I remember in the '60's saving my $$ from cutting lawns and buying a transistor (I think it had nine!) and listening to AM radio through the ear piece.

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Without a doubt, the GI Joe aircraft carrier... it was awesome... in fact, wish I still had it... haha

 

When I was little, my brothers and I all got the original GI Joe "Action Figures"---the tall ones. They were called "Action Figures" as no self-respecting American male wouold ever buy a doll. I had the Air Force version and he had a flight suit, parachute, and life raft---the damn thing would never stay inflated...

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Boy toys!!!! I had a Dawn Fashion Show Stage!

 

De Armond crimson red M65 w/ 100watt Marshall half stack.

 

Mine was a Channel Master - 9 transistors if I remember right. Powered by a 9-volt battery, black and silver plastic case with a dark brown leather cover, and an earpiece. I still have mine. In South Florida it was WQAM, the DJ was Rick Shaw. He is gonna DeeJay our 40th HS reunion next Summer.

When I was 9 or so, I got an Ethan Allen Early American Desk. The kind with three drawers in a pedestal on the l/h side, a belly drawer, and an open r/h side. Still have it, still with the remains of where I made models and wasn't as careful as I should have been to protect the top. The rungs of the chair were chewed up by the dog we had as kids. He was a chewer too.

My grandfather gave me his pocket watch, called a Westclox "Pocket Ben" that he bought new in 1940 or so, and a business card that he had made and used many years ago. It has a 4-digit telephone number listed on it.

Seems like the little things mean the most as I grow older...

 

I built models back then---still build them today. Right now I am working on a 1/24th scale P-51 by Airfix. Great detail---lousy molding, though---lots of green putty.

I can remember going to the hobby shop and spending $2.00 on a model---the same kit now would cost $9-10. and yes, I wasn't always careful with the model cement, either.

The 1/24th scale bird that I am working on now ran me about $60.00.

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My father flew the P-51 during WWll and the korean war. He still has the original flight manual for it. He flew many other planes during his time in the Air Force, but he always told me his favorite was the P-51 Mustang. I have some old pictures of him next to his mustang, he loved that plane. He offered me the flight manual and I turned him down, thinking it would just tear him up to let it go.
Patrick- I belive mine was a 9 transistor radio too and I remember the nine volt battery. It seems to me if I recall, it was made by Texas Instruments but I'm not positive. I bet that Ethan Allen desk has some memories in it. Would love to see a picture of it. Matter of fact, my Grandfather also gave me his pocket watch many years ago. I was to young to realize the importance of such a prize and lost it long ago.

 

Wow! I have been told by many pilots that the P-51 was the perfect fighter. It was fast, nimble, and well-armored. The Confederate Air Force comes to Cleveland every now and then and my son and I go and see what is left of the tens of thousands of airplanes manufactured by the "Arsenal of Democracy" during WWII. Sadly, very few are left. I think less than 15 B-17's are still in the air---out of the thousands that were built. I had a high school teacher who flew a B-17, and a college professor who flew a B-24.
I can't tell you how many P-51's I have built. One pilot I talked to said, "If God were to desing an airplane, he would build the P-51."

Still, I figured that I built at least ten-15 models a year---cars, tanks, helicopters, and airplanes.