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Jon Hager's avatar

Mine was cap pistols. Cowboys and combat soldiers were the heroes of my childhood and the cowboy heroes like Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the Lone Ranger, et al. wore magnificent gun belts and carried Colt 73 single action pistols that were usually polished, engraved and fitted with pearl or ivory grips (to symbolize purity of character, I suppose). The replica toy pistols that I owned shot roles of caps, which produced a "bang" and small puff of smoke...like the real ones. I can recall some of my friends wearing their cowboy outfits to school...gun belts and all. No one ever contemplated taking a real gun to school. For one thing, not many of our dads owned pistols, and if they did, we never had access to them.

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Edwin Leap's avatar

Right there with ya buddy. I had some wonderful cap guns. Later they transitioned to the red plastic caps that fit into the cylinder and seemed a little louder (but were, I think, a little more expensive). But you're correct; there was a kind of beautiful artistry in those guns the heroes carried. And even in some of the toy six-guns. Of course, you could also roll up a bunch of paper caps and smash them with a hammer for a great explosion! Well, great when you're eight or nine...

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Burgetta Eplin Wheeler's avatar

Match Box cars. My brother and I would divide them up, assign gender to them and play outside in a dirt hole with them. We built tunnels and ramps in the dirt. Or maybe my Thumbelina doll. Or maybe Lincoln Logs. Or maybe the Fisher Price car shop. Or my Barbie airplane. Thanks for the nostalgia wave. :)

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Edwin Leap's avatar

I remember when MatchBox cars were sold from display cases in toy stores and looked similar to the high rise things that Carvana uses. They were glorious. I still have a deep emotional connection to this emerald green color that I discovered on a MatchBox (or maybe Hot Wheels) Shelby race-car. Thanks for sharing!

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