Slot Cars

You knocked it out out of the park with this one, Fast!

Boy-oh-boy, does this ever bring back memories for me! My baby brother never had a slot-car racing set, though he always dreamed of having one, but his neighbourhood friends did, as did family, and this is the first thing he always went for!

Between HO Scale train sets and slot-car sets, I don't think there was a better and more appealing toy for a young boy. My baby brother was well into elementary school and still spending Saturday afternoons at his best friends house racing slot-cars.
 
We never had slot cars when I was growing up, but I do have one memory about them within the family. My older brother wanted a slot car set so badly that he kept asking my parents for it for Christmas. Finally, my Dad had enough and told my brother that the slot car set would cost as much as groceries to feed our family (10 kids+2 parents+1 grandmother) for a week, and that if he wanted us to go hungry, he was welcome to it.

As I recall, the slot car set my brother was wild about cost $29.95 at the time, somewhere around 1963 or so. I think it was in the Sears Christmas catalog. What I do remember about the groceries is that every week, my mother took her 1960 red Ford Falcon station wagon to the grocery store and came back with the entire back, with the back seat down, filled with grocery bags. My older brother and I had the job of hauling these in to the kitchen, which is why I remember it so clearly. A few kids in the neighborhood had slot car sets, but their families only had one or two, or maybe three kids at most.

On the rather comical side, my older brother decided to save up his allowance of 25 cents a week for the slot car set. He had this aluminum cylindrical coin bank, which I still have for my own change today. He might have gotten as far as a dollar or so in it before he would break down and buy something else, so he never got the slot car set. He did occasionally save up enough to buy a record album, usually Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix, but that was later around 1967 or so.

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
We never had slot cars when I was growing up, but I do have one memory about them within the family. My older brother wanted a slot car set so badly that he kept asking my parents for it for Christmas. Finally, my Dad had enough and told my brother that the slot car set would cost as much as groceries to feed our family (10 kids+2 parents+1 grandmother) for a week, and that if he wanted us to go hungry, he was welcome to it.

As I recall, the slot car set my brother was wild about cost $29.95 at the time, somewhere around 1963 or so. I think it was in the Sears Christmas catalog. What I do remember about the groceries is that every week, my mother took her 1960 red Ford Falcon station wagon to the grocery store and came back with the entire back, with the back seat down, filled with grocery bags. My older brother and I had the job of hauling these in to the kitchen, which is why I remember it so clearly. A few kids in the neighborhood had slot car sets, but their families only had one or two, or maybe three kids at most.

On the rather comical side, my older brother decided to save up his allowance of 25 cents a week for the slot car set. He had this aluminum cylindrical coin bank, which I still have for my own change today. He might have gotten as far as a dollar or so in it before he would break down and buy something else, so he never got the slot car set. He did occasionally save up enough to buy a record album, usually Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix, but that was later around 1967 or so.

Tony
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$29.95, was a lot of money back in the day for a family, because I remember my mom and dad telling me that for $25 (late 60's/early 70's), they left the supermarket with 4 large heavy-duty brown paper grocery bags filled to the brim with groceries.

I remember everyone (kids) in the neighbourhood had tricycles and bicycles, but few had pedal-car and other ride-em toys, and even fewer had the likes of slot-car racing sets.

Baby brother used to dream of getting a set for Christmas, too, but mom and dad were poor. Later in life when I got older I remember my mom telling me that if it weren't for my dads workplace handing out turkey's to the workers at Christmas time, we wouldn't have had a turkey on the table for Christmas Day dinner.
 
Gardenlover said:
I didn't have a slot car track, but I was able to save up and buy the HO Batmobile and race it on my friends track.View attachment 133994

Aunt Marg's post hit home with me as well.
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Awww... such a sweet story.

Kid purchases were the best.

I remember opening a bank account for the first time. My mom and I went to the bank together, I was really young... still in my single digits. My bank book was gold, and I remember how often I used to stare at the dollar signs in it.

So excited I'd be to put babysitting money away for a week or two until I made a trip to town, and then I'd visit the bank to make my deposit.
 
Aunt Marg said:
$29.95, was a lot of money back in the day for a family, because I remember my mom and dad telling me that for $25 (late 60's/early 70's), they left the supermarket with 4 large heavy-duty brown paper grocery bags filled to the brim with groceries.

I remember everyone (kids) in the neighbourhood had tricycles and bicycles, but few had pedal-car and other ride-em toys, and even fewer had the likes of slot-car racing sets.

Baby brother used to dream of getting a set for Christmas, too, but mom and dad were poor. Later in life when I got older I remember my mom telling me that if it weren't for my dads workplace handing out turkey's to the workers at Christmas time, we wouldn't have had a turkey on the table for Christmas Day dinner.
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I do remember that smaller families than ours, spent more on weekly groceries than my Mom did. She strictly controlled access to the kitchen. We were never allowed to go into the refrigerator, nor get any sort of snacks for ourselves. We had three meals a day and no snacks in between, and my Mom doled these out. For lunch at school, we had a brown paper bag with a sandwich, an apple, and two cookies.

We were not poor, since my Dad and Mom both had ivy league Masters degrees. However, they had to be very careful to make ends meet with so many kids. So we didn't do without, none of the hard luck stories for us, but we didn't have much extra. But, then, back then, people didn't have much anyway so that was normal. When I say "didn't have much", what I mean is compared to today where people have smart phones, a TV in every room, new cars, and on and on. Back then, most people had the basics and that was pretty much it. There were some things we didn't get, such as the cool new sneakers that some other kids got. But those kids were the exception, rather than the rule, so even as kids, it didn't make much difference to us.

We were not allowed to get our drivers licenses while living at home unless we could get a job that allowed us to pay for a car and our own separate insurance while not affecting our grades. So I didn't get my drivers license until I was in the Army. Also, we were to leave home by the time we were 18. None of this hanging around as "adult children" or coming back home if things didn't work out after we left. Simply, we had to grow up and learn to take care of ourselves. That was smart, looking back on it. If they hadn't done that, we could be "eternal kids" never having to fully grow up and become independent, and they would have never been able to retire with 10 kids coming back home to live periodically.

So ours wasn't a financially deprived life at all, but my parents were frugal, making sure we had what we needed and that they had enough to cover car repairs, doctor bills, and such. Back then, there was cultural peer pressure to be an adult and manage your resources, so people typically didn't carry big credit card debt or big loans, and that sort of thing. People would have hung their heads in shame to live as many seem to today, carrying all that debt. I believe that is why our condo association is in such good financial shape today - the first group of people that bought units were from that generation and we who came later have continued their policies.

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
I do remember that smaller families than ours, spent more on weekly groceries than my Mom did. She strictly controlled access to the kitchen. We were never allowed to go into the refrigerator, nor get any sort of snacks for ourselves. We had three meals a day and no snacks in between, and my Mom doled these out. For lunch at school, we had a brown paper bag with a sandwich, an apple, and two cookies.

We were not poor, since my Dad and Mom both had ivy league Masters degrees. However, they had to be very careful to make ends meet with so many kids. So we didn't do without, none of the hard luck stories for us, but we didn't have much extra. But, then, back then, people didn't have much anyway so that was normal. When I say "didn't have much", what I mean is compared to today where people have smart phones, a TV in every room, new cars, and on and on. Back then, most people had the basics and that was pretty much it. There were some things we didn't get, such as the cool new sneakers that some other kids got. But those kids were the exception, rather than the rule, so even as kids, it didn't make much difference to us.

We were not allowed to get our drivers licenses while living at home unless we could get a job that allowed us to pay for a car and our own separate insurance while not affecting our grades. So I didn't get my drivers license until I was in the Army. Also, we were to leave home by the time we were 18. None of this hanging around as "adult children" or coming back home if things didn't work out after we left. Simply, we had to grow up and learn to take care of ourselves. That was smart, looking back on it. If they hadn't done that, we could be "eternal kids" never having to fully grow up and become independent, and they would have never been able to retire with 10 kids coming back home to live periodically.

So ours wasn't a financially deprived life at all, but my parents were frugal, making sure we had what we needed and that they had enough to cover car repairs, doctor bills, and such. Back then, there was cultural peer pressure to be an adult and manage your resources, so people typically didn't carry big credit card debt or big loans, and that sort of thing. People would have hung their heads in shame to live as many seem to today, carrying all that debt. I believe that is why our condo association is in such good financial shape today - the first group of people that bought units were from that generation and we who came later have continued their policies.

Tony
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I could have written your post, Tony.

I remember my mom waiting for me to arrive home from school so she could get me to babysit for a short time to allow her to skip out and pick up a few things for supper or whatever she was in need of, and I would capitalize on her being gone.

With my baby siblings parked in the living room on the floor in front of the television, I'd pull out the box of wheat crackers, the jam and peanut butter from the fridge, and I'd chow-down as many crackers as I could to full-fill my hunger until supper was served.

As for new shoes and clothes, we enjoyed such when school started each fall. Mom and dad always ensure that us kids had new shoes and a new outfit to start school in, but otherwise throughout the year we didn't anything new in the way of clothing or shoes.

As for leaving the home, we were welcome to stay until we found something to support ourselves on comfortably, and dear husband and I extended the same to our kids. Would have never been able to sleep at night or look myself in the mirror forcing anyone out of the house before their time.

Moms sewing machine was her best friend and her saving-grace when us kids were young and growing, she mended, repaired, altered, and made whatever it was that we needed, and there was no such thing as eating-out when we were growing up. I can count on one hand how many times we went out to a restaurant as a family for a meal.

We had one vehicle, secondhand, and nothing fancy (for years), yet we got by just fine, and looking back on it now, most everyone I knew (neighbours included) relied on a single vehicle, too.

All-in-all and compared to today, I have to say that kids were happier back then than they are nowadays, and they were most definitely healthier.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I could have written your post, Tony.

I remember my mom waiting for me to arrive home from school so she could get me to babysit for a short time to allow her to skip out and pick up a few things for supper or whatever she was in need of, and I would capitalize on her being gone.

With my baby siblings parked in the living room on the floor in front of the television, I'd pull out the box of wheat crackers, the jam and peanut butter from the fridge, and I'd chow-down as many crackers as I could to full-fill my hunger until supper was served.

As for new shoes and clothes, we enjoyed such when school started each fall. Mom and dad always ensure that us kids had new shoes and a new outfit to start school in, but otherwise throughout the year we didn't anything new in the way of clothing or shoes.

As for leaving the home, we were welcome to stay until we found something to support ourselves on comfortably, and dear husband and I extended the same to our kids. Would have never been able to sleep at night or look myself in the mirror forcing anyone out of the house before their time.

Moms sewing machine was her best friend and her saving-grace when us kids were young and growing, she mended, repaired, altered, and made whatever it was that we needed, and there was no such thing as eating-out when we were growing up. I can count on one hand how many times we went out to a restaurant as a family for a meal.

We had one vehicle, secondhand, and nothing fancy (for years), yet we got by just fine, and looking back on it now, most everyone I knew (neighbours included) relied on a single vehicle, too.

All-in-all and compared to today, I have to say that kids were happier back then than they are nowadays, and they were most definitely healthier.
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My parents had two station wagons because half the family fit in one, with most of us packed into the back in each. The only new car I remember them buying was the 1960 Ford Falcon. The others were bought used. Maybe that is why I never developed a hunger for new cars. Though I have had a decent income during my engineering career, I never had a car loan, and never have owned a new car.

We had the typical "hand me down" with clothes, so I usually got my older brother's pants and shirts, but did get new shoes once a year. My mother did the same sewing repairs. I think that was quite common back then.

It seems to me that people seemed to have more free time back when I was growing up. During my adult life, it seems that both parents now have to work, but all the same housework and raising families is also still there, waiting to be done after work instead of during the day so that one can relax at least a bit in the evenings.

I remember only one family in which both parents worked when I was a kid. That family only had one kid, and he went to a private school that had those sport coats with the school insignia on it. They went on a vacation every year, went out to eat every Friday night, and the kid always got a room full of Christmas gifts which we would all go over to play with the next day. Neither parent had a high paying job, but combined income seemed to do particularly well back then when the norm was one parent working outside the home.

Since I don't have kids, I can't comment on whether kids are happier, better/worse off, etc. than we were. I can only relate my own experiences from when I was a kid. I would think, though, that kids might accept that "it is what it is" as whatever things are today as being normal for them, just as we did when that age because that is all we knew. We are the ones who might make comparisons of our own experiences as kids, with what we think kids are experiencing these days.

What I do know is that kids today "don't know nuthin' from nuthin'" because we had to walk through two feet of snow up hill in both directions, 12 miles each way to and from school, and that was in Los Angeles! Kids these days - get off my lawn! :)

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
My parents had two station wagons because half the family fit in one, with most of us packed into the back in each. The only new car I remember them buying was the 1960 Ford Falcon. The others were bought used. Maybe that is why I never developed a hunger for new cars. Though I have had a decent income during my engineering career, I never had a car loan, and never have owned a new car.

We had the typical "hand me down" with clothes, so I usually got my older brother's pants and shirts, but did get new shoes once a year. My mother did the same sewing repairs. I think that was quite common back then.

It seems to me that people seemed to have more free time back when I was growing up. During my adult life, it seems that both parents now have to work, but all the same housework and raising families is also still there, waiting to be done after work instead of during the day so that one can relax at least a bit in the evenings.

I remember only one family in which both parents worked when I was a kid. That family only had one kid, and he went to a private school that had those sport coats with the school insignia on it. They went on a vacation every year, went out to eat every Friday night, and the kid always got a room full of Christmas gifts which we would all go over to play with the next day. Neither parent had a high paying job, but combined income seemed to do particularly well back then when the norm was one parent working outside the home.

Since I don't have kids, I can't comment on whether kids are happier, better/worse off, etc. than we were. I can only relate my own experiences from when I was a kid. I would think, though, that kids might accept that "it is what it is" as whatever things are today as being normal for them, just as we did when that age because that is all we knew. We are the ones who might make comparisons of our own experiences as kids, with what we think kids are experiencing these days.

What I do know is that kids today "don't know nuthin' from nuthin'" because we had to walk through two feet of snow up hill in both directions, 12 miles each way to and from school, and that was in Los Angeles! Kids these days - get off my lawn! :)

Tony
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OMG, hand-me-downs... we seen many! From family, from neighbours, and used clothing from thrift stores, we seen it all in our house, and for many years.

In addition to clothing, baby furniture and baby needs was passed along to others in the family. Cribs, highchairs, playpens... seemed there was always someone either having a baby, expecting a baby, or finishing up raising a baby in our family, so whatever one family no longer needed, was happily passed down to another family who was in desperate need.

No car rides to and from for us. We walked everywhere, that was the way. If it was raining, we ran between the rain drops, and if it was frigid out, we just added another layer or two to our outfits and away we'd go. No whining, no crying, no sniveling, no complaining. We were tough kids and nothing slowed us down or stopped us.

And one thing that stands out big-time for me... we had respect for others, and we had respect for ourselves.
 
Aunt Marg said:
OMG, hand-me-downs... we seen many! From family, from neighbours, and used clothing from thrift stores, we seen it all in our house, and for many years.

In addition to clothing, baby furniture and baby needs was passed along to others in the family. Cribs, highchairs, playpens... seemed there was always someone either having a baby, expecting a baby, or finishing up raising a baby in our family, so whatever one family no longer needed, was happily passed down to another family who was in desperate need.

No car rides to and from for us. We walked everywhere, that was the way. If it was raining, we ran between the rain drops, and if it was frigid out, we just added another layer or two to our outfits and away we'd go. No whining, no crying, no sniveling, no complaining. We were tough kids and nothing slowed us down or stopped us.

And one thing that stands out big-time for me... we had respect for others, and we had respect for ourselves.
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We walked everywhere also. I think that was fairly common then, and as far as I know it could still be common today. Again, without having kids of my own, I don't know how these things are today.

I still buy my jeans and shirts from the second hand store. I can get like new jeans for $4 a pair and similar with shirts. Old habits die hard, I suppose. :)

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
We walked everywhere also. I think that was fairly common then, and as far as I know it could still be common today. Again, without having kids of my own, I don't know how these things are today.

I still buy my jeans and shirts from the second hand store. I can get like new jeans for $4 a pair and similar with shirts. Old habits die hard, I suppose. :)

Tony
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Not a lot of walking today as I remember back in the day. In fact nowhere near the walking folks like us did.

Regarding thrift-store purchases, I used to live in thrift-stores when my children were little. Bought so much for them at thrift-stores, and the nice part about babies and children's clothes in thrift-stores, so much of it is like brand new, or is actually brand new.

Other miscellaneous things such as puzzles, toys, and children's books made their way past the front door and into our house for years.

Good on you for enjoying a little thrift-store spending, Tony!
 

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