Which parent bought you your toys?

[acrovader]

Without a doubt, my mom spoiled me. Every single time she'd go out shopping, she'd bring me home something.. And not just one, but several toys. When I went with her shopping, I also made my way to the toy department, and if I was looking at some toys- she'd always offer to get the toy(s) for me. Let's say, she'd say 'Pick out something you want' and I couldn't make up my mind on what one figure of three I wanted, she'd cave and buy me all three. Another thing that amazes me, when she went out on her own, she ALWAYS knew what I wanted or would be interested in. Further, she seemed to remember what I had. Take for instance, Star Wars figures, when she was out and about, she always picked the one that I didn't have (and rarely did I get duplicate figures). My earliest Christmases, 'Santa' brought me anything and everything. What's more, she kept on top on the newest toys. I remember when she brought home toys for me that were brand spanking new and right out the box. I remember the day when she came home with my first Masters of the Universe toys, Muscle figures, and 3 3/4" GI Joe, and Transformers. Up until then, I never knew these toys existed, since I hadn't seen any commercials for them. She always managed to buy them RIGHT when they hit the shelves. I remember the day when Return of the Jedi when the toys first went on sale. When I got home, mom had gotten home from the mall, and bought me everyone of the first wave of ROTJ figures. In fact, as a kid, the 'Easter Bunny' not only brought candy, but also TOYS. I'll never forget the Easter Sunday mornings when the Easter Bunny left me the Micronauts Battle Cruiser and MB Starbird.

My dad, on the other hand, never went out on his own to buy me any toys (and if he had, it would've been at my mother's request). In fact, when I was at the toy store, I was always afraid to ask for him to buy me something because I knew the answer was almost always NO. I think he was disappointed that I or my brother weren't into sports, like football or baseball.

My mom passed away several years ago, but I'll never forget that she really cared for me and wanted me to be happy.

[Mikey]

My mom and older sibs

My dad died when I was really young

[Hector]

My dad was the Santa Clause of the house.

But my mom was the awesome cook, so it all evened out, lol.

[HardyGirl]

Both. My dad would bring home little things, but he also knew people who had a wholesale toy distribution, so I would get the latest mechanical dolls, cheap! My mom was the department store person. She was also the queen of the 89 cent store. She rarely caved on toys when it wasn't my birthday or Easter, but she was great for things like new books, or children's records. My dad was also great for those great gas station fill-up freebies like mini SSPs or Matchbox cars.

[toys2cool]

the only one I had, my mom

[jimsmegos]

My dad loved getting me toys, action figures were a real connection for us, mainly Superman. We were completely different in most other regards so its nice to have those memories of the toy aisle or surprises. My favorite surprise is still when he brought me home a 12 inch Kenner C-3PO. The sneak off to the store trips were fun too. The time he picked me up the Raiders of the Lost Ark well of souls and handful of action figures was awesome.

Mom got me stuff but it just wasn't the same. Still appreciated for sure but not the same.

[Iron Mego]

My mom. I don't think my dad ever did that kind of shopping. Although, he dad take over the grocery shopping at some point. He did all the cooking, too.

[Figuremod73]

Dad at a store: "If I buy you something, I'll have to get your brother and sister something to!"
Mom at a store: "I havent got the money!"

Aunts, Uncles, Grandma: "Ok, how much is it"

I usually would cut grass at neighbors and buy a Heman knockoff or transforming robot once in awhile. As I got older most of my pocket money went to renting movies/videogames or comics/magazines.

[Nostalgiabuff]

my mom did most of the shopping for the kids, but I will never forget that my dad bought me my first Star Wars figure when they finally hit the shelves in '78 - Darth Vader. they were really hard to find for a while there and he found it on his lunch break in NYC

on the flip side, i do all the toy shopping for the kids, and le my wife do the boring clothes shopping

[ShadowAvenger]

Mom bought me comics and toys sometimes when we went to the store since dad was too busy drinking at the bar.

[Mego MkIV]

I come from a big family so Christmas was usually good toy wise,other than that my mom bought me toys when we went shopping.

[PNGwynne]

Mom & my maternal grandmother bought my toys. My Grandma didn't drive, so she & Mom went grocery shopping every week. Buehler's Markets (a small NE Ohio chain) was almost like Wal-Mart today, in that it had a good year-round toy dept., dry goods, etc. My dad worked for them and of course we shopped there, still do.

They always had Megoes, and my Grandmother was indulgent. Otherwise, being sort of rural, we did a lot of catalogue shopping. Does anyone recall how, in the seventies, stores would literally pile in the toys for fourth-quarter shopping? Magical.

Another little Ohio chain, Conley's, would turn their garden center each winter in to Toyland--it was a staple of our Cristmas shopping.

[MIB41]

It was always my mother. My dad was the head of the family and took great pride in the role. He was a quality control engineer at Ford, so he was a workaholic. On the weekends we worked on a farm some 30 miles away from our standard suburbia life from sun up to sun down. We cleared fence lines, bailed hay, cut wood for winter, feed cows, or mowed fields with the bush hog. That left my mother to tend to matters around the house. So if she went shopping during the week days, after I got home from school, I was sure to go with her if she was going to be anywhere near a toy store. My dad was never big on Megos because he was very old school and viewed them as "dolls" for preschoolers. He was very set in his ways and had a very black and white view of most things. So it was a really special moment when it was my dad who took me to get my very first Spider-man figure after I had helped him all day doing God knows what. But my mother was too busy doing something else, so he said he would take me. I was shocked at the gesture. But he was very accommodating and was pleased that such a simple gesture meant so much to me. He always said I got alot of mileage out of very little. I guess he was right. We 70's kids used our imaginations well. But that was the only time he ever did that. And I still have that original Spiderman in his original box. It meant that much to me that I always kept him close and out of harms way even when he was stored in my closet. I always knew exactly where he was at. Still do.

[Figuremod73]

^ Cool and well written story.

[Random Axe]

I actually have no idea who bought what, probably equal parts both. Now, my mother found a carded Shazam in an old ma and pa hardware store in 1985 for five dollars. She didn't even give it to me till I was in my twenties ten or so years later. She wanted it kept intact and minty. I still have it and would never part with it.