Christmas Memories - Part 3 (I’m pretty sure it is !)

What did we want for Christmas in the late 1950’s ? In a ten year olds’ mind a religious holiday be damned this was about the toys ! Of course, it also was about anything else you could haul in. By the 1960’s I was far more interested in girls, dinner, and girls. Pretty much in that order.


This is not an exhaustive list. At this stage I can not remember everything. I did not pay much attention to what my sisters’ got, although I can remember two or three things. I can not remember at all what Mom and Dad got for each other. I do remember that my sisters’ felt it was a huge joke to buy Dad a pair of the wildest boxers that they could find usually two or three sizes too big for him. I wonder what he did with them ? He must have had a half a dozen pair.

The most popular toy that my brother and I played with throughout the fifties was an electric train - Canadian Pacific, of course.

A hit for the whole family was a hockey game. I doubt that any Canadian household at that time did not have one. I was usually the Toronto Maple Leafs, and my brother the Montreal Canadians - sibling rivalry.

Archives of Ontario

Slinky was a must have.

Archives of Ontario

I had a set of Roy Rogers pistols in the early fifties - I would have preferred the Cisco Kid.

Board games were popular. As a family we would sit down and play. Activities that are missing in today’s world. As I remember, my sisters were a heck of a lot more ruthless than either myself or my brother.

As for my sisters, I do remember their first Barbie doll. Probably because they were so hell bent on getting one.

One of my sisters, and I forget now which one, had Mr. Potato Head.

Finally there was the Hula Hoop. Even tried it myself once. I was not very good at it.

Had I known that she was a Hula Hooper I would have practiced.

By 1960 interests changed, and I was into the Hardy Boys. That was what would be found under the tree for several years after. I wonder what ever happened to that collection?