What is your best "adult" discovery of a childhood toy?

[HardyGirl]

As a kid, I did own some Matchbox cars that my dad would get at the gas station w/ some fill-ups, but I was never really into playing w/ cars (other than my SSPs). Now as an adult, I love Hot Wheels. Thanks to a member here (sorry can't remember which one), I have a LOT of old school track that I like to link to my new track. I have a Rally Case and a Super Rally case full of cars. I'm not a stickler about what kind of cars to collect, but I do own some of the Superhero ones like Aquaman, Superman and Batgirl. There's a long hallway in my house, so sometimes when I babysit boys (the girls don't seem very interested), I break these out. I'm partial to the rubber band launcher, but I'll use a gravity clamp for my heavier cars.

[PNGwynne]

Star Wars Micro are so detailed. I didn't like them when released, but I can see how they'd appeal to adults. They assemble into dioramas., don't they?

Sectaurs--awesome! I bought them all as soon as they hit the shelves in '85--I wish they had done wave two which was designed. I received The Hyve playset for Christmas when I was a senior in high school, what a toy nerd lol.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

When I was a kid, I had quite a few of the die-cast Star Wars vehicles that came out after the first film and many of the Micro Collection sets that came a couple years later. But I wasn't a big fan of them at the time, they were often bought for me as gifts, and I think they were supposed to be cheaper alternatives to the larger vehicles I had asked for but didn't get. So while I thought they were ok, they couldn't carry any of my figures and were viewed with a disappointed eye since I really wanted their larger scaled versions.

But as an adult, I have revisited these toys and now I am extremely hooked on them. The design and packaging of the die-cast vehicles is wonderful, not to mention less space-consuming to display. Same with the Micro Collections. I'm far more likely to spend my dollars on those SW toys these days than the 3-3/4 inch series of figures and vehicles.

Another line that I discovered as an adult collector was Super Powers. I was a big fan of the Secret Wars figures (and still am), but paid little to no mind towards the Super Powers figures when they were on the shelves. Now I think the line is excellent and love the character mix they chose.

[enyawd72]

My greatest toy discovery as an adult has to be Sectaurs. I have the entire collection, and they are light years ahead of everything else that was being made at that time IMO. The combination of action figures/puppet insects is nothing short of brilliant, and their detailed sculpts still hold up today. The combining of humans and insects was original and just a fantastic concept for a toyline.

[PNGwynne]

Much of my collection consists of reacquiring childhood favorites: Mego, AT GI Joe, Clash of the Titans, SMDM.

But as an adult, some lines have caught my interest, like Big Jim.

My best (re)discovery, though, is Matchbox's Fighting Furies. I had one outfit set & Hook when I was a kid, but now I have a complete set & think it's one of the most beautiful and playable lines of the '70s: Great action features, beautiful details, & terrific playsets. The Ghost of Cap'n Kidd is the best glow-in-the dark toy ever made IMO.

What toy did you discover, or appreciate anew, as an adult collector?