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Episode 100: The 2022 Holiday Special Feat. A Mystery Guest
860 Plays3 years ago
Happy Holidays! We've arrived at episode 100 and our 4th volume of Ghosts of Christmas Past - our annual holiday special - with this year bringing the most special guest we've ever welcomed on the show.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank you - each and every one of you - for listening to our show over the last 3 years. We wouldn't still be doing this and hitting this milestone without you. Thanks for joining us on this adventure.
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Intro and other voices by Joe Azzari
https://www.instagram.com/voicesbyjoe/
Theme Music is "Game Boy Horror" by the Zombie Dandies
Proudly part of the Non-Productive Network
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Transcript
Introduction & Zencastr Promotion
00:00:00
Speaker
Dave, you know why I love using Zencaster? Is it because the recording quality is better than other methods of recording a podcast virtually? Nope. Is it because they offer a free version for hobbyists just getting started? No, not that. Is it because it's super easy to use for everyone and none of our guests have ever had an issue using it? That's not it. Is it because they offer automatic post-production and transcription services? Negative.
00:00:29
Speaker
Stop burying the lead. Why do you love Zencaster? It's because Zencaster is all of the things you just said, Dave. Well, and they sponsor this pod. That's right.
00:00:41
Speaker
Adventures in Collecting is powered by Zencaster. How about your pod? Get started now with Zencaster and use our code to start podcasting today. Visit zencaster.com slash pricing and use promo code AICpod to get 30% off your first three months of their professional plan or try it for free.
00:01:03
Speaker
That's z-e-n-c-a-s-t-r dot com slash pricing and use promo code AICPOD. Thank you, Mrs.
Santa's Christmas Reflections
00:01:24
Speaker
Claus. It looks like all of our final checks are complete and... Oh!
00:01:31
Speaker
I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this technology. Hello again, adventures and collecting friends. It's me, Santa Claus. I am told that by the time you all hear this message, I'll have already made my yearly journey around the world. But as I'm sure you're all well aware, Christmas is so much more than a day. Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!
00:02:01
Speaker
2022 was a year that found us gathering again. Though, we've continued to offer remote work options for our elves here at the North Pole, you know. I'm proud of so many of you for staying on the nice list this year. The world can certainly make that challenging. And don't think your good deeds and kindness don't go unrecognized.
00:02:26
Speaker
Now, if you'll excuse me, these cookies won't eat themselves, and your gifts certainly won't deliver themselves. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
00:02:51
Speaker
Are you ready, kids? Get your parents' permission, check your mailbox, and grab your shopping
Teasing the Special Guest
00:02:57
Speaker
cart. It's time for the Adventures in Collecting podcast. I'm Eric. And I'm Dave. Welcome to Adventures in Collecting, where we talk toy news, culture, and halls, along with our journeys as collectors. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Adventures.
00:03:20
Speaker
in collecting. Ho, ho, ho. Yes. Yes, indeed. Well, I mean, you're a day late and you're a dollar short, Dave. Technically, Christmas was yesterday. Yeah. And, you know, Santa dropped by, as usual.
00:03:41
Speaker
Yup, big shouts to our friends up in the North Pole. The elves, Mrs. Claus, Santa. Thanks for dropping by as always and spreading that holiday cheer. Hopefully you're resting up if you're listening, Santa. And for recording an intro, he better be listening. He recorded an intro. I mean, isn't he always listening?
00:04:07
Speaker
he knows he's always watching and he knows if you've been bad or good yeah yeah yeah so he's got to be careful though that always watching thing that's like a cancelable offense at this point but i mean i guess santa's immune to that though he's special i mean also roz from monstersing always watching i can't i can't do the voice i'm not gonna even try um though i did try but uh too late to try
00:04:34
Speaker
So it is our annual holiday episode and you know, it's this is what our third, fourth? Third? I don't know. But third sounds
Revealing the Special Guest: Mom's Influence
00:04:45
Speaker
right. It's also our 100th numbered episode, Dave. Yes. So I might have downloaded this more than 100 times, but the bonus episodes and the news don't count. Yes, this is our our 100th.
00:05:03
Speaker
numbered episode and I it just We did not plan it to fall as our Christmas over but uh, like for it for like a championship belt It's like a lineal champion. So it's our 100th lineal episode good. I like that vote the vocab word very nice Dave and You know, so it's our hundredth episode. It's a special episode. It's a
00:05:28
Speaker
It's the holiday episode. There's a lot happening here that's special. So of course. There is.
Mom's Christmas Memories
00:05:35
Speaker
And Eric, you've been burying that lead for quite a bit now. I have. In the hype train. Yeah, the hype train has been rolling. And I have to say, we put up an Instagram story and we let people guess. And we had some very funny guesses as to who was our special guest today. So I'm not going to.
00:05:58
Speaker
not gonna throw anybody's guests under the on you know anybody who guessed you know interesting ones but I but I am gonna mention a couple of a couple of the people so um one per a few people guest uh guest Mark Hamill um which
00:06:17
Speaker
I mean, our guest was even taken aback by that. Yeah, but bless your soul for thinking that Mark Hamill, A, knows that we exist, and B, had time the week before Christmas to come on. Had time the day after Christmas, Eric. The day after Christmas, the day after Christmas. Dolph Lundren was another guest. I mean, I don't... That would have ruled, but...
00:06:46
Speaker
Again, two people, if Mark Dolph, if you're out there listening, you're welcome to come on the show. Um, all ego Ethan Page was, was a suggestion. And we got to tell a little, a little story about a time that he actually almost was very nearly a guest on this show, but due to a, uh, an unfortunate last minute scheduling conflict, uh, that, uh, that popped up and unfortunately he couldn't make it. Um, so, so Ethan, once again, you know, you're, you're welcome.
00:07:13
Speaker
As well, a couple of people who must be new listeners. Guessed a couple of past guests. Uh, Matt Cardona, Lenny and our friends, Lenny and Emily from, from the Hasbro team. We'll actually hear from later. Um, yeah. So technically I guess they are on the show, but nope, they're there. That's not the answer either. But a past guest.
00:07:34
Speaker
did actually guess this right. Shouts to Hasbro and Marvel Legends team, Ryan Ting, he guessed this. Yeah, I saw that and I was like, wow.
00:07:51
Speaker
And he got it. Yeah. Nailed it. Um, so, you know, just as a primer, cause I'm not going to put the guest in the title of the episode. So you're downloading this and you're like, you still don't know who it is. Um, so I, I said that this is the most special and important guest that we've ever had on the show integral to this show's existence, even, um, which none of this is hyperbole because like literally integral to the existence.
00:08:20
Speaker
Without this person, frankly, Dave, we wouldn't exist. We would not. Eric, if you would not bury the lead. Mom, welcome to Adventures in Collecting, Mom. Hi, I'm so happy to be doing this. My two favorite, well, favorite people
00:08:46
Speaker
I have other favorites now. Thanks to you, Eric. Without Eric, that wouldn't be possible. Without Eric, yes, I would not have. But my sons are my boys. I love you both tremendously to the moon and back, like I tell my granddaughters now.
00:09:10
Speaker
And also I have a daughter, I don't consider her a daughter-in-law, I consider her my daughter. So I'm blessed and I'm very happy to, and I hope I'm not disappointing all these people who wanted all these other guests because they, you know, I really don't feel like compared to them, but you know,
00:09:34
Speaker
Well, listen, you know, it would be unfair of us in for any other guests, right? To say that, that any other guests would be more special than any other guests that we've had on, right? Like we can't, we can't say that, you know, one toy designer or artist is more important than another, you know, that, that would not be fair.
Childhood Wishes and Surprises
00:09:53
Speaker
Exactly. But, you know.
00:09:55
Speaker
Special, special circumstances, you know, Dave and I offline have, I don't know if we've mentioned it on the show, but, but I know offline we've joked that if we ever got to episode 100, we should have mom on because it would be fun. And like, we've gone back and forth, like, you know, how, like, what would the topic be? And when it just landed on Christmas, we were like,
00:10:14
Speaker
It was like it makes sense. This is perfect. Timing is perfect. Everything is perfect. So, Mom, before we get into the questions that we have concocted specifically for you, since this is a show about collecting, the first thing that we ask all of our guests, I know you're not currently collecting anything other than yarn and needles, but have you ever collected anything? Were you ever a collector?
00:10:42
Speaker
Well, yes. Back in the day, I really enjoyed clowns. I know there are people out there that are afraid of clowns. A lot of children consider clowns a little scary, and to be quite honest, they can be. But for some reason, I liked clowns, so I had
00:11:04
Speaker
been collecting figurines. I would go to garage sales and sometimes people would give them as gifts to me because they knew I liked them. But I do have a few clown figurines and then
00:11:22
Speaker
I started actually doing things through the Bradford exchange. I don't know if everybody's aware of that, but we were collecting the plates, Norman Rockwell. And then there was a designer, and I can't think now of the name, but they did like nursery rhyme type plates. And I have a few of those that I collected. At one time I thought in my house I would put some kind of railing up and kind of
00:11:51
Speaker
so that I could place them around so everybody could see them, but that never came to. So they're still in their box, and maybe they're of some value, and at some point, maybe my granddaughters could do something with them.
00:12:10
Speaker
As far as my figurines, there might be a couple that might be worth something, but a lot of them were just regular. Like I said, store-bought, you could buy them in a store. They weren't expensive. And one other thing would be Lennox. I do like Lennox China. I always did. And I have some really pretty pieces. And again, their value were to me,
00:12:37
Speaker
You know, I don't know how many people really are into collecting that kind of stuff anymore. You know, I feel like collecting from the past, you know, in the past, I always remember like sad, like you had sad clowns, like you were really into like the hobo.
00:12:51
Speaker
looking clowns like the like sad clowns. I don't know. Are there any other way to put a sad clown? Yeah, they weren't. They weren't like spooky looking type clowns. Like I said, sometimes clowns can be scary. I really, um, but no, my, I, you're absolutely correct, Eric. I, they were more the hobo type, you know, um, at pretty, I just thought they were pretty. They weren't, you know, and colorful, um,
00:13:19
Speaker
You know, I don't know. There was just something about clowns that I liked and after a while it got like too many. So, um, I kind of just said to everybody, you know, stop buying me clowns. Like I don't have any room to put them anymore. You know, can only put so many on a shelf. So, and there's a sentence that I didn't think I was going to hear today. Stop buying me clowns.
00:13:40
Speaker
Yeah, I did. I had to actually cut them off because I was getting duplicates, like I said, too. You can only put so many things on a shelf. As you get older, there's just too much dusting and cleaning involved in collecting all that. As of today, no.
00:14:06
Speaker
If anything, we're all collecting dust. That's what I'm collecting, dust. But no, that's about it as far as me collecting anything. So mom, what was Christmas like for you as a kid? Oh, okay. So I have a twin.
00:14:25
Speaker
And I had a younger brother, so when we were little, my sister and my other brother, there was five of us, five children. My older sister and brother were a good, well, my sister nine years older, my other brother maybe five years older.
00:14:46
Speaker
So the three of us basically were small, the younger kids. So Christmas for us was always pretty much what we want, what we ask, what we got. We were very lucky in that way. My parents were
00:15:03
Speaker
were very good to us, especially at Christmas time. But through the year, we didn't get anything. It wasn't like today, how can I say it? A lot of the children, whatever they ask for, they seem to get. So that wasn't the case. And back in the day when we were little, you look forward to receiving things at Christmas time or your birthday. And even birthdays weren't as extravagant as they are today.
00:15:33
Speaker
But Christmas was always pretty good. My parents were pretty kind, I'm going to say, considering. They worked hard and we kind of got
00:15:45
Speaker
at least one thing that we really wanted. So my mother or my father used to say, you better tell Santa at least one thing that you really want. So I had to stop and think because I thought, well, there's really like maybe three or four things, but what do I really want? Because that's probably what I'm going to get. And that's exactly what happened.
00:16:08
Speaker
Well, I mean, you grew up in around the same time period as like that. The movie, a Christmas story is set in, right? Like when Ralphie was a little boy, like similar. And I mean, anyone who's seen that movie culturally, I think understands that, you know, he was asking for one thing for like an entire year and he had to wait until Christmas to get it. And like, right. That's the thing anymore.
00:16:31
Speaker
Right, and there were some people in the neighborhood that were fortunate enough to get things sooner, and that was the other thing. You'd have a friend that would have something that you really wanted, and they would have it first, and you'd wait and wait and wait, and you'd say, I hope I get that for Christmas, because that's what I really wanted. It was that kind of way. I mean, we just didn't get things
00:16:57
Speaker
because we wanted them, you know, you had to wait. It was that type of thing. But when you got it, it was like, you know, it felt great because. Again, you know that you looked forward to it for a full year, hoping that at Christmas time, Santa was going to bring that to you, you know, so. So you mentioned people would get things, you know, early. What were what were some of the toys that like everybody like that you remember, like the toys that like everybody wanted for Christmas, like more like popular things?
Favorite Childhood Gifts
00:17:25
Speaker
Well, when I was younger, it was, for instance, like a Barbie doll. Barbies were very big back in those days for me. Bicycle. Oh my goodness, to have a bicycle. Because if whoever had a bicycle in the neighborhood, I mean, we would be like, it might turn to ride. Can I ride your bike? It was that type of thing. A bike to get a bicycle was a really big deal.
00:17:52
Speaker
back when we were little, you know, you just, they were expensive. And then if there were three children or four, you know,
00:18:00
Speaker
or two even in a family, you couldn't get one a bike and not the other. You know, so we really had a way. And then you had a way to make sure, like in our case, we had to, my brother and my twin brother and I, we had to wait for like, say a bike until, you know, my youngest brother was able to ride because we didn't get like a tricycle and then a bicycle. We got, you got a bicycle and if you were too small for it,
00:18:28
Speaker
Well, you grew into that bike It wasn't like you got a bike to fit you, you know They put the training wheel would put training wheels on or I don't know if you if today I don't even know if they sell them But we used to get these block things that went on the pedals So that your feet could touch the pedal so yeah, you could pedal No, I don't think I don't think they I don't think they they make they sell those anymore I'm sure people still you know
00:18:56
Speaker
have to rig them up, but that's definitely not a thing they sell anymore. That's what they actually did. They would put these things on your pedal so that if your legs were too short, like I said, because that bicycle was going to last you a couple of years. And it's funny because that was probably one of a big year when the three of us came down and there were three bicycles. I mean, oh my goodness. And then a girl across the street asked to ride my bike.
00:19:25
Speaker
And I have to tell you this because I'm on the subject, but I was hesitant to let her, because this is my new bicycle. I just got this. And what do you think? She gets on that bicycle and rams it right into a tree.
00:19:40
Speaker
The whole front wheel was twisted. I was heartbroken. And I got the slap in the head, the back of my head, like, well, you let her ride it. You're cool. I was like, but dad, what was I going to do? You get all upset. But that's how it was.
00:19:58
Speaker
We played when I say neighborhood, whatever you got, you played outside with it and you shared it basically. If kids didn't have something, we shared with one another. That's the way it was.
00:20:14
Speaker
You know, that could, that's like playing dolls. And you know, I would say we would sit on the, on the porch outside and play Barbie dolls or hopscotch or jump rope, Chinese jump rope. I mean, you know, that was, that was growing up in those days. That's, that's how we played. So, but yeah, my favorite probably was getting a bicycle other than my Barbie doll.
00:20:38
Speaker
because that was another favorite. And then I have another doll, and I have another story. I don't know if anybody really wants to hear it, but... Well, we'll get there. We'll get there. We'll get there. Okay. I could go on and on. You know that, guys. Was there ever anything on your list that Santa, or for Santa, that you never got, but wish you did?
00:21:04
Speaker
No, no, if I can't think of anything like that where I really didn't a pony No, probably okay, maybe as I got older Yes I would say like I wanted because then I became like a little bit of a hippie and I always wanted and I finally got them because I got myself a job and bought them on my own but I always wanted we back in the day we wore moccasins and
00:21:31
Speaker
And they didn't have a soul. And that was the big thing. My mother felt
00:21:39
Speaker
they weren't going to last because there's nothing on the bottom. And when you walk in these, you're going to walk in them a couple of days or a week or so, and then there's going to be holes and there's not going to be, and waste of money. Now I'm not spending that kind of money. And so she wouldn't buy them for me, but we were into all that. They were suede made of suede. I mean, they were real moccasins.
00:22:02
Speaker
To the point of where she was absolutely correct and I wouldn't tell her that I had holes in them, what I did was I would go home and the back of my notebook, because it was like hard cardboard, I cut it. I would make a cutout and put it inside the moccasin so that when I was... You're a real free spirit, Mom.
00:22:25
Speaker
Yeah, when I was walking, my foot wasn't actually touching the outside, you know. But yeah, it did. They wore down and because I wore them out until, you know, they couldn't wear them anymore. But that was the one thing that I kept asking for and I thought, for sure. And the one year I saw the box and I thought, yay, I'm getting my moccasins and it was ice skates.
00:22:52
Speaker
And I didn't know how to ice skate and I could never learn to ice skate. It was crazy. I used to fall constantly. I just came out on state. So I was disappointed. That was probably the one thing that I wanted that I didn't get. So you kind of alluded to it before and Dave and I both know the story, but I think we know where you're going to go with this. But do you have a
00:23:16
Speaker
Uh, you mentioned the bike, you mentioned the Barbies, but is there anything else that was like a favorite memory, you know, from Christmas, like a thing that you got for Christmas that like, you know, you'll never forget. Yes. I got the Shirley Temple doll one year, the real Shirley Temple doll. And not only did I get the doll, but I got the outfits that for each movie or film that she did.
00:23:46
Speaker
Um, the sailor dress, you know, her little outfits. I got the outfits along with it. So I always, I, I mean, I used to watch early temple all the time.
00:23:58
Speaker
growing up. And I was thrilled. The thing was, my mother said, this is the type of doll that you really shouldn't take outside and again play with and take it all apart. You should hold on to it because it will have value as you get older. And maybe you'll have children, you can pass it down to your children. It would be nice to keep.
00:24:27
Speaker
Anyway, in the back, she came and you can see her. So I was okay with that. And this was like, it was, this is just so that people, because remember people are listening to this. It's just like, they could kind of picture this doll. This, this isn't like a, like a 10 inch tall Barbie. It's like, this was like a 12 inch tall, like doll.
00:24:45
Speaker
Yeah, maybe 16 inches. Probably porcelain maybe. No, no, no. She was a regular boxed doll, but she was, yes. Exactly Eric. It's the 1960 for doll aficionados that may be listening. It's the 1960 ideal toys. Ideal, still a company actually. Ideal toys, Shirley Temple doll.
00:25:10
Speaker
She had the ringlets. I mean, she looked like, really looked like Shirley Temple. She had the dimples. I mean, there was just, I mean, it was a beautiful doll. And like I said, I got the outfits and I put them all. She would be on the dresser in my room, you know.
00:25:28
Speaker
And I had, you know, I loved that I finally got, you know, this doll. And like I said, I really didn't play with her. And then something terrible. I came home one day and my doll was gone. And well, her efforts.
00:25:50
Speaker
along with one of my Barbie dolls and some outfits. And I thought, you know, somebody came in and robbed the house and just took my dolls. Like, are you kidding me? So I got really upset. I got angry first. You know, later I cried, cried myself to sleep. But, um, my mother was like, I don't know. I don't know what happened to you. What do you mean? Your doll is gone. I said, my doll is gone. Show the temples gone. Where is,
00:26:16
Speaker
Lo and behold, my father gets home from work and tells me that he gave away my dog. I wasn't playing with it. You weren't playing with it.
00:26:26
Speaker
You didn't want it, you need it. So I gave it to a friend whose child, unfortunately, they didn't, doesn't have a lot. There's a lot of kids in the family. So I just begged him and brought it there. I said, am I Barbie doll too? And he said, you're getting too old to play with that Barbie doll anyway. What are you worrying about? I mean, this Barbie doll, if I still had her today, would be worth,
00:26:53
Speaker
a small fortune for sure, because she was one of the, like the original Barbie doll, you know. So,
The Shirley Temple Doll Story
00:27:00
Speaker
but the Shirley Temple Dolls are really, really upset me the most. And I said to him, to my father, where did you, who did you give this to? I actually went over to the person's house.
00:27:14
Speaker
Of course, now it's several days late or whatever and I rang the doorbell and I explained who I was and I said, um, Joe Pasega, that was my dad. I said, gave you your husband a doll. Um, but it, it's mine and I want it back. I would like it back.
00:27:34
Speaker
And now the next thing I see is this little child holding now Shirley Temple by her hair. He's out of the box. Her curls are no longer a curl, you know. And my Barbie doll is in the other hand, which has now, it looked like black magic marker all over it. I mean, the doll, both dolls were ruined. They were ruined.
00:27:58
Speaker
So the woman said, well, if you want, I'll see what, I don't know where the, I don't know where everything else is. I'll beg it and you can, you can take it. And I was like, forget, no, thank you. Forget it. I from, I left, they turned around, I laughed and I cried all the way home. It was destroyed. You know, it wasn't even, I mean, why would I take it back now? You know, but that was the, that was a horrible, horrible,
00:28:28
Speaker
horrible memory to have to deal with. But anyway, it's it's done. It was done. You know, we said favorite Christmas. That was supposed to be a favorite Christmas. Well, it was. It just wasn't anymore. So yeah, but the actual the actual doll was the favorite Christmas memory. And then, you know, Papa went and and Papa Papa'd. Yeah.
00:28:53
Speaker
He thought he was doing, then he explained. He thought he said, you know, I had, and I know, you know what, listen, you know, it is like I said, it's yeah, through the eyes of an adult all these years later, that little, that doll that was, that made your Christmas special ended up, you know, you know, she didn't play with it the way that you did, but right. It made her happy. We've all seen toy story. Yeah. Yeah.
00:29:21
Speaker
So now as an adult, do you ever think like, you know, man, I should check eBay or like, you know, I'm going to I'm going to try to find that doll again.
00:29:29
Speaker
Um, I think I tried one time and for some reason could not find it. The one that I had. I mean, they have a lot of, and I didn't even realize how many were, were made. Um, but, um, I guess I, she, I thought she was like an original, but I guess she really wasn't because there were older ones that were made, but the one that I had really, really looked like the Shirley Temple. The one shot.
00:29:56
Speaker
The one you had was reproduced several times again after in different outfits, but you had one that was like from like the, you know, late fifties, early sixties. So, so yeah, no, because after, like I said, you know, you like anything else, you know, you grow up and what was so important then, and it's a memory I'll always remember because of it, it happens. It's, it's not, it doesn't mean, you know, it's, it's a material thing. I mean, it's not.
00:30:27
Speaker
You know, I didn't lose sleep too much sleep over it. You know, let's, let's put it that way, you know. And now a word from our sponsors.
00:30:41
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:31:47
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:32:28
Speaker
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00:32:52
Speaker
Go to blendjet.com and grab yours today. And be sure to use the promo code AIC12 to get 12% off your order and free two day shipping. So Eric, I ran to the store today and I was doing that power walking thing to the toy aisle. The guy next to me was too. And guess what happened?
00:33:21
Speaker
You were both headed for the same figure, weren't you? Yup, but I got there first. Now that's a close shave. You know what else is? A nice trim thanks to this show's sponsor, Manscaped.
00:33:35
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:34:47
Speaker
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00:35:07
Speaker
So Dave, let's, let's, let's wind the clock forward now.
Challenges of Pre-Internet Christmas Shopping
00:35:11
Speaker
You know, I know we usually call this ghost of Christmas past, so we're still in the past, but we're, we're jumping a few years. Dave, why don't you, let's, let's take mom to our past. Yeah. So, um, what was it like trying to find toys for, for us for Christmas before the internet? Uh-huh. Great answer. Next question.
00:35:35
Speaker
I remember, and there were Bradley's, let's say, I'm thinking of this. Yeah. Let's go down the list. Cause like, you know, I know we have, I know we have young listeners. Thanks Spotify demographics information. I know we have young listeners that are going to, this, this part I think is going to completely blow their minds. Cause like, yeah, like, cause they're used to Walmart target. Yeah.
00:35:59
Speaker
So, oh, no, no, there was no, it was Bradley's. It was, uh, plus Toys R Us. There was a door that was called Toys for Us or no toys. Some, there was another store. It was strictly toys to like a choice for us, but not as large. Okay. It was, um, well KB.
00:36:23
Speaker
KB toys, okay, all of these stores, I can tell you they used to send out flyers, number one. An old world. And you would look at these flyers and you'd say, yeah, you know, they say they have, say 50, and that's probably exaggerating, of whatever. And I remember, because your father used to say, you're crazy, what do you think you don't? I remember going out in the night, I remember getting up
00:36:53
Speaker
very early, very early in the morning, standing and sometimes in colds in the rain, whatever, waiting online to get into the store because, well, there's seven years between the two of you guys, but when you, whatever you've wanted, moi wanted to make sure you got.
00:37:15
Speaker
That was like my goal in life was to get everything you wanted, that you wanted, especially at Christmas. And I still probably, you're laughing, but like make a list and everything on that list.
00:37:33
Speaker
If it was a piece of gum, chewing gum, you know, there are certain flavor. I made sure I was going to get it. But anyway, so I would get online with all these other lunatic mothers. Most of them were mothers. I'm not going to say they were. There might've been a few fathers, but the majority of us were mothers. And we would wait online, wait online. And then the door doors would open and it was like, um,
00:37:59
Speaker
a charge, you know, everybody just like getting through the doors, getting, running to whatever aisle because you knew where the item was going to be. And you'd get there and it was nothing on the shelf, nothing. And I remember even having arguments with people and saying, I have the flyer that was supposed to be 50. I was 25 in line. How could it be gone? There's no way. And I would be, and that you got it.
00:38:27
Speaker
You got crazy and you know i walked out of this just saying i can't believe i just acted that way like oh my goodness over joy but you did because. Now i had to get back in that car and run to a different store and i mean i would hit every store it was.
00:38:44
Speaker
Until I found that too. And a lot of times I would be disappointed because it wouldn't be there. Then I have to go home and look through papers again, call people, you know, call my friends. Did you get it? Were you able to get it? Well, we'd call each other and we'd say, oh, if you're going there, I'm going to this other store.
00:39:03
Speaker
buy them because you know, the boy to you could sell it to somebody or bring it back to the store and return it so that some other person could have that toy. I'm telling you, because everything you guys wanted, everybody else wanted to. It wasn't like there was anything that you wanted. That was only you wanted. Everybody wanted it. It was always that that favorite toy that had to be, you know, and we were all went to get it.
00:39:33
Speaker
All right. So, so was there ever anything? So it's exactly the same as it is. Yeah. Yeah. So first of all, you can get, I think easier now. You know, so the problem is mom, the internet is a double edged sword thing. Yeah. You could pre, like now they do pre-orders, right? So like there's anyone that follows us on Instagram knows that like we post when pre-orders go live or like, you know,
00:40:01
Speaker
Hasbro will send out a press release. And, you know, we know that in a day or two, the pre-orders are going to go up. Same goes with Mattel for the wrestling figures, you know, that, that kind of stuff, right? Like there, there are quote unquote, they call them drops now. But the problem is, is like the pre-orders sell out and a lot of times that's it. Like they won't go to stores. They're online only, or, you know, there's a lot of stuff that, uh, you know,
00:40:29
Speaker
Target is kind of notorious for this, where you'll preorder something and they'll cancel your preorder. Like, you've- Or it'll show up in stores before the preorder gets shipped. And I mean, like, it's something that you could have preordered for months and months and months and months, sometimes as long as a year. And then all of a sudden, a year later, you get an email from Target that says, like, sorry, we can't fulfill your preorder.
00:40:52
Speaker
Yeah, or Walmart. I shouldn't just call out Target. Walmart does it too. Oh, no. Yeah. And like I said, the internet's a double-edged sword because there are tools out there that they're starting to get shut down at this point, but that have actually accessed the store's stock information. And you can put in a series of numbers and figure out what store has your thing in stock.
00:41:17
Speaker
But literally so can everyone else. Like that, the information is not, you know, it's not secret. In deference to the tool too. Like, you know, it's, it started to become something that's included on, you know, like for Walmart's website or for Target's website. Yeah, they just built it in. That way you could see before you head out. So kind of like the flyer, you know, like a physical flyer, it's just more up to date.
00:41:47
Speaker
You know, more, more, you know, live, but like, do you remember any specific toys that were like particularly difficult to find? I know you just said like, you know, we always wanted the popular thing, which makes sense, especially with action figures, but like, do you remember like a specific figure, a specific toy that was like a particular pain in the ass to find?
00:42:09
Speaker
the Batmobile when one of you wanted a Batmobile. For some reason, that Batmobile was very difficult. It seemed like as soon as it hit the shelves, it was gone. They were gone.
00:42:23
Speaker
And I can't remember what this was called. It wasn't, I don't believe it was Transformers. Might've been Power. It was a thing that was, it became a huge robot. The arms were like figures. The legs became- That could be two things. Voltron. It's Voltron. Maybe it was that. That was that you wanted it. I forgot who won, David. That's me.
00:42:51
Speaker
Um, and oh, that drove me crazy because that was so hard to get. Um, and, and that too was constantly off to every time I would call, I would call a store and by the time it got there was gone, you know, because they wouldn't hold, that was the thing. They wouldn't hold anything for you. What, what they did do back in the day, I don't think you can do that anymore is they had what they called the layaway.
00:43:17
Speaker
There's still a layaway. Okay. If we went, if I went to the store, like say in October, because I knew you guys, somebody wanted something, I can put it on. I could put it on layaway and pay it off, which was great. Um, and I used to do a lot of that as long as every week you paid more on it. Otherwise they would put it back on the shelf on you too. And, and just, just give you,
00:43:43
Speaker
a your money back on whatever you had originally put down. Say if it was $50 and you pay 20 to it and you forgot to go or forgot to pay more, they put it out there and then you would get your $20 credit. But I did a lot of things like that because I could do want to bring it in the house and have you got anybody find it. And it was just an easy way to get something that was there.
00:44:09
Speaker
and sometimes that didn't work either because again and Eric you were good for things like this where you wanted like Halloween I'm gonna be and then a week later you wanted to be something else so it was like buying something and then you saying oh I really don't know if I really want that anymore which is was rare in your case in in in both of you because it was either a lot of figures you know things that for instance I mean we went through
00:44:39
Speaker
how many figures I mean it was it was he men at first with with with jave masters of the universe oh my goodness yes and it was he men and then it was um and then it was Rambo
00:44:56
Speaker
and a lot of Rambo figures. Then wrestling became popular, and then it was the wrestling ring, and I don't know how many wrestling rings we went to, because I would get one, and then I would buy it, and then on TV, he'd say, that's the ring I want. See, that's the wrestling ring I want, Sandra Banner. I would be like, oh, that's not the one I bought. So it was like running back to the store to get the one you wanted,
00:45:21
Speaker
returning the one I already bought. I mean, a lot of times if your father ever knew some of the things that went on for shopping, he would probably like really go ballistic. But, you know, this is what I mean. It was always, then it was turtles, the Teenage Mutant Turtles. Then it was, do you want me to keep going?
00:45:46
Speaker
I said Bolchon, then it was Power Ranges, then it was GI Joes. They became very big thing for a while. We even went through the Matchbox cars, like different Matchbox for a while.
00:46:04
Speaker
uh the rat and then it didn't end with just small wrestlers or big wrestlers they were like giant sized ones which is another story i can tell of eric being very very small and coming one morning to kind of get me up i guess and clocking me
00:46:23
Speaker
when I actually got my whole eye turned black and blue. And my cheek because you caught me like right on the bone. And I would I was walking around for a while people thinking that I was an abused housewife. But all because I hate you with Andre the Giant. And that was that hurt. I will tell you that because that was those big ones at that time. But so what if I told you that literally every single toy toy line that you just mentioned
00:46:53
Speaker
is literally like, you just named like the top 10 most popular toys like now, right now. B.I. Joe, Power Rangers. Then it became Batman and all the different, you know, Superman. I mean, you know, because we even got, what was it? The Superman play set. I'm trying to think of what it was. The Hall of Justice. Hall of Justice.
00:47:21
Speaker
I mean, because it didn't just come, it didn't stop with figures. You, you guys had to have some of the, the, the things they wrote in. Well, the play sets. I mean, we went through a couple of back caves, I think. Remember that one, remember that back cave? That was, we talked about this actually last year on the show, but do you remember when the back cave, that was three pieces with like zip line and stuff that connected. It was like three floating islands together. I think it was the best. Yes.
00:47:48
Speaker
And I remember a lot of times when you were putting them together and if there were decals on so many differences. And not so much with you, Eric, but with David.
00:48:01
Speaker
Even when he was young, Dave, you were so like this sticker had to be just right. I mean, God forbid if it was off, it wasn't put on, you'd go like, no, no, it's got to go. That's why Dave always did the decals for me. I learned that at a very early age. That was like.
00:48:22
Speaker
Yes, I'm not wrong because that's how he was. So a lot of times he did them because I, you know, if I was awful little, it wasn't the right way, you know, but, um, and that was crazy because they, well, most things did have like things play sets and stuff had decals, of course, but, um,
00:48:39
Speaker
It was, it, it, it, there was a lot of, not to mention you guys were even into collect. Well, David was with your father, the, the baseball cards. I mean, I remember how many times you would go on a Saturday or a Sunday to, to collect, to get boxes of baseball cards. And I thought, you know, why, like what good is, you know, where was it going? Like, where are these going? But there was always, there was some, some cards, Dave.
00:49:09
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, the choice I understand, because after a while, too, although it was difficult to give anything away, in Dave's case anyway. Eric, again, you were a little more flexible, but Dave was not, David really did not like to give anything away. I don't know if that's the right take on that. I'm a little bit... You haven't...
00:49:39
Speaker
You haven't seen my, my space recently, but sticking with sticking with Christmas morning, you know, you mentioned all those toys and
Christmas Morning Traditions
00:49:48
Speaker
everything. What are some of the, like your memories of like us when we were kids on Christmas morning? Like, do you remember like, was there like a particular thing that like you remember us opening and being so excited for? Cause like my memories of Christmas, like as much as I hate to admit it, um,
00:50:04
Speaker
Like my brain is mush. There are very honestly, like very few things that I remember. Like I remember the toys that I had, but like, I don't remember that first time. Like I opened something. Like I just, I just don't.
00:50:15
Speaker
Yeah, a lot of times it was overwhelming. And in one case, I will probably now that I'm older say, your father used to say, way too much stuff here. And the problem that became, the reason that happened was, again, because I would start out earlier to try to shop.
00:50:39
Speaker
And then you kind of forget what you bought. You know, it's put aside, you're hiding it. And when you go, I would remember to talk about staying up for hours to wrap because I wrapped everything individually. Like, you know, each figure was wrapped separately. I wanted you guys to really enjoy it. And you did. When you came down, it was, it was like overwhelming. You just didn't, you know,
00:51:07
Speaker
I think it was like way too much, but anyway, Christmas morning we'd always, you know, the best was we, your father and I would of course still be in our room and we would hear you.
00:51:22
Speaker
Well, you know, you go, you go try to get them up, you know, and I would laugh because we would make you almost wait, wait even a little bit longer to go does it. Cause you guys knew we, I used to say to you now, see, you can't catch Santa. So you cannot go downstairs until mom, you know, until we come go down first, you know, and so you, you, you,
00:51:46
Speaker
You'd go, Eric, you'd go to Dave and wake Dave up or Dave would wake them and say, no, you come in and see if they're awake. You know, I heard Santa, I know he came already, like you couldn't wait to come down. And of course we left the cookies and the cup of milk for Santa or whatever, you know, and you know, your father or I, whoever ate the cookie, probably was your father.
00:52:07
Speaker
the cookies, um, to make sure that, you know, like you have to cover all your bases. So we would come down and wait, wait, wait, wait a second. You guys eat the cookies. Santa didn't eat the cookies. Yeah, Santa did. That's what I meant. Then your father gave us the plan and the E. Did you hear me wrong? That's what I really meant to say. But anyway,
00:52:30
Speaker
We would put on the music. There was always music or before there was music, we would put on the Ulog with the music, Christmas music and you would come down and you would be like so excited because you'd see all the gifts and I'd have, you know,
00:52:54
Speaker
Santa would leave Eric's file and he'd leave Dave's file and then each one took a turn in opening something. And yeah, no, it was, I'm surprised Eric that you really don't remember because it was, you know, you were always excited. I remember, I remember all of these things. Like I remember the process because so, so to give everybody a little context, we lived in a, like a, you know, I guess you could say like Victorian era home.
00:53:22
Speaker
So I was in the nursery room. They don't really build houses like this anymore. So you had to walk through my bedroom to get to the master bedroom where you guys were. So it was impossible for you to get out of your room. It would be impossible in the morning on Christmas morning to get out of your room without knowing it. So I can remember convening
00:53:51
Speaker
in my room and having those conversations like, no, you go in this year. And I remember the piles, I remember where they used to be. And it always was overwhelming. And now as a parent, and you and I just had this conversation a week ago, it's like, I know I'm very well aware of how much space I have in the house.
00:54:17
Speaker
And, you know, the girls have their list for Santa and I got to make sure that Santa gets them stuff too. So like, we can't, you know, like it's, it's, it's a tough, it's a tough line to tow. And, you know, and I think Dave would agree, you know, you guys, you guys always did a great job. Like, I mean, it was, we were not, not for want, you know, we were, we know we were not for want.
00:54:39
Speaker
And it wasn't just the figures and that type of stuff. You got to remember, also, there were games. It started with Atari. And from Atari, it went into Nintendo. Nintendo went to Xbox. And then it was like Activision or whatever it was. Then it was, um, uh, help me. Um, PlayStation. PlayStation. PlayStation. But then, but it was PlayStation 1, 2, 3. What does it go up to now? 4, 5, whatever. And every time something like this came out,
00:55:09
Speaker
You guys wanted it. You know, it was game gear. It was the game boy. Then it was a game gear. I mean, but when each one of these, it wasn't like, you know, boy, I'll tell you, these companies are very smart because every game did not play in the new machines. So these $90 games, which a lot of them at the time were some would think, well, they went from 50 up.
00:55:36
Speaker
Yeah, $56 is kind of always in the... But, you know, unless it was... The Nintendo 64 ones were more. Yeah, there was some that were high. Then they weren't good anymore, you know, because now you had a different game system and you needed newer games. And then we had to... Who would take them? And my heart would like... Because again, I would get...
00:56:00
Speaker
You know, that game is how much? Well, you know what? Somebody's asking, and once your father would say, somebody was willing to pay like $200 for that $60 game. And I was like, uh, hello? No, they're not getting this game. You know, then the kids can't have it. But this is how, you know, it crazy it was out there. Because people, again, wanted the same games. I mean, whatever game was popular. And I would run to the store again and get these games.
00:56:30
Speaker
And then to find out like within what a year sometimes not even the year next year you're taking them and selling them for like a quarter. Training bring them into like whatever game store shop whatever it is for going for them and i'm like oh my no.
00:56:48
Speaker
I spent $60, he just got it. And David was good for that. He'd say, well, I got $2. And I was like, $2 to him was what? $5 was a lot. The game cost me $65. Like, hello? That's not a bargain. Listen, $5 in the early 90s, it's like $50 now.
00:57:10
Speaker
It's like even the movies, every movie that came out was another piece of that.
00:57:25
Speaker
Yeah, you know, CDs, DVDs, as you got older, I mean, you know, again, books, because then it was read, you know, you both like to enjoy, you know, you enjoyed reading. And that was always, I didn't mind that. I didn't mind buying a book and stuff, because I thought these books were going to have, you know, you're going to keep those things, even records to an extent. But just like anything else, CDs became DVDs.
00:57:52
Speaker
You know VHS is no longer and then it was a CD and then you know that now Nobody's even buying those because you can get everything on your online, you know or on your phone It's just a lot of yeah a lot of things like that, you know, it was it was it got very costly You know, but again, this is what parents do and you as a parent know this Eric you just want to make your children happy and sometimes you go to an extreme and
00:58:21
Speaker
probably overdo it. But again, I would ask you both to make a list and whatever that list was, I tried to make sure everything on that list. If I could get it, you got it. If I was able to. Well, thank you, Mom. You're welcome. Yeah. You're welcome.
00:58:44
Speaker
So now, you know, like we mentioned, there are two grandchildren. So what do you think is different about buying toys now? And is it easier to find stuff for Eric's children? Well,
00:58:59
Speaker
In Eric's case, Eric and Jess, only because, again, they're raising their children a little differently than what I would call, for me, the norm. They keep a certain level to how much they really want.
00:59:16
Speaker
the kids to have and, you know, um, they don't need to be spoiled and I get it, you know, and I'm the type of person and they probably know this that whenever I see these children, I can not bring something for them. And, you know, and so let me just, let me, so you know, that, you know, the phrase like, you know, you never show up to somebody's house empty handed, like you really, that is like buried in your DNA.
00:59:43
Speaker
Yeah. I'm my mother's daughter though. Nana was like that, kind of. Nana was, maybe Nana wasn't in material, that type of stuff, but Nana would be like, um, well, here's $5 or here's $10. Like she always, there was always, she had to make sure she gave you guys something. Oh yeah. We were both, we were both were mules to get you money. Nana would be like, give this to your mother and like, you know, slip us a five or 10.
01:00:11
Speaker
don't tell her I gave that to you. Put it in your pocket, put it in your pocket. But anyway, um, so in, in to go back to buying it, I find the girls that it is easier. I don't know. Maybe there, it is easier to buy for girls. See, I didn't have girls. You, it was hard for me to find. I mean, maybe mothers who had grandmothers who have
01:00:35
Speaker
Have had girls can say probably go through the same thing and say no, it's it's probably the same It was hard to get this doll that doll, you know, um, I don't I don't I haven't have really had the issue of of anything like that kind of where whatever Madeleine has asked for it's been kind of easy to to find and get um, Callie's a little too small. She's not asking for anything right now, but um
01:01:03
Speaker
And I would buy Madeline a lot more than what I'm already getting, but again, I get it. I understand. Well, what I will say is with, with Mads, there, there hasn't been, so like, you know, there are still toys that are like tough to find.
Shopping for Grandkids
01:01:21
Speaker
Um, there has only been one thing, and actually this is a funny, funny story. There's only been one thing so far in her, in her brief time on this planet.
01:01:31
Speaker
that she has wanted that was really popular. Only we didn't know it was really popular. Like, you know, just wasn't like even doing all this toy stuff, like just was completely oblivious to the fact that this was like a hot item and you had gotten it without, with like pure serendipity. Like you got it and had just kind of,
01:01:55
Speaker
put it in a pile to give to her for Christmas. And then after you had gotten it, the toy got super popular and it was, I don't know if you remember it, but do you remember Fingerlings? Yeah. That little like pink monkey that like, yeah, after you had gotten that, that line, you couldn't find it anywhere. Like people were buying, people were paying like $200 for those, those little, and they weren't all monkeys. The one that, the one that you happened to get was a monkey, but like they're all like little animals. Um,
01:02:24
Speaker
They were super popular. And it was, it was literally like, we have learned nothing from toy history. Nobody could find them. It takes a while for like the fulfillment to like fix itself. And then after the holidays, they were just like. Seize of them everywhere. They went to clearance. Like the, I don't even know if they still make them. I haven't seen a fingerling in years. But I remember when, when you showed up with it.
01:02:54
Speaker
And she opened it Jess and I were sitting there like Like and our initial reaction was oh my god I really hope that like you didn't go on The aftermarket somewhere like like we were literally like didn't want to like, you know break the illusion But then afterwards had like I had asked you I was like, when did you get that and you're like, oh, I got
01:03:17
Speaker
I found it back in October and I thought it was cute, put it away forever. I actually did. What happened was, and again, I'm going to go back to why it's easier too, Madeline doesn't, unlike you boys, okay, which, again, upbringing, the TV always being on in the house. That's another thing.
01:03:39
Speaker
Commercials are not the way that they were when we were kids. They're not like that anymore. Oh yeah. I was just going to say that. Well cartoons were a commercial for toys. Literally. But every other ad was a commercial for toys. And then it was before the holidays, which used to drive me crazy because I was almost like, I don't even want them watching it because that's what I mean. You would see something else that you wanted and then you would want that too. And I was like, oh lord.
01:04:08
Speaker
It's funny though like so Maddie is now watching like the real Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the GI Joe cartoon like she's watching all those cartoons now and those those cartoons are still super effective at what they did because she'll watch an episode of the Ninja Turtles and she's like I want Ninja Turtles toys.
01:04:24
Speaker
Right, right. And that's what I'm saying. And that's another reason why I think her, when she was smaller though, didn't really ask for a lot because she wasn't watching all of that. And so she was really out there because I remember having her here as a, you know, an overnight and something coming on the TV and I'd say, oh man, do you like that? Like, would you like maybe Santa to bring that for you? And she was like, no.
01:04:54
Speaker
I don't know what it is like she really and that's just how she would and she would answer you know I mean it so it was always like what do you what do you want grandma to get you for Christmas or for your birthday and she would be like I don't know you know this is the first year that she had some like like other than that fingerling
01:05:17
Speaker
Actually, the first year that she actually asked for a couple things and she said well I will say that she's gonna get some she's gonna get what she asked for Yeah, and that's what she did with like this year. It was funny because she said to me Graham, you know what? I would really like you to get me for Christmas and I was like what man and she said
01:05:36
Speaker
the holiday barbie and you know what they have it in shop right where you shop and I was like okay hello hello shop right shoppers we've got the holiday barbie you know I was like that's why I said to you don't get it because I'm like I right there I'm getting in you know but
01:05:55
Speaker
You set me up with a perfect segue there, mom. See, I always do something completely different. I'll always go like, here's a thing that you like. I'm going to get you something you don't know exists. Exactly. Yeah. Here's the thing that you like presented in a way that you didn't know existed. But over your lifetime, and I think this is evident from this conversation, you have seen really the unprecedented
01:06:25
Speaker
evolution of toys, you know, like through the sixties and seventies.
Evolution of Toys
01:06:30
Speaker
And, you know, you saw GI Joe go from a 12 inch doll to a three and three quarter inch figure. You, you saw the, you know, the first ever star war wars toys and like the action figure boom. Um, you know, you were six when the first Barbie debuted and like, so you were right in that, like, you know, that age range for that, that, that Barbie and, you know,
01:06:52
Speaker
You met Barbie has come up several times, you know, the holiday Barbie and, um, you know, Barbie is going to be on, you know, in, in, in movies, you know, Margot Robbie's playing her. So, and to you mentioned that, you know, you've effectively been shopping for two, you know, children and now grown children for, for roughly 40 years. Um,
01:07:15
Speaker
Is there like, are you excited to now be like shopping for two little girls? Like, is it like, is it fun for you? Oh, absolutely. And it would be even more fun. Like, you know, I mean, how can I, I could not wait. One of the biggest things like, like for me was for Maddie was, and I was afraid to tell you ahead of time. And then when I, it was going to be delivered, I said, well, now I have to tell him cause it's going to his house.
01:07:45
Speaker
was buying her the little house for the backyard, the place for her to play. You know, the door, it had a doorbell that that worked, you know, the door opens. It had the shutters. I mean, it was pink. It was so girly. And I was like, yes,
01:08:01
Speaker
I can finally send, you know, because I always wanted to do, I always wanted to do that for you guys, for you more, Eric, because Dave, again, you know, as your brothers, but there were some things you liked, he didn't like, you know, there was a different like this, but I knew you would like, you were, you liked to dress up and pretend, like, you know,
01:08:27
Speaker
Different characters and stuff so i always wanted so like i'm getting this anyway so having that delivered was like one of the biggest things and then probably one of my favorite. I have again we can it's gonna still be new like this you might be a little more exciting because she's gonna be able to open things and really.
01:08:48
Speaker
like know what she's opening. Um, but was, uh, the year I bought and that was again, out of just, I happened to be like, I'm getting this because I couldn't wait because it just seems so girly and so cuddly.
01:09:06
Speaker
And I said, but how, what am I going to, how am I going to wrap this and what am I going to put it in? And then I saw the little shopping cart and I thought, well, I could sit it in this and then wrap it. And that's exactly what it was when I bought her that beer. And we watched, when we watched that video, when she opened that, that morning in your house there, I'm sorry, that expression was
01:09:34
Speaker
a Hallmark type of... It was pure joy. It was the look on her face, and this thing was way bigger than she was, if you remember. Will she? It's still taller than her.
01:09:48
Speaker
She's definitely taller than her. It was almost like nothing mattered. Nothing else mattered after she opened that, which was the only thing that I felt bad about because she was so, so excited about Bear. From that Bear, though, she calls her favorite bear as the one you got her. Yeah, the Vermont teddy bear. Yeah, it's honey bear.
01:10:13
Speaker
He loves, I mean, it is her thing, you know, she's still, and to this day they love, now Callie loves Bear, you know, I mean, and I almost was tempted to buy a new one, but I said it wouldn't be the same because Bear is Bear. He's like part of the family at this point. So this, this is a, this is a 60 inch bear.
The Giant Bear Toy
01:10:34
Speaker
He's 60 inches tall from, from head to toe. Cause he's still taught. The only reason I say,
01:10:39
Speaker
He's between 50 and 60 inches. We'll say that because he's still taller than Maddie. Maddie's seven and he's still taller than her. Um, for the first year or so of his life, he, he literally sat in our club chair in the living room. Um, he has been puked on. He's been peed on. He's been, he's been pooped on. He's been slept with. He's been outside. He's been in every room of the house in the basement. He's been in the bathroom.
01:11:09
Speaker
Of course he's been through the wash several times now. So he's, he's got those, like, you know, once you get one of those older stuffed animals, like there's just sections that are just, they're not, there's no more fluff to them. He's pilling and matted. He's pilling. He's matted. He smells funny. Um, but yeah, we, we actually, before we had Cali, cause there's like, there's what five, five, just about five years between the two of them. Um,
01:11:40
Speaker
Before we had Cali, we actually, there was a mo there was like a moment in time where we were like, Maddie, do we, you know, like, what are we going to do with this thing? And she, she actually said something to the effect of like, you know, Maddie being bored or, you know, at the time, you know, probably four or five going on 50 was like, well, you can get rid of any other stuffed animal except for this one. Yeah, no, she really bear was. And now, and he's still, he now that Cali is, you know,
01:12:09
Speaker
She'll be, she'll be too soon. He is back to living in our living room. Yeah. So they do. They both lay on him. And so, like I said, he's a member of the family now, you know, it's not going to be the same. It's almost like, you know, when you became attached to, and you both had your own attachments when you were small, very small. And again, if it was taken away from you or you couldn't find it,
01:12:35
Speaker
You know you you will loss like you almost couldn't go to sleep at night until you got it back So, you know, it's there and that's just what we call it I mean, I used to remember first going in there and she would say Graham. I
01:12:51
Speaker
to hold a beer and I would be like, yeah, why a beer? His name is Bear. And he's Bear and like, you know, and now I see how Cali lays all over him and stuff. And I just, I mean that and see that, that's what, I mean, it just brings me so much joy to see them enjoy something like that because that's what it's all about. Yeah. And he's literally just, he's an off brand.
01:13:16
Speaker
generic like there's no like he's not like a rust teddy bear like he's just Tell you where I actually got him. I walked into Rite Aid I was gonna say Rite Aid Walgreens and something and he and they had them they had smaller ones, right? So they had them on the shelf and I said to the woman behind the counter. Oh, wait a minute I need I had to get that beer that bear is gorgeous. It's ma'am. I need that bear. I
01:13:43
Speaker
It was so sweet, you know, with the face on and all. And so she said, she said, oh, and I said, no, not for me. I said, having a grant or whatever. And she said, oh, we, you know, we have bigger ones. And I went, where? And then she pointed. And it was literally sitting up at the top and it was you. And I said, oh, yeah.
01:14:05
Speaker
Bring it tell them i want that's the one yeah bring it down that's i'm getting that and then i was like now how am i gonna do this and that's when i said i went to another store then it might have been shop right and they were selling a little pushcarts and i said perfect i'm gonna send him in here and then just wrap them in one big and that's what i did that day.
01:14:24
Speaker
And it was funny cause Dave, you came with me, I think to bring the gifts over that thought that cause it was like, and I'm going, don't rip the band. Don't rip. I don't, I wanted her to be surprised and she certainly was, but anyway, yeah. So shopping for the girls is like the best. It's proud. I used to think that it was great shopping for you guys, but you know, one, let's let, let me tell you, there was going back.
01:14:51
Speaker
Everybody said to me at one time, when you have grandkids, there's nothing like the love, like you can't imagine. And I thought to myself, what are you talking about? If you have children, like that's the greatest joy in your life. I mean, you know, having the two of you was like, you know, and I said, what are you crazy? And then you gave me a granddaughter. And I thought, oh my God, the person is right. It's not.
01:15:19
Speaker
It's a different kind of love and it's just, you know, and now I have Cali and like, so having two boys- And there was Cali.
01:15:28
Speaker
I'm like, I'm blessed. I'm blessed. I'm truly blessed, and that's all I can say. I love shopping. They would not have to want for anything. You know that. If I was able to, and I respect, like I said, you and Jess, and I will follow whatever you say, but they would have anything and everything as far as I'm concerned. Oh, yeah. If there were no rules, do you know what I would do?
01:15:56
Speaker
I'd have to buy one of those pod things to let you need an extra house you have to get a small house in the backyard to put it all in well. Here's the thing is mom it's you know it's a day when i know we've been doing this the show now for three years on our toy collections have significantly grown since we started doing this but i. I think i'm.
01:16:27
Speaker
You know, like it all goes back to those Christmases and birthdays for us. That's, that's where it started. And, uh, you know, it's, it's been, we've, we have had the opportunity, you know, through, through this, these toys and, you know, through these conversations to like meet some incredibly talented artists and, you know, people who are running these businesses, these multimillion dollar businesses and people who are, you know, professional athletes that still collect toys and, you know,
01:16:57
Speaker
There's this amazing, thriving community. And, you know, uh, like I said at the top of the show and like, you know, we were saying on, on social media before this, uh, we would not be here with, without you. And, uh, you know, thank you for start somewhere. You know, Walt Disney said it all started with a mouse. I know we'll, I guess we could say it all started with a mom, but, uh, you know, uh,
01:17:24
Speaker
It's thank you for, for taking the time to, uh, to chat about this stuff with us and, you know, spend, make this episode in this Christmas, uh, special. Oh, I'm happy to do that. You know that I mean, I love doing every day, anything, you know, with you guys, I, I love spending as much time as I can with, with both of you. Um, and even though you're, you know, much, much older and you're not children anymore, you will always be my babies.
01:17:53
Speaker
So, you know, any time I can spend with you or do anything with you, and now especially my extended family, you know, having Jess and the girls, you know, that's all that matters. I mean, and family should matter, you know, that is...
01:18:11
Speaker
That's the key. We gotta stay together. And I wanna say thank you to the stores, though, to all these, I shouldn't say the stores, to the manufacturers, to the people who come up with these ideas for these toys and stuff for children. Because, again, without toys, when you're young like that, it's enjoyment. And we, as parents, enjoy watching
01:18:38
Speaker
you play with your toys or sharing time because today a lot of parents don't have the luxury. I was able to stay home and do a lot with your boys and play
01:18:55
Speaker
With your choice with you, you know or read the books, you know Everybody has to work and work hard these days to and so there's not a lot of time To to do that with their children and you know you and just do that's one thing I have to say you you You do a lot with the girls and you include them in everything and that's the way it should be You know, you have to you know, that's how children learn to you know, they learn wrong from right they learn
01:19:25
Speaker
Family value and what it is to share and be together as a family and that's important You know, that's gonna they're gonna grow up to be good people, you know, and they're happy You know, and that's good too. It's just nice that everybody's
Holiday Greetings & Podcast Celebration
01:19:42
Speaker
happy. It's all that matters well from from our our our blood family here
01:19:50
Speaker
you know, a happy holidays and obviously Merry Christmas. And it's, it's, uh, you know, here's to many more years, but from, from our family to our, our extended adventures in collecting family. Yeah. All right. Our AIC family. We have a couple of, uh, to send you off with, uh, with some, some, uh, some additional happy holidays and, and, and, uh, and, and Christmas greetings, your,
01:20:16
Speaker
You're about to hear from some of our past guests, our friends, people that mean a lot to us, like I said, that we've met along the way. So I think it's fitting to let them send us off this year. So yeah, take it away, AIC family and Dave, any final words? Yeah, happy holidays, everybody.
01:20:45
Speaker
Hey everyone, this is Lenny from the GI Joe Classified team. If I had to recall my favorite holiday moment, it was when I found the Night Raven before Christmas.
01:20:56
Speaker
And I can remember my dad looking at my mom and being like, oh, just give it to the kid. And right then and there, I opened it up. I got to play with it right there. And I just remember being in awe of all the details of how tactical it was, the red details on top of the black, how you put the Stratoviper in through the bottom of the cockpit. Oh, it was such a cool vehicle. And I knew right then and there I was hooked to this line for life.
01:21:21
Speaker
So I look forward to all the kids that have moments like that, they have toys like that, that get them hooked and get them into stuff and inspire them to do great things as they grow up and go through life. So happy holidays, everyone.
01:21:36
Speaker
Hey, this is friend of the pod TIEFAR, swishing you all a Merry Christmas! One of my favorite Christmas memories was when I got as a kid the Titan Tron Life playset from Jack's Pacific. Was the Vince McMahon figure that didn't even look like him? Mmm, what a toy!
01:21:53
Speaker
Hey, this is Tony from the Hasbro Model Team. A favorite Christmas memory would be actually recent last year. I was kind of perusing a Master the Universe toy collector's book with my five-year-old.
01:22:09
Speaker
And unbeknownst to me, he was kind of picking out figures that he wanted that I didn't have and woke up Christmas morning and he brought me over a couple packages, one being King Hiss and the other one Squeeze. So he was very sneaky and I really appreciated it. Happy holidays.
Guest Holiday Toy Memories
01:22:30
Speaker
Season's greetings everyone this is Justin Cavender senior marketing manager over at Bandai Namco Toys and Collectibles America. For my favorite holiday toy memory we're gonna go all the way back to Christmas 1994. I was 14 and it was Christmas Eve. My family always went to my grandma's house for the holidays
01:22:46
Speaker
and all my cousins, aunts and uncles and everyone else all stayed in one house. We needed a quick breather because the house was crowded and decided to get on out for a bit and my cousins and I went to Toys R Us. As I was cruising the video game aisle, I came across maximum carnage on SNES. I thought, oh my goodness, I didn't tell my parents about this game. How would they possibly know to get me this thing?
01:23:10
Speaker
for which if I don't have, I will probably die. And then the store employee walked by and he said, if you want this game, you better get it down because we only have a couple copies left. And of course, I didn't have any money. I was 14 and I left sad and defeated and there was no way I was going to get this game for Christmas.
01:23:27
Speaker
Then Christmas morning came and none of the presents in my pile looked anything like a video game box. I got down to the last present and when I removed the wrapping paper it was a white gift box. One generally used for clothing and I opened it up knowing that I was going to get some shirt or sweater or something like that. But as I pulled back the tissue paper
01:23:48
Speaker
I was staring at Spiderman and Venom Maximum Carnage for SNES. My mind was freaking blown. Is Santa real? Possibly. I don't know. I didn't tell anyone about this game and here it was right under our tree. My parents of course have no memory of this as it was just another Christmas for them. But somehow a Christmas miracle for a 14 year old boy was fulfilled.
01:24:11
Speaker
And, you know, I sucked at the game, but I played every single day for a long, long time. That red cartridge still puts a smile on my face to this day. And that is my favorite holiday toy memory. I wish you all the best. Have a safe holiday season and Happy New Year.
01:24:29
Speaker
Hi everyone, this is Emily from the GI Joe Classified series and Dungeons and Dragons toy lines over at Hasbro. I think that my favorite holiday toy memory is from when I was 8 years old in 1998, the year that the original Furbies came out.
01:24:48
Speaker
all I wanted was an all-white Furby they were impossible to find and I wake up on Christmas morning and there it is my all-white Furby under the Christmas tree it was the first thing that my mom ever bought on eBay she was so proud of herself and I loved that thing to pieces in fact it is currently sitting in my office working with me now as I get to work on such amazing toys over at Hasbro so I think that I am just
01:25:15
Speaker
absolutely so lucky. I hope that everybody has an amazing holiday season and happy 2023. Hi everybody, this is Cleo from Caster's Corner and the guys at Adventures in Collecting wanted me to tell you my favorite Christmas memory. So I would say my favorite memory is the year that I wrote a letter to Santa asking him for
01:25:43
Speaker
Voltron lines that the pilots could climb into and then you can form Voltron.
01:25:50
Speaker
And when I wrote this letter, I did not realize that those toys existed. So when I opened them up on Christmas morning and got lines that I could actually put the pilots in, I was completely blown away. And if there was ever a doubt in my mind about Santa, there wasn't any more. And so that Christmas really cemented the fact that there is magic in the world that a little kid
01:26:20
Speaker
could write a letter to Santa in his own mind and vent a toy and that Christmas it came true. So I'd say that's my favorite Christmas memory. Thanks guys for all the work that you do and good luck in the new year.
Conclusion & Acknowledgments
01:26:59
Speaker
Thank you, dear listener, for hanging out with us today. Subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you listen, and then tell your friends to do it. Thanks also to Joe Azari, the golden voice behind our intro. Our music is Game Boy Horror by the Zombie Dandies. Find more about them both on our show notes.
01:27:15
Speaker
Follow us on social media at AIC underscore podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Stop by and say hi. Show us your toy hauls and share your toy stories. Maybe we'll talk about it in a future episode.
01:27:39
Speaker
This has been a non-productive media presentation. Executive producer, Franca Blaui. This program and many others like it on the non-productive network is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives license. Please share it, but ask before trying to change it or sell it. For more information, visit non-productive.com.