We moved to the place we're at a little over two years ago right after my wife and I got married. During the move I found out one of my favorite childhood toys had gotten broken. It was a old school Voltron toy. The Original 5 Lion Voltron, the old school Die Cast one. This one wasn't even released in the U.S. that I know of. Black Lion's legs got broke off inside of the Yellow and Blue Lions as I had it assembled. Apparently something heavy fell on the box it was in and it was on the top of the box.
I looked it up online tonight as I was thinking of finding a new one to help hold on to the memory. I found out the one I have was called GoLion in Japan. This also explains to me why it was when I showed it to my friends when I was little they all had this crappy plastic one that paled in comparison. The die cast metal one like the one I have/had didn't come over to the U.S. until the next year after I got mine. I never knew it was this special when I was a kid. Mine wasn't even in all that good condition before it was broke as one of the wings broke off a long time ago. All the springs still work though and all the joints are still tight and can be posed.
Well, when I looked it up tonight I found out which one it was and what it was called in Japan. I also found out I can't afford to replace it....at least not right now or anytime soon. It was worth 300 bucks....
Worst part is, it could be worth ten times that much and I wouldn't sell mine if it was fixed. I don't even want to sell the broken pieces of it. It has a lot of sentimental value to me because my mother and grandmother got it for me when I was a kid. Even if I did have the money to replace it I don't know how much the replacement would "count" in my eyes. It wouldn't be the same one they got me.
We didn't always have much money when I was a kid, but at Christmas time that one thing, that one Special thing I always wanted, Mom and Gran always came through somehow and kept the magic of Christmas alive for me for many years as a child.
I've known it was broke for over a year now and I don't know why I've been thinking about it most of the evening. The more I think about it though the sadder I get *sigh*. It almost feels as if part of my childhood memories broke with it.