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Happy Birthday, Pippi Longstocking! 5 facts about the coolest 80-year-old in the world
by Michael Restin
Childhood nostalgia: the toys we wish we’d got
26.12.2024
Sometimes it’s not the gifts we get that shape us the most, but the ones we don’t. We decided to look back at the things we wanted for Christmas when we were younger that have stuck in our minds to this day – from wrestling action figures to Labrador puppies.
When you’re little, Christmas is about one thing: pure excitement. You’d lovingly write wishlists, rummage through toy catalogues and some presents seemed within reach. But we all have that one unfulfilled wish – the toy that tirelessly haunted our dreams back then but never became a reality.
Ramon (34): dreaming of the Tyco Super Rebound
Tyco’s Super Rebound was THE remote-controlled car of the late 90s. A real beast, it could roll over and keep going, master every ramp and was virtually indestructible. For years I dreamed of chasing it across the meadow and letting it jump off the pavement. But I never unwrapped a remote-controlled car under the Christmas tree. I still think about it sometimes and wonder how much fun I missed out on – or whether I should just treat myself to one now.
Simon (41): forbidden wrestling action figures
Patrick (47): thwarted skate bike adventure
In the early 90s, I wanted nothing more than a skate bike. This ludicrous vehicle somewhere between a unicycle and skateboard appealed to me. It was all down to an ad for the Max Skate Bike, which is incredibly cringe-worthy in retrospect. But hey, back then it was the hottest thing in town – at least for a while.
Darina (31): yearning for the Barbie and horse
As an only child, I usually got what I wanted. Not because I was spoiled, more because I used the toys I already had in more imaginative roles. So one day, my favourite doll jumped onto paper skis with Stabilo sticks and gave birth to triplets the next day, which I accompanied with loud screams. But there was one particular doll I longed for: a Barbie, preferably with a horse.
But my mum didn’t let me have the «skinny kitsch doll». Although I can understand why today, I didn’t back then. After all, almost all my friends had one. I did eventually get a Barbie as a present from a friend. My parents weren’t thrilled and I soon grew bored of it too. I was probably more interested in her four-legged companion right from the start. This marked the beginning of my horse phase.
Stefanie (30): the Labrador pup that never came
Lorenz (46): the Carrera track I couldn’t forget
Full throttle on the straight, then briefly off the gas, through the bend and straight back to full throttle. I could only dream of breathtaking driving manoeuvres like that as a child. Now and again I was allowed to do a few laps on the Carrera track at a friend’s house. Sometimes, there was also one set up in the toy store and I could get a taste of racing there.
I can’t understand why my parents never got me a slot car track. Perhaps they cleverly steered me in the direction of more «creative» toys like Lego or Playmobil – or perhaps I just didn’t want it enough. A few years ago, I actually bought my first Carrera track. I’d have loved to give it to my daughter, but she never wanted one. So this big kid could still play with it after all.
The unfulfilled wishes that never fade
Whether it’s remote-controlled cars, Barbies or piddling plush dogs, the toys of our childhood are often more than just material things. They’re symbols of a time when dreams were carefree and wishes were big. Even if some dreams haven’t come true, the stories remain alive to this day, and that might be precisely why we love to tell them.
Which toy did you want as a child but never got?
Header image: Shutterstock / Stock-Asso
I get paid to play with toys all day.
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