities. Stacks of more than one disc (towers) are counted as points and the player with the most points at the end of a game wins.

Sounds like the story of my life, lol. I printed out the info, and will buy it, thanks. Magnets are fun! There are some large magnetic rocks next door to me at work (complete with horseshoe magnet and all), but they're a few hundred bucks. Not a priority right now.

[Nicolas]

Andromeda321: any aspiration to become the next Delia Derbyshire ? That would make me your best friend ;).

I like audio equipment. I'm not really into radio studios, but I'm focussing on any amplifier, CD player and the like crossing my path :).

[mahesh]

mamiya c 330
with 55, 80 and 180 lenses

lots of moolah to use, but great fun

[Roy Batty]

My Hornby, Zero 1 (early DCC prototype), controlled trainset :)

[Swift]

On my desk at work I have a couple of wind up toys like this (http://momastore.org/wcsstore/MoMATest/images/l_59310.jpg).
At home, my most traditional "toys" are my model railroad stuff. I guess my cameras are toys too, but I'm more serious about those.

[MrClean]

[QUOTE=Argos]Hey, that´s a cool... er... flying wing. :shifty: ;) QUOTE]

Sorry I was a bit late on reply here, the photo is a couple years old and is a RC Combat airplane. Wings are re-inforced high density foam covered with ripstop nylon. tailfeathers are Coroplast (plastic cardbord normally seen in campaign signs) and the fuselage is a Flatbat designed to be used by handicapped people, it's a big wiffle ball bat with one flat side. Practically indestructable. For those who wonder we tie a 20 foot string on the tail of the aircraft and a 30 foot streamer onto that and try to cut the streamers off other folks for 100 points a cut. Not un-usual to see 6-12 planes in a swirling furball, quite exciting.

It's also where I get my Forum name from, my callsign is MrClean. Bald head ya know.

[TheBlackCat]

Cool, sounds like those japanese killer kite battles.

[Andromeda321]

Good picture--you look like the next Ellie Arroway...
Haha, funny story: I finally got details about my summer job this year, which is on a lab on campus that deals with cosmic rays. I'm going to be analyzing STACEE data for cosmic rays (gamma ray detector), and my professor nonchalantly mentioned that he'd like me to spend a few hours a week checking the reams of data for "artificial signals." Apparently he feels that in terms of OSETI he'd feel bad if no one ever checked all that data for laser pulses from ET and the like...
So yeah, if I come onto the board excited to the point where EVERYTHING IS IN ALL CAPS AND BOLD you know why!

[Nicolas]

Caps 'n' bold aplenty inidicates you're talking 'bout ET. ;) :D


(or CT, whatever is appropriate)

At least, that's what the Internet taught me. :D

[Fram]

I'm one of those guys that really has toys on his shelves... Currently, all my books on the bookshelves are pushed back a few centimetres (well, as far as they will go before touching the second row of books hidden behind them) to give some space to my Smurfs figurines, until those display cabinets get finally made (still a few years, probably).
So, a few hundred Smurf figurines, a collection of other Smurf stuff, loads of juvenile comics (European mainly), some games (Commemorative Monopoly, which was AFAIK the first Belgian special edition of Monopoly; Millennium Scrabble; and normal editions of things like Carcassonne, Machiavelli, Jumbo Jet (great old game!), ...), ...

[farmerjumperdon]

Well, if we can include games, we are big into yard play. We have horseshoe pits, a volleyball court, a diamond (with 50' bases and a 150' fence it is great for the kids - but adults are restricted to whiffleball and kickball), and the kicker, . . . a nearly regulation size, beautifully manicured, permanent croquet court. It's a great social game. We have a monthly tournament/picnic with about 12 to 18 people playing one Saturday each month.

At all gatherings we also invite those who dare to take the Rope Swing Challenge. The stream is about 35' wide, the rope is tied about 50' up in a big tree that overhangs the stream, and you just need to launch from the high banked side and land on a platform on the low banked side. In 10 years only one person has made it on the 1st attempt without ending up in the drink. It's very deceptive - looks easy, but it's not. I always warn them: take off your shoes and socks. They almost never listen. Silly people.

[crosscountry]

as Rodney Dangerfield used to say

"we were so poor when I was growing up, had I not been a boy I would have had nothing to play with"

[Moose]

as Rodney Dangerfield used to say

"we were so poor when I was growing up, had I not been a boy I would have had nothing to play with"

Gee, thanks, Crosscountry. Now the others in my office are looking at me funny wondering why I just cracked up.

[crosscountry]

just some humor to lighten up the atmosphere.

[Argos]

Argos, still waiting for those planes......;)

Well, I never said it would be spectacular. :)

http://www.wikinews.com.br/argos_toys

MrClean, I knew that it had to do with combat. Some friends of mine practice U-control combat. Yes, it´s quite exciting. ;)

[Nicolas]

Oh I forgot,

Some years ago when The Phantom Menace came out (or at least around that time), there was a special edition Star Wars monopoly. There also was an exclusive edition Star Wars monopoly. I've got one of those, with numbered board :cool:

[Zachary]

My computer. No, not any old computer - I designed the processor myself from logic gates, flip flops and counters:

http://www.blorktronics.com/computer.jpg

Processor: 4-bit data bus, 4-bit instruction set
Clock speed: 0.4Hz (about ten billion times slower than a top of the line computer? It has a short piepline though :p)
RAM: 0.5 kilobytes (about 5 million times less than the one I'm typing this one on :D)
ROM: None!
Permanent Storage: None!
Display Resolution: 14x10 dot matrix LED display (hey, at least it has a screen. Dos that make it better than the Altair 8800? :) )

Granted, I only managed to get it completely working once, but it actually worked, which really freaked me out!

[turbo-1]

I've got a 6" Astro-Physics APO with an 80 mm Vernonscope finder/guider, a Taylor 712 acoustic guitar, a 30-year-old dreadnaught guitar hand-made by Augostino LoPrinzi, a 2005 Harley Softail, a 2004 Polaris ATP 500 to haul firewood and the garden cart, and other great stuff. Some is really practical, some is really fun, but they're all "toys" to me.

[Andromeda321]

Zachary: very nice! But even if it worked beautifully my circuits professor would take off for "bad wiring"...

[Melusine]

Well, I never said it would be spectacular. :)

http://www.wikinews.com.br/argos_toys

MrClean, I knew that it had to do with combat. Some friends of mine practice U-control combat. Yes, it´s quite exciting. ;)

Nice yellow plane, Argos. It's the kind of thing we'd have strapped our Barbies on when young (Barbies went everywhere including being buried to the heads in sand). Good wide-open sky for stargazing, too. Still have yet get to get booked on an Embraer again...;)

Fram...Smurfs? Wonders never cease! :razz:

[Maksutov]

[edit]Maksutov....No toys? :think: ... I put my Mattel Mars lander and Sojourner rover in the refrigerator. Does that now qualify as a cool toy?

My son has yet to pick up his radio-controlled 12-meter model. Definitely cool there.

http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/sportlich/d030.gif

(Sorry, all the smilies I found were cat-rigged)

[Melusine]

I put my Mattel Mars lander and Sojourner rover in the refrigerator. Does that now qualify as a cool toy?

My son has yet to pick up his radio-controlled 12-meter model. Definitely cool there.

http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/sportlich/d030.gif

(Sorry, all the smilies I found were cat-rigged)

Mattel Mars Lander? Mattel made one?

BTW, I noticed in the Sky Mall magazine on the plane that there was a $200 remote-controlled UFO (http://skymall.com/webapp/skystore?process=prodDisplay&action=&pid=102130660&iscrssl=true) that is far more sophisticated than my styrofoam flying saucer. However, I fail to see how this toy is an unidentified flying object...

There's a Star Wars Battleship, and I could probably use that R2-D2 for it's infra-red sensor....

[Maksutov]

Mattel Mars Lander? Mattel made one?[edit]Here it is:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4490/mattelmarslanderandrover19970q.th.jpg (http://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mattelmarslanderandrover19970q.jpg)

Released in the summer of 1997. It's unopened. I wonder what it's worth? :think:

[Sweety]

my cool toy is my pc
my cute barbie
snow white teddy bear
cute monkey
snow white dog
a small toy car
a toy plane
my bike
calculater
books
notebooks
100 types of pen
20 types of pencils
color boxes
small tiki toys

[weatherc]

Oooh! (http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=10030) Looks kewl.Now, that IS cool. I want one. I don't think I'll be able to convince the spousal unit to let me spend $300 bucks on one, though.

[farmerjumperdon]

I was looking to add a fungo bat to my toy collection. Kind of challenging to consistently hit lazy fly balls to the kids. Couldn't find one in any of the local sporting goods stores, so I got one of those bounce-back goodies. Set it at the correct angle and throwing the ball into it simulates lazy fly balls that are just unpredictable enough that they have to take at least a few steps to make most of the catches. Fun toy.

Next up is a serious kite. We've been kiting a few times this spring with our fairly "normal" ones, but one of my friends has this very cool, very controllable airfoil kite. It's not that big (maybe 3' X 5") but in just a 20 to 25 MPH breeze it provides an awful lot of pull. Might have to stake the younger daughter to the ground with one of those.

[Nicolas]

My regular 1.50m triangular kite could almost pull me off the ground (I weighted 50 kg back then). We used it to pull ourselves on a plastic tractor. The speed was nuts, and you could not steer as your hands were holding the kite. ...and they walked away :D

[GDwarf]

My computer. No, not any old computer - I designed the processor myself from logic gates, flip flops and counters:

http://www.blorktronics.com/computer.jpg

Processor: 4-bit data bus, 4-bit instruction set
Clock speed: 0.4Hz (about ten billion times slower than a top of the line computer? It has a short piepline though :p)
RAM: 0.5 kilobytes (about 5 million times less than the one I'm typing this one on :D)
ROM: None!
Permanent Storage: None!
Display Resolution: 14x10 dot matrix LED display (hey, at least it has a screen. Dos that make it better than the Altair 8800? :) )

Granted, I only managed to get it completely working once, but it actually worked, which really freaked me out!
That is what's called the tyrany of numbers.

Anyways, I wish I had some rather rare toys, but unless owning all of the Myst games count, I got nadda.

[Gemini]

Here it is:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4490/mattelmarslanderandrover19970q.th.jpg (http://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mattelmarslanderandrover19970q.jpg)

Released in the summer of 1997. It's unopened. I wonder what it's worth? :think:

I don't know but I have one too.

[snabald]

http://s95147397.onlinehome.us/photos/Alts3.jpg

http://s95147397.onlinehome.us/photos/Alts1.jpg

http://s95147397.onlinehome.us/photos/Alts2.jpg

Photo Gallery: http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b98/snabald/Alternators/

[Doodler]

Man, those bring back some memories...


As for my toys:

My computer.

My regiment plus four Clan stars of Battlemech miniatures.

My collection of Shadowrun roleplaying books.

My USS Enterprise original series display model with authentic sounds. Still have the box with the series number on it.

[crosscountry]

Maximus Prime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Doodler]

/geekmode ON

Optimus

/geekmode OFF

:D

[johnsp]

Boy some nice stuff you guys have.

I would definetly have to say my PC :D

[Melusine]

Next up is a serious kite. We've been kiting a few times this spring with our fairly "normal" ones, but one of my friends has this very cool, very controllable airfoil kite. It's not that big (maybe 3' X 5") but in just a 20 to 25 MPH breeze it provides an awful lot of pull. Might have to stake the younger daughter to the ground with one of those.

I have a box kite and a large tumbling star that I got many years ago. My star requires 100 lb test string, and I almost lost it off the coast of New Hampshire years ago (it might have taken the coast of NH with it!)

Box-type kites fly the best, imo, such as these here:
http://www.intothewind.com/shop/Traditional_Kites/Box_Kites

The nylon material of my kites has been dragged through the ocean many times, so it holds up well. I'm not into stunt kites, but the Chinese have that fun game of putting razors on them and trying to cut others' kite- strings...Anyway, I tend to just stick my box kite in the sand--the star one is tough to handle in strong winds.

Also, this Frenchmen posted this site which has some cool toys I want:
http://spacetoys.com/



Doodler wrote:
As for my toys:

My computer.

My regiment plus four Clan stars of Battlemech miniatures.

My collection of Shadowrun roleplaying books.

My USS Enterprise original series display model with authentic sounds. Still have the box with the series number on it.


Yup, geek at heart, for sure. :razz:

[HenrikOlsen]

I think my best toy over the years is the M-357-A kite (http://www.thekitesociety.org.uk/Gibson%20Girl.PDF). I still have it and still fly it occasionally.
Some may have heard of the kite as a Gibson-Girl, though it was actually the handcranked transmitter that had that nickname.

[mickal555]

My telescope

I have theese cool Rare earth magnets

Collection of camera's

Potato Cannon :D

My green Laser

[farmerjumperdon]

I got an entire bag of new toys for $4.79. Included is a rubber newspaper, a rubber ice cream cone, 2 rubber balls, a hunk of heavy rope tied in a knot, and a rubber bone-shaped thingy. (Haven't you got anything with a little less rubber in it?).

They all squeak when you step on them because they are for our new puppy - who is a load of un, even if not a toy.

[TheBlackCat]

Then aren't they the puppy's toys, and not yours?

At least it is better than him eating your shoes.

What sort is it?

[farmerjumperdon]

You know, I thought it odd that the assortment didn't include a rubber shoe. It had a small plush toy, but we didn't give her that one. I think it would be difficult at this puppy stage for her to distinguish between her plush toy and the 18 bazillion my daughters have collected.

It is a 5 month old beagle. A stray from the shelter, so we don't know for certain, but appears to be a pure-blooded perfect little tri-color. Very friendly, loves the kids, seems intelligent. I love hounds. Has a couple minor medical issues - ear infections and a cherry-eye. Which is one of the reasons we took her, because she had been there a while and my guess is that nobody wanted her because the eye.

It's amazing how adopting them has changed, at least in our area. I had to undergo about a 30 minute grilling before being accepted. I remember when they used to be so happy for anybody to take any dog.

I was appalled at the number of pit bull type puppies they had. Easily the most common dogs in the shelter were of that type - bull terriers, mastiffs, staffordshires, rotwielers. I visitied the website of the Minneapolis shelter and it seemed half the dogs were pit bull puppies.

[TheBlackCat]

You probably don't want to give him a rubber shoe, considering that it could train him to go after real shoes.

It is probably good that they are checking up on the potential owners. The owners could mistreat the dog, and poor dog owners are the reason there are so many puppies in the shelter in the first place. I have heard stories from people I know about people trying to rent black cats from animal shelters for halloween. It is pretty apalling.

[Ilya]

My toys assortment does include rubber shoes! (Also gloves, hood, full body suit...)

[turbo-1]

I think my best toy over the years is the M-357-A kite (http://www.thekitesociety.org.uk/Gibson%20Girl.PDF). I still have it and still fly it occasionally.
Some may have heard of the kite as a Gibson-Girl, though it was actually the handcranked transmitter that had that nickname.When I was a kid, I built a version of this - I think it was called a Conyen kite - a triangular box kite with wings. I used to hook it up to a fishing rod with heavy-test line and it would fly in just a light breeze. In a steady wind, it was almost impossible to hold - I was a light kid and it would pull me off my feet.

[publiusr]

I love model and toy spacecraft--like what you see here:
www.starshipmodeler.net.

Your local wallmart has some nice Titanium ship minis, and Corgi and Art Asylum Diamond select are doing TOS series Enterprise ships.

[trinitree88]

[QUOTE=Melusine]I have a box kite and a large tumbling star that I got many years ago. My star requires 100 lb test string, and I almost lost it off the coast of New Hampshire years ago (it might have taken the coast of NH with it!)

Box-type kites fly the best, imo, such as these here:
http://www.intothewind.com/shop/Traditional_Kites/Box_Kites

The nylon material of my kites has been dragged through the ocean many times, so it holds up well. I'm not into stunt kites, but the Chinese have that fun game of putting razors on them and trying to cut others' kite- strings...Anyway, I tend to just stick my box kite in the sand--the star one is tough to handle in strong winds.

Also, this Frenchmen posted this site which has some cool toys I want:
http://spacetoys.com/


The other way to cut the kite string, was to smash a bottle, grind it to pieces, apply glue to the line, and run the line through the powdered glass fragments....you'd only forget that section of line running it out or in once...:( a sawing action was required by pulling on the strings when crossed. Clever, those Chinese.

[Skyywatcher]

New computer which I haven't screwed up YET.

[sarongsong]

Just paid $25 at a coin shop for this delightfully efficient 30X tool, only to later google:
POCKET MICROSCOPE for $14.95 (http://www.homeschoolscience.com/favorites/pocket_microscope.html)
There's a 50X model and an adjustable 60-80-100X unit available from other suppliers, too, in the same body style as the 30X.

[The_Radiation_Specialist]

I saved money for about 8 months to get one of these (http://mindstorms.lego.com/eng/products/ris/index.asp)!

This is awesome LEGO robot. You never get bored of it :D

[Parrothead]

Yeah, this is a bump of an old thread. I found my copy of Polarity, last night (it was in a box at the very back of the crawlspace) and just had to pull it out, after all these years (15+). I headed to the site, I linked to last year in this thread, for a quick look at the rules, as all I seem to have is a piece of paper describing various scenarioes, that may arise during game play.

It seems this game has had an interesting/obscure history. I bought my copy back in 1986/87, when it was first getting some attention for being designed and produced locally. From that point, it fell into obscurity with the rights moving to different companies. It seems to have found a home for production, over the past few years. This has led to some more marketing of the product. Turns out last September the Museum of Science in England, awarded "Polarity" the title of overall winner "Smart game/toy" in its inaugural "Smart Toys Awards". :cool:

The only negative comments I have found, had to do with quality of game pieces, in one of the production runs.

Links: The earlier one goes to homepage of the current game publishers.

Reviews and info: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/380

Smart Toy Award (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/about_us/press_and_media/press_releases/2006/09/424.aspx?keywords=smart+toy)

The criteria for judging was based on the Science Museum’s unique approach used to develop its famous interactive gallery exhibits‚ such as Launch Pad and The Garden‚ and to select products for the Science Museum Store and own branded range.

Each entry had to be priced between £5 and £50 and be suitable for children between the ages of 6 and 14. ... 1. SMart Game Category and overall Smart Toy Winner: Polarity ... Jean Franczyk‚ Science Museum said: “This game looks simple but is challenging and innovative. It requires skill‚ concentration and a basic understanding of how magnetic forces work. We felt it fits with the Science Museum’s mission to engage young people with science perfectly.” ...

I will, now, get around to seeing, if I'm still able to create "leaners" after all these years. :lol:

[yuzuha]

Hiëronymus Bosch Action Figures. (I'm trying to collect them all.)

http://www.3d-mouseion.com/engels/bosch_eng.htm


Those are so cute! Mostly I have dragons, Hindu deities and various small Japanese figurines and kokeshi dolls.

Toys? Hm I have one of those globes with the mini tesla coil inside. Other than that most of mine are a bit more functional... couple of shortwave radios I built from kits, a couple of LCR/impedance meters, dual trace oscilloscope, stereo microscope, metallurgical microscope, 80mm f/7 refractor, digital microscope camera, an old Canon T90 film camera and a rock tumbler (if my parents had been rich, I probably would have turned the basement into a lapidary shop/physics lab :D )

[Melusine]

Yeah, this is a bump of an old thread. I found my copy of Polarity, last night (it was in a box at the very back of the crawlspace) and just had to pull it out, after all these years (15+). I headed to the site, I linked to last year in this thread, for a quick look at the rules, as all I seem to have is a piece of paper describing various scenarioes, that may arise during game play.

It seems this game has had an interesting/obscure history. I bought my copy back in 1986/87, when it was first getting some attention for being designed and produced locally. From that point, it fell into obscurity with the rights moving to different companies. It seems to have found a home for production, over the past few years. This has led to some more marketing of the product. Turns out last September the Museum of Science in England, awarded "Polarity" the title of overall winner "Smart game/toy" in its inaugural "Smart Toys Awards". :cool:

The only negative comments I have found, had to do with quality of game pieces, in one of the production runs.

Links: The earlier one goes to homepage of the current game publishers.

Reviews and info: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/380

Smart Toy Award (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/about_us/press_and_media/press_releases/2006/09/424.aspx?keywords=smart+toy)



I will, now, get around to seeing, if I'm still able to create "leaners" after all these years. :lol:

You're awesome, Parrothead...I was trying to find this game on Amazon the other day - I couldn't remember the name from when you first mentioned it, so I was looking up "magnetic games." Still couldn't find it. Thanks!

But I want this big time: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-2/qid=1172121790/ref=sr_1_2/602-9182367-4936657?ie=UTF8&asin=B000HCT7NC

I got the link from the xkcd.com comics blag. I'm not sure at 5'8" and oh-too-many-pounds I'd fit, but I like the idea of grown-up ones like rover-delivering balloons. And it's red! Perhaps for my niece...

[Parrothead]

You're awesome, Parrothead...I was trying to find this game on Amazon the other day - I couldn't remember the name from when you first mentioned it, so I was looking up "magnetic games." Still couldn't find it. Thanks!

But I want this big time: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-2/qid=1172121790/ref=sr_1_2/602-9182367-4936657?ie=UTF8&asin=B000HCT7NC

I got the link from the xkcd.com comics blag. I'm not sure at 5'8" and oh-too-many-pounds I'd fit, but I like the idea of grown-up ones like rover-delivering balloons. And it's red! Perhaps for my niece...

You're welcome. :)

LOL! One of those would be good for dealing with crowds in malls, come xmas season.

[mike alexander]

My 10" Meade LX200GPS. It produces incredible amounts of clouds.

[crosscountry]

LOL, you should try living in Germany. I do get to see the stars on occasion. Now I don't wonder why all the famous German astronomers went to other countries/continents.

:LOL:

[farmerjumperdon]

Well, not MY toy, but anyway. Picked up a new baseball bat for the kids. Man have they gone high tech since I was that age. They now come with a swing rating; a number that compares the potential to create bat speed.

The 9 year old said she wants more speed and action (chip off the old block) so she is passing on softball and is trying out for the 10 & Under travelling baseball team.

Took a little batting practice last evening and she is definitely going to have to adjust from swinging a softball bat; way out in front of pitches.

[publiusr]

I have the new Art Asylum Diamond Select toy TOS enterprise.

Some Cage models were released early by mistake.
http://www.starshipmodeler.net

[Pinemarten]

I have an '88 Buick Park Avenue. I consider it a toy, but many people on the streets of Edmonton seem to take it seriously.

Argos, I want to eventually build and RC car with a car battery and car starter as a power train.
Has this been done?
It should do about 40-50 mph, jump nice, got through walls, etc. It may only get 10 minutes on a charge though. A fun 10 minutes mind you.

[LurchGS]

uuh.. what isn't a toy?

favorites.. well, George has to be right up there - he's a 4ft tall stuffed bear that rode in the front passenger seat when I used to commute between Seattle and Denver. Scared the .um.. daylights out of more than one gas station attendant in Oregon

Life sized Bill the Cat

the 6 foot long black dragon my wife made me when we lived right outside the gates of Alaska's prison

Nikon Maxxum 7000 camera (yes, film - though a Sony DSLR A-1000 is on the to-get list.. There's photography and there's snapshots)

My flexible wooden snake that scared the ... same thing as the other guy .. out of more than one mover.

computers etc don't count - too many to develop a fondness for any of them.
Well, except the Toshiba 3110 - can't quite make up its mind whether its a hand-held or a real laptop. It's just so CUTE.

my 1948 Simplex multimeter (that gets jealous every time I break out the Fluke)

My very first computer (Apple IIc) with a flat- screen monitor

My very SECOND computer (Apple IIGS) withOUT a flat screen monitor, but with my first hard drive (60 MB, $900 - what a bargain!)

Other than that, I'm surrounded by dragons, stuffed whatevers, and books. Lots and lots of books. But books aren't toys. Toys are optional. Books are like oxygen.

[crosscountry]

I just bought a motorcycle to tour around Europe a little. It was a good investment in my sanity plus has practical purposes.

http://photos.crosscountryadventures.us/thumbnails.php?album=97