Top ten Xmas toys from my childhood #2

Millennium Falcon Playset (1979)

You knew I couldn’t get through this list without having Star Wars toys on it didn’t you? The big question people had was how many Star Wars toys would make the list? Anyone that knows me knows that that is not very possible. It would be a top ten star Wars list instead. Hmmm…maybe another time.
When Star Wars first came out there were no such things as action figures. In fact you may recall that Kenner released a cardboard box for purchase with the promise of 4 action figures by mail. When I received those action figures I would imagine play scenarios around them since there were no playsets or ships yet. I used the narrow end of a mini ironing board as the Millennium Falcon. Kenner then started trickling out ships. First the landspeeder, the xwing, tie fighter, a death star playset. Then the holy grail of all ships and playsets came out – the Falcon. A working ramp, opening cockpit, retractable landing gear, rotating radar dish, swiveling gun turret, holo chess board, jedi remote training area, and a hidden storage compartment. THIS ROCKED!!!!
This toy was not necessarily a surprise on Xmas morning. At the time midwestern Ohio was not very prone to get Star Wars toys when they first came out. Even if they were manufactured in Cincinnati, so it was hard to find anything let alone a brand new MF that everybody wanted. Hence Davenport, Iowa enters the picture. My sister and brother-in-law lived there and we would visit every now and then. Every trip to Iowa meant a trip to the mall (Sidney, Ohio had no such thing.) That is where I saw my coveted Falcon – at Montgomery Ward. Later on we all split up to do our own thing in the mall. I happened to spy my dad walking down the opposite side of the mall with a large bag under his shoulder with my new Xmas toy in it. Score! Many, many hours were spent piloting the hunk of junk from a galaxy far, far away.