Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and  do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff  or publishers)

Originally published December 22, 2007

My kids Christmas lists include a PlayStation 4, iPads, iBooks and laptop computers. As my friend comedian Bob Marley noted, when we were kids we had an Etch-a-Sketch instead of a laptop.

What happened to just plain old toys?

My cousin Carol had a Chatty Cathy, which was great until the pull-string broke, then it was just another doll. I remember toys like the Kenner’s Girder and Panel building set. Lincoln Logs and Erector Sets were also cool toys. Those Aurora Racecar sets were awesome!

One year Vac-U-Form was big. It was a small contraption that you plugged in and it heated small plastic sheets that you would press over and mold. It made flimsy little cars, boats and army men. The smell of melting plastic was sickening.

Remember Secret Sam? It was made around 1965 by Topper. It was a plastic attaché case with an assault type spy rifle you would assemble. It had plastic bullets and a concealed camera that would actually shoot while in the case! I had one as a kid so I bought one on eBay last year.

One year for a gift I got that small plastic model of the 20 Mule Team that Borax put out. One of my favorite toys was that little grey submarine that you put baking soda in to make it rise and sink.

Then there were the classic Lionel Train sets. I had one on a huge board in the cellar. I loved dropping those smoke pellets into the smoke stack. Then one day it was gone. I didn’t play with it enough so my father gave it away. He was like the Santa Claus of Davis Square. He also gave away my accordion.

I used to buy my sister 45 rpm records for Christmas. I got them at The Record Shop in Davis Square. Every time you bought a record there you got a coupon. If you saved enough coupons, they’d give you a free 45. I remember the guy with the glasses in there watching us like a hawk thinking we were going to rip him off. I found out his brother owned the record store in Porter Square. It was called Bernie’s. Records always made a great gift. I remember the year I got The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour. It’s still in a moldy box in my cellar. In 1964 I bought my sister Petula Clark’s hit Downtown on a 45.

My son Jimmy was in the attic and pulled out an old LP record. He held it up and said: “Look dad, a big CD!”

How many of us went to Christmas parties at Cabot Farms on Broadway near Powder House Square? The fading facade is still there as a memory of all the Boy Scout breakfasts and other functions that were held there over the years.

Back to the old toys. The big place to get some of these toys was of course Child World at the Wellington Shopping Plaza in Medford. We also went to Bradlees, Zayre and JM Fields. There were GI Joes, Barbies, and Lite-Brites and so much more. One year there was a toy called Mr. Machine. He was a walking robot with a square head. I didn’t get one. I got a Slinky that always got tangled up and twisted out of shape.

In 1964, after The Beatles stormed into our lives, I asked for a guitar. I remember looking in all the hiding places for it, but it wasn’t until two years later that I finally got it. It was a small acoustic guitar that was purchased from Butler’s Music store in Davis Square, and my music career was off and running.

One of the greatest Christmas gifts I ever got was a small transistor radio! I still remember the smell when I opened it. I would take that radio to bed with me every night. The little earphone was the best invention ever! I’d listen to WMEX and WCOP. I never missed Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg and Dick Summer’s “Loving Touch.” Those little transistors came from Radio Shack.

Today, kids want gifts that will set you back serious cash. One year I bought my son Joey a handheld PlayStation and he lost it. I look in the kid’s old playroom (yes there are still toys in there!) and see all the crap I bought for Christmas’ past. Like “Moon Shoes.” I went nuts looking for those stupid things and they used them a total of five times. I almost killed myself tripping over one of them.

I remember going to my dad’s company Christmas party. He worked at the W.R. Grace near Alewife. To get to the hall that the party was held in we had to step over iridescent puddles of glowing goop. We got a gift, and a small box of those hard, colorful Christmas candies with the filled centers – ahhh the memories!

Today, we have to be careful about toys with lead paint in them and especially choking hazards. Each year a lot of toys are thankfully recalled. I started giving away all the Hess Trucks I bought for my son over the years. Each year he would play with it for five minutes and then it would end up behind the couch with last years’ Hess Truck.

I have fond Christmas memories with my family. We didn’t have a lot of money, but my parents always made it a very special day. I hope my kids’ memories are as good as mine. I know their gifts won’t smell smoky like the fire damaged salvaged ones we got from The Bargain Center did.