Tweet
Boy are you going to be sorry you asked that question. I have a DILLY of a story to tell you. I hope there isn't a character limit in the messages. Some of you have already heard this so sorry to bore you again. I received my first Mego as a Christmas present around 1974-1975, I'm guessing. It was a POTA Treehouse and a few figures. I loved this set. I had been a HUGE fan of the TV show. We kept all of our toys in the attic and I can clearly picture myself up there for several years setting up different figures in it. We moved from Hershey, PA (home of the best chocolate bar!) to the next town over around 1976-1977, and my parents didn't want to be moving a ton of toys, so we were forced to put all of the larger stuff (and most of the small stuff) out at our yard sale the summer we moved. I can remember me holding the $2 I got for the treehouse in my hands and trying to decide which I wanted more, the treehouse or the $2. Since I was being basically forced to sell the treehouse, it was a moot point, but that is what I regret selling the most, HOWEVER - read on. To this day, my brother argues that the treehouse was his, and he let me play with it. However I clearly remember getting the $2 for it, so I know he is wrong. Anyway, we move to our new house and I soon put the treehouse in the back of my mind. 2 years later (at least I think it was 2 years later, it might have been only one) we are hitting some yard sales and, believe it or not, we end up at the home/yard sale of the dude who bought my treehouse for his son. He has it out for sale and it's in the same box with the same $2 written on the flap in marker! I can't even begin to describe the disbelief/excitement/wonder that went thru my mind when I saw that. That was the fastest that $2 ever came out of my pocket to date. He remembered us and told me that his son had never even taken it out of the box! So, I get it and take it home. Now, this is about 8th grade for me, and it wasn't very cool to be playing with action figures and playsets in 8th grade back then. At least not in my neck of the woods. So, the treehouse stays in the box and eventually gets put in storage in the attic and I pretty much forget about it.
Fast forward to 2001. The new POTA movie is released and I watch it in the theater on opening night. Not a movie that is going to win any academy awards, but still awesome to see a reimagining of POTA. I leave the movie theater pumped up and remembering how much I loved the movies, TV shows and toys years before. I go home, log on to ebay and buy a loose treehouse for $150. Before it even gets to my house, my mom calls me and tells me that they are moving into a modular home in a nice quiet over 55 community and I have stuff stored in the attic, do I want to come and get it or should they throw it away?
I realize - OMG! my treehouse was stored in the attic! I break all know speed laws driving over there, feverently wishing that I could have invented a Star Trek transporter to get there quicker. I pretty much spread my wings and fly into the attic looking thru stuff. AND THERE"S MY TREEHOUSE! If I couldn't begin to describe my feelings when I found it 2 years after selling it, imagine how difficult it is for me to put into words how I felt at that point.
Well, to make a long story longer...That was the beginning of my addiction. I soon spent all of my kid's college funds on all of the different boxed and unopened Treehouses (except the Gift Set and the Cipsa version, I don't think I will ever get those) and then moved on to figures and eventually WGSH. I upgraded the Treehouses and boxes several times until I now have some pretty sweet sets. I don't think I will ever be able to upgrade to anything better and don't feel the need to.
Now, 15 minutes later, aren't you sorry you asked!!??
Fast forward to 2001. The new POTA movie is released and I watch it in the theater on opening night. Not a movie that is going to win any academy awards, but still awesome to see a reimagining of POTA. I leave the movie theater pumped up and remembering how much I loved the movies, TV shows and toys years before. I go home, log on to ebay and buy a loose treehouse for $150. Before it even gets to my house, my mom calls me and tells me that they are moving into a modular home in a nice quiet over 55 community and I have stuff stored in the attic, do I want to come and get it or should they throw it away?
I realize - OMG! my treehouse was stored in the attic! I break all know speed laws driving over there, feverently wishing that I could have invented a Star Trek transporter to get there quicker. I pretty much spread my wings and fly into the attic looking thru stuff. AND THERE"S MY TREEHOUSE! If I couldn't begin to describe my feelings when I found it 2 years after selling it, imagine how difficult it is for me to put into words how I felt at that point.
Well, to make a long story longer...That was the beginning of my addiction. I soon spent all of my kid's college funds on all of the different boxed and unopened Treehouses (except the Gift Set and the Cipsa version, I don't think I will ever get those) and then moved on to figures and eventually WGSH. I upgraded the Treehouses and boxes several times until I now have some pretty sweet sets. I don't think I will ever be able to upgrade to anything better and don't feel the need to.
Now, 15 minutes later, aren't you sorry you asked!!??
Comment