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**Sideshow Spock** · Jan 10, '08, 3:18 PM

I grew up in a modest middle-class household, but was still jealous of friends who had much nicer houses and things like the Atari 2600..

When I was bit younger, a friend of mine had Micronauts toys, which I knew nothing about and was fascinated by. I've never collected them, but when I see pics I still remember the envious feeling well.

**Merlyn1976** · Jan 10, '08, 3:19 PM

I had both extremes...

My father is a coal miner...when he works he makes a great deal of cash...but when he's laid off (went through a 7 year span when I was younger...)...it was rough...

**toys2cool** · Jan 10, '08, 3:25 PM

I was one who didn't have much as a kid,our toys were usually given to us used or stuff that my mom would find in the trash and clean up for us.It was tough walking into my cousins house when I was like 2 or 3 and seeing all the stuff he had,I mean he had everything!! and he was spoiled as hell.He would have all his toys thrown in the front yard and could care less what happened to them since he had the money to buy more.I do remember wanting to borrow a He-man figure and him and his family saying NO! to a freakin' 3 year old,so I remember while we were walking out my mom bending down and picking something up,when we got home she pulled out the Beastman and gave it to me

Later on my mom married my little brothers dad and thing changed for the better,he had a lot of money

So we never forgot where we came from,and every year we use to always spend a lot of money for the kids in the X-mas tree mall with the Salvation Army

**jessica** · Jan 10, '08, 3:28 PM

We just moved from the Philippines so anything we had here in the states was better than what we had known. But, compared to other people, we were definitely in the low income. We were 3 girls and mom and dad stuck in a small one-bedroom apartment. When I see old photos of us I can't imagine how we lived such a spartan life, and yet were so happy. The joys of childhood I guess. We mostly kept to ourselves.

**Adam West** · Jan 10, '08, 4:15 PM

I grew up very modestly.

My father worked as a mechanic and then had a heart attack at a fairly young age (he must have been in his 40's because I was really young when it happened and can barely remember it). His cardiologist told him he had to work in a less stressful environment or he would die very young. I know it doesn't sound less stressful but he ended up working as a security guard at a rock quarry (there weren't many incidents of people busting down gates to steal gravel). He made a very modest wage but was a very hard worker.

We grew up in a 1,500 sq. foot rancher and had an acre of land which I know sounds like a lot by most standards but my parents bought the land cheap and my parents were able to procure a V.A. loan on the house since my dad was a veteran of the Korean War. He grew up on a farm so he really knew how to stretch money.

We grew all of our own vegetables and jarred whatever we didn't eat to last through the Winter and Spring (it's funny to think back that I basically ate organic foods my entire life...something most people pay a premium for these days). We cut wood which became our main source of heat with a wood burning stove during the winter months.

I never felt deprived. I can't relate when people on the board reflect on experiences of walking into a TRU and seeing Megos piled up on the shelf. I don't remember ever seeing the inside of a store until I was a teenager. We used to pick our Christmas wish list from a Sears catalog and even though my parents lived off a modest income, they were very generous at Christmas.

I had friends who grew up modestly like me. I did have one friend who seemed to have every Mego ever made and every toy he ever wanted. He was never selfish about any of it and always willing to share. I always considered him my rich friend because he seemed to have everything and would regularly go to the store for a toy run. Unfortunately, his father died of cancer when we were in the 3rd grade, his mother remarried and divorced, and remarried again so in retrospect, I would never have swapped places with him.

Even without all of the material things, I have very fond memories of my childhood and looking back wouldn't have traded it for another life.

**JDeRouen** · Jan 10, '08, 4:34 PM

Interesting question, Sharry. I'd have to say I experienced both. When I was young and my dad was alive, we were pretty well off - but my dad was an physically-abusive alcoholic, and I would have gladly traded places with someone not so well off who had a caring, loving, and non-drinking father.

After my father died, my mother remarried, this time to another jerk who was poor. We didn't have much money, and I had a mean, emotionally-abusive step-father.

Er, what was the question again ? I'm suddenly feeling morose!

**megoscott** · Jan 10, '08, 4:48 PM

That is an interesting question. I would say for the most part we were very comfortable and mostly equal to my peers, but when it came to toys my family generally made me work to get what I wanted--so I washed a lot of cars and mowed a lot of lawns to get my Megos and Star Wars figures (beyond birthdays and christmas) so I was frequently jealous of my friends who had more indulgent parents. Jason Moore had every single blasted Star Wars figure AND the Death Star and everything else while I was getting by with about a dozen guys and one beat up Tie fighter. I only had about 10 Megos or so...

I also remember some of my obviously less well off friends having bigger TVs and HBO, so I was jealous of them, too.

All I can tell you is I'm going to buy my kid a whole lot of toys so he doesn't have to grow up and spend a fortune getting everything he missed like I did.

**Mikey** · Jan 10, '08, 4:58 PM

So my question is: when you were a kid, what category did you fall in? Were you jealous of your other friend's homes, toys, etc.?

Great thread Sharry

I grew up on a rural farm in northwest NJ.
My family were sharecroppers.
I was the youngest of 9 kids....
My father died when I was 5, so basically my mom and sibs raised me.
We never really had much, but we got by.
Being the youngest, I was spoiled rotten by my sibs (even though they didn't have anything)

Funny thing is,
I never really knew we were actually poor until I grew up

**MegoGeekJr** · Jan 10, '08, 5:20 PM

Still being a kid, I can say my life is so-so so far.

My parents buy me mostly anything if I don't say tax.
But it could only be a low price.
But when it comes to megos, my bro does the job.

But the bills keep us form doing some stuff.

**rikitikitavi** · Jan 10, '08, 5:26 PM

I was the son of a very affluent man, but he never spent any money on his kids he didn't have to. He was always estranged from us as well. So my sister and I were raised by our mother in a very nice old english tudor home, but on a budget. I think mom raised us on 1100 a month back in the 1970s, but Dad paid the utilities.

I have always had a talent for sculpting. My sister and I created our own playworld with clay figures and our little town. We didn't need very many toys, and I can't say I had an excessive amount. I also loved to shoot with my beebee gun. I would make mud men, put German, American, Japanese helmets on them and really shoot away. Toys were nothing compared to making your own!

But I did have a shoebox full of Star Wars figures, some Galactica figures, and a couple of SW playsets. I had some Mego apes, and the Microrail City. . . .and loads of plastic dinosaurs and army soldiers. I also had the Guns of Navarone playset .. .or whatever it was called.

My friends basically had the same amount of toys or more. . .but I alone could shoot a mud Pancho Villa!

RG · Jan 10, '08, 5:42 PM

My dad was a paper mill worker and made a nice middle income. But in 78/79 for about a year his union went on strike and it was hard going, but I was too young to remember much, I know my two cousins had tons of toys and I remember wanting stuff like they had, The house we rented was pretty crappy, and then we moved in to our very small RV while my dad and brother finished the house my dad was building.

Things got back to normal and I had a nice little batch of die cast cars and a few GI Joe figures. But in 1984 my dad had another strike, and at the same time my brother (he was 15 years older than me) was killed in a car accident (only 22 years old) and the costs of the funeral really set us back along with the loss of my brother. I remember seeing a GI Joe Cobra Commander and at the time I couldn't get it because my parents just didn't have the money. Things were ok by the end of 84 and going good in 1985 and good for the rest of my childhood.

I never really was jealous, I had enough toys, and the house my dad built was and is really nice (they still live there, and for the past few years so have I

)

**kingdom warrior** · Jan 10, '08, 5:54 PM

I was born and raised In the projects of Bed/Sty Brooklyn.My Father and Mother both were hard working and gave me everything. We never went without and felt very blessed.

My sister and I often talk about how blessed we were and how great was our childhood.Being only the two of us we usually received many presents from them.My Mom usually gave me the toys but the money came from my dad. We were rewarded for good behavior and doing our chores.Plus my mom early on figured that when she gave me a mego I would disappear into my room and leave her alone....lol! so many times she would come home from work with a Mego in hand....a very cherished memory.

Also when i lived in the Projects we did not have stereotypical images.I grew up in a Drug free safe community in the 70's and 80's.

**jemboy2004** · Jan 10, '08, 5:56 PM

well, I was one of 9 and I do remember friends who seemed to have all the megos and other toys I really wanted. We were poor and my Father had a serious Drinking problem.

So.... I decided to get the toys I wanted and well I guess I shouldn't be telling BUT I would walk to the toy store and steal lots of toys I wanted. It actually became a habit and I had almost all the megos they made but got them the way you really shouldn't.. I was young and dumb so I convinced myself it was OK bc I was poor..... I don't steal anymore!

**toys2cool** · Jan 10, '08, 6:05 PM

Originally posted by jemboy2004

well, I was one of 9 and I do remember friends who seemed to have all the megos and other toys I really wanted. We were poor and my Father had a serious Drinking problem.

So.... I decided to get the toys I wanted and well I guess I shouldn't be telling BUT I would walk to the toy store and steal lots of toys I wanted. It actually became a habit and I had almost all the megos they made but got them the way you really shouldn't.. I was young and dumb so I convinced myself it was OK bc I was poor..... I don't steal anymore!

LOL! Hey guys make sure he never goes to mego meet

naw bro you had to do what you had to do

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