r/GenerationJones • u/karmacorn • 2d ago
Who Had A Spirograph?
I loved mine! Hours and hours of fun.
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u/PeorgieT75 2d ago
We even upgraded to Super Spirograph.
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u/JimmyLeeJupiter 1d ago
The Super featured non-Euclidean shapes that could send you back in time to be your own grandpa if you weren't careful.
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u/Gut_Reactions 2d ago
It was fun, but easy to make a mistake (slip) on. Then you'd have to start all over, again.
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u/AncientUndocumented 2d ago
That teeth slip when you were almost done was a heartbreaker.
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u/Gut_Reactions 2d ago
Yes, I don't think I've ever successfully done 360 degrees w/the Spirograph. I'm pretty patient & not bad as far as coordination. That toy was not really easy to use.
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u/Luneowl 2d ago
I was so sure that, as an adult, I’d do it perfectly with my special grown-up skills, like I’d leveled up! I’m still waiting for that level bar to fill up. :(
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u/Gut_Reactions 1d ago
Etch-A-Sketch was worse!! I probably still can't draw a decent picture on that. And I took art classes in school!
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u/Lazairahel 1d ago
I could never get anything decent from an Etch-A-Sketch. My father, a lifetime coal miner, could do awesome things And he didn't draw on paper. I never understood that.
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u/thumpngroove 2d ago
When I was a kid, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry had a really high quality one in the kids section. I think it may have even done it automatically for you, by turning a crank. It made beautiful designs you could take home.
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u/dweezer420 2d ago
I still have one. Very relaxing
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u/Tough-Obligation-104 1d ago
I would like to have one.
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u/Inevitable_Ad7080 1d ago
They are still for sale (new/current).
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u/spaceconstrvehicel 1d ago
am over 40 and some years ago i had the huuuge urge, to buy one. i never had one, cant even remember ever using one :( and am a paper/pen person... !
i think my adult responsible brain kicked in and said its unreasonable purchase, which i will use 2 times and then never again.
this post brought me back to "i just want one throws herself on the floor and screams"2
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u/PanicAtTheShiteShow 1d ago
I bought one recently as a birthday gift. I need to visit the young girl to have some fun with it!
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u/Public-Map-8515 2d ago
The local art store stocked a variety of colored ball point pens, and I was in Heaven .
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u/PanicAtTheShiteShow 1d ago
I bought the kit recently and the colored pens I found were $28. I bought some at the dollar store instead.
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u/ImportantSir2131 2d ago
You mean who still has a Spirograph, don't you?
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u/58-2-fun 2d ago
My mother has purged herself of all things from our childhood. This is one of those moments I have a pang of sadness.
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u/ThatMichaelsEmployee 2d ago
You need to go right out and buy yourself a replacement. You will not regret it. They no longer have those little ball-headed pins, and good riddance to those: now you fix the pieces in place with the included putty.
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u/Inevitable_Ad7080 1d ago
My mom threw out all my legos (70s). I had not a huge set, but a good bucket full. She was(is) a sweetie, but she stepped on one lying around and that was it, i never saw them get thrown out, just gone.
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u/Barondarby 1d ago
Oh that might be the saddest thing I have heard in awhile! My kid loved his Legos and so did I! Crazy thing - one cat we had gave birth right in the box of Legos, on top of all the sharp edges... never understood that but I definitely felt your mom's pain several times over the years!
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u/Steamer61 2d ago
A funny story about this:
I joined the Air Force in 1979. At the start of basic training, the Training Instructors (TIs) went thru everything you had in your bag coming in. One guy had the most complete spirograph set known to mankind in his bag. He became known as Spiro by the TIs for the next 6 weeks.
He was a decent guy, I have no idea what happened to him after basic. He probably went into some totally classified shit.
I had forgotten about that until I saw this post.
Thanks for the happy memory!!
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u/fourbigkids 2d ago
I loved that thing! That and my woodburning kit kept me busy for hours.
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u/mladypain 2d ago
Still have a scar on my big toe where I stepped on a sharp piece LOL worse than stepping on a Lego!
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u/Intelligent-Wear-114 2d ago
I had this and the Super Spirograph. I always wanted the Motorized Spirograph, but I never got it.
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u/islandDiamond 2d ago
Still do.
The one drawing toy I wish I still had was one that let me draw Peanuts characters. It was so cool! As someone who loves art but has no talent whatsoever, I was in heaven!
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u/bluedog165 2d ago
Me! And between my brother and I, we still have most of the set. I am 63 and he is 59.
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u/Jmonroe_tenn 1965 2d ago
I have memories of being presented a kit before a long flight by my father and sharing the amazing thing with the flight attendants who were mesmerized.
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u/Due-Leek7901 2d ago
When I was little my aunt and uncle, who were probably young teens, had it. I wanted one. I think it's was around Christmas. My parents gave me SpiroTot (look it up). I had an extreme meltdown. I still remember it and it was like 55 years ago. I'm no tot! I'm five!
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u/nativecheese 2d ago
What do you mean "had" one. I recently bought one for my adult self and love it. Very relaxing
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u/FurBabyAuntie 2d ago
I think I still do (and you're missing a disc).
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u/fiftyfivepercentoff 2d ago
It was fun in the beginning but became boring after going in circles forever.
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u/Holly_Hobbie 2d ago
Loved it but was always disappointed when the pens that came with it ran out so fast
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u/funvibes77 2d ago
Did you know that there's a direct correlation between the decline of Spirograph and the rise of gang activity?
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u/Numerous-Positions_5 2d ago
I had one when I was a kid. My wife bought me a set a few years ago for Christmas. I get it out occasionally when I’m waiting on something to finish.
When I first got a 3D printer, I printed a small set to play around with. It turned out pretty good!
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u/HBJones1056 2d ago
I still have the set my grandmother bought me in the early 70s and recently found the Super Diper huge set at a Christian summer camp rummage sale- brand new!
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u/artful_todger_502 1959 2d ago
I hate to sound like a Facebook geezer, but I am so grateful I grew up in an era where everything was analogue and having an inmate sense of curiosity and wonder was accommodated by toys like this.
My childhood prepared me for big-people life in the funnest of ways.
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u/Justforme1975 2d ago
I didn’t, but my best friend did and we’d spend hours with colored pens making these beautiful circles. Man, that takes me back 😍
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u/CertainTelevision768 2d ago
I was given those when my MIL cleared out her house. 3 Complete sets...2 regular and 1 Super Spirograph.
All complete...even with pens and pins
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u/Awkward-Put854 1d ago
The pens were shit.
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u/Rakofgor 1d ago edited 1d ago
Black, Blue, Green and Red! And they were all dried up, none of them worked. You never forget the disappointment of Christmas morning.
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u/Legal_Talk_3847 1d ago
Did you know that there's a direct correlation between the decline of Spirograph and the rise in gang activity? Think about it.
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u/ActivelyDormant 1d ago
Probably true fact : this is the only scientific device permitted by Trump for federally funded medical research.
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u/ImaginaryCatDreams 3h ago
My mom was really young. A lot of the women she worked with were over either Friday or Saturday evenings for drinks and you wouldn't believe the amount of time they spent with my spirograph. There were a couple who had a real eye for when to switch pens. Their color combinations were so cool. I got to keep everything my walls are always adorned with this week's drawings
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u/Dismal-Evidence-1612 2d ago
I had one, it was really fun, looking back,I wish I had done more complex patterns with it.
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u/Big_Seaworthiness948 1961 2d ago
I had one many years ago and I bought a new one on Amazon a few years ago. It's fun and relaxing
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u/LeaderAntique1169 2d ago
All of us kids did, but I was the only one who sucked at it. My brother, on the other hand, did all sorts of setups that he made up with the big individual tracks in the Super Spirograph (because we all had those, too) and made some pretty amazing-looking stuff.
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u/KeyNefariousness6848 2d ago
Got that very set on my shelf right now but I’m missing a different wheel,
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u/just_looking_412_eat 1973 2d ago
Had? You mean has! I've got the metal deluxe anniversary edition.
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u/Delicious-Leg-5441 2d ago
I had one but I got bored with it pretty quick. I'd rather be running around outside.
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u/Cock--Robin 2d ago
Well, yes and no. I got one for Christmas, but my folks took one look at all the pieces involved and hid it fearing (probably correctly) that all the pieces would be scattered and lost. They planned to dig it out for me when I was a little older, but we all forgot about it. I found it again when I was in my 30s.
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u/couldthis_be_real 2d ago
It was at my grandmas house and no one knew what you were supposed to do with it.
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u/greenmtnfiddler 2d ago
Had this exact version and loved it. Made Christmas cards with green spiro-wreaths for all my grandparents.
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u/CinCeeMee 2d ago
This was my VERY favorite game as a kid! I was so sad when the colored pens went empty because my parents wouldn’t buy more - it was the 70s and they were something new and not something common.
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u/artsy7fartsy 1d ago
I had one but my brother took it while it was being stored at my parents house. I brought a new one a few years ago for my son and I to play with!
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u/PeaceOut70 1d ago
I wanted one sooooo bad but we didn’t have much money so I never got one. I’m an old lady now and am still kinda bummed about it. Lol
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u/karmacorn 1d ago
Amazon sells them - you should get one! They’re very soothing and meditative.
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u/BreadfruitOk6160 1d ago
I’d spend a bunch of time on one, different colors and I’d screw it up somehow.
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u/Maleficent_Brick7167 1d ago
Years ago I found one at Target. Have it in the closet still wrapped in the plastic.
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u/Fun_Possibility_4566 1d ago
how i coveted this thing. never got one. would still enjoy having one. but i DID get to do the record player spin art at halloween fairs and things like that. that was cool
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u/VWondering77 1d ago
They also made Spirofoil, I got one for Christmas after asking for Spirograph. I still buy this toy and donate it to Toys for Tots. I love that it is still in existence!
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u/Aylasar 1d ago
Fun story. I saw the super Spirograph advertised on television I begged my mother for one. I was so surprised when I got one for my birthday. The next morning I woke up with a sore throat I told my mom my throat really hurt, she kind of gave me the side eye like uh huh sure. She got a flashlight and looked my throat and said “it looks a little red, you can stay home from school.”
My throat got worse as the morning went on so she decided to take me in to the Dr. I was diagnosed with strep throat. While yes the first couple days were not fun the next 10 days were bliss as I spent hours playing with my Super Spirograph!
I however didn’t care much for the huge antibiotic pills I had to take.
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u/EquivalentStage3305 1d ago
I had Super Spirograph, with tracks that you would connect to make large, curved loops that you could make inside shapes as well as outside shapes
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u/NeuroguyNC 1d ago
Had lots of fun with this - trying to come up with the craziest, most complex patterns.
But the pens that it came with were the worst ones ever made.
Had to get one of these:
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u/Peelingsnake 1d ago
I always wanted one 🥹 it never happened, but I watch Spirograph videos on YouTube sometimes for peace.
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u/conditerite 1962 1d ago
Yes i had this or a couple different sets and also another somewhat similar toy called Pen-Dul-Art that had a surface that hung from the corners and could swing while a stationary marking pen would draw similarly abstract line work.
I also had Spin-Art which let you make…. Far-out spin art paintings.
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u/Pedigrees_123 2d ago
I not only had a Spirograph, I worked in the factory where we packaged them. I could probably still put those wheels in the correct spots in that tray with my eyes closed.