Well being the nerd that I am, I get enthusiastic about things, 99% of people our age do not even think about or care about for that matter. Take for instance the latest trend of bringing back the toys of our youth. Barbie, who does not look a day over 35, is 50 this year! GI Joe, is 35 and my all time favorite Transformers turn 25. These were toys of our choosing as children and toy executives have brought out the special editions to draw us into buying them for our "kids" and by "kids" I mean ourselves. They continue to find ways to separate our hard earned cash from our pockets by sending us retro versions of our old favorites. And I am biting, hard in fact.
Where am I going with this you ask? Well I said I am a nerd and that goes right along with my obsession (there is that word again) with Transformers. As a child I had a lot of them. I had the little ones, I had the big ones, I had the good ones (Autobots) and the bad ones (Decepticons). I even had a few knock off versions called GoBots. All in all I had way too many of those little robot/car/airplane toys. I can remember my first (Blaster, a boombox) and my favorite (Tracks, a blue corvette). I can also remember every garage sale where I parted ways with my toys for a quick buck to waste on stupid things or other, newer toys. And thanks to Ebay, I will never be able to afford the ones that got away.
With the most recent release of the live action version of Transformers, which I loved, they have released a ton of new toys. Many of which are renamed versions of old classics, and yes, I have picked up a few in a moment of weak nostalgia. Even more recently they have released the 25th anniversary editions which are trickling out and yes, I have one of those too. While they are not quite the same old, same old, they are closer than some of the more recent editions.
While the target audience for the new toys is definitely the kids, they do not appreciate nor care about them as much as we ever will. For example, I have a nephew that has a few transformers but his primary focus is Nintendo everything, Wii and DS. He has no concept of how great those toys are and what he is missing out by not taking full advantage of playing with them and collecting them. But as for me on the other hand, I am really enjoying the re-release as it makes it more affordable to pick up a few pieces of my childhood and have something to pass on to a younger generation. Something to show to my kid or kids when they grow up. A bit of a time vault for them but sweet memories for me.
Where am I going with this you ask? Well I said I am a nerd and that goes right along with my obsession (there is that word again) with Transformers. As a child I had a lot of them. I had the little ones, I had the big ones, I had the good ones (Autobots) and the bad ones (Decepticons). I even had a few knock off versions called GoBots. All in all I had way too many of those little robot/car/airplane toys. I can remember my first (Blaster, a boombox) and my favorite (Tracks, a blue corvette). I can also remember every garage sale where I parted ways with my toys for a quick buck to waste on stupid things or other, newer toys. And thanks to Ebay, I will never be able to afford the ones that got away.
With the most recent release of the live action version of Transformers, which I loved, they have released a ton of new toys. Many of which are renamed versions of old classics, and yes, I have picked up a few in a moment of weak nostalgia. Even more recently they have released the 25th anniversary editions which are trickling out and yes, I have one of those too. While they are not quite the same old, same old, they are closer than some of the more recent editions.
While the target audience for the new toys is definitely the kids, they do not appreciate nor care about them as much as we ever will. For example, I have a nephew that has a few transformers but his primary focus is Nintendo everything, Wii and DS. He has no concept of how great those toys are and what he is missing out by not taking full advantage of playing with them and collecting them. But as for me on the other hand, I am really enjoying the re-release as it makes it more affordable to pick up a few pieces of my childhood and have something to pass on to a younger generation. Something to show to my kid or kids when they grow up. A bit of a time vault for them but sweet memories for me.
So do I as I did and reclaim a piece of your childhood, no matter what it is. If it is transformers, barbies or GI Joe, they are still out there, and you can grab a few retro versions. If it is something else, well I hate to say it but Ebay is there.
Maybe I will go a little deeper this week and show you my "collection". We will see. And if you have any old transformers you want to part with, give me a shout. I am sure we could make an arrangement.
Until next time...
Your not a nerd!! Ha!
ReplyDeleteYeah, yeah, you have not seen the number of transformers that I have, my nephew is jealous!
ReplyDelete