None, we went thru 2 flash floods and a house fire. All childhood stuff destroyed.

Oh Cheryl, that is so awful. At the very least you have your memories, hopefully you can find some of the things that were important to you to replace them, of course they don't have nearly the same meaning, but it will envoke the memory.

None. When I moved out of the marital house, I decided to give up on the last items. Books. No one here would ever read them.

I gave them to my German girlfriend, for my "practice" grand daughter.

So, they are practically still in the family. LOL

Moni

Yes I do! When cleaning out my parents home back in 2006 when my dad died, my siblings and I found our baby teeth still in the envelopes (opened)with the letters to the tooth fairy, letters to Santa Clause, I also found our composition books from back in the first grade when learning how to write. My Holy Communion dress still in the box, and various notes from many years scratched on the back of envelopes to us kids on the chores we needed to do. This was the one time I was glad my parents were pack rats.

I've posted this picture before, but it is about the only thing I have left from my childhood. My mother would throw things away or give them away as we outgrew them. My grandmother used to give us the "bestest" gifts. She was just a plain little lady who always wore an apron (even when she came to visit, grandma shoes and her hair in a bun. I can remember some of her gifts, but this is the only one I have left. And..."I" didn't have this one for a long time. My cousin still had her jewelry box from her childhood and this little pin was in it. My mother had passed it on to her. One day I asked her for it...I told her she didn't have to give it to me if she didn't want because it was in "her" jewelry box, but I so remembered getting it and loving it and that I would like to have it. Well, it meant nothing to her and she handed it to me...I was so happy. It's not an expensive thing and the gold is tarnished, but I have it setting here in my computer room where I can see it every day. I "remember" some of the other jewelry my grandmoter gave to me, but this is the only thing I have left. Now, she used to give birthday gifts...I don't remember any Christmas gifts. Now, everyone older is gone from our family, so I have no one to ask about this....

Yes, I have some of my old dolls, a child's rocker with a needlepoint seat done by my great aunt, childhood diaries (a riot), and a box of memorabilia that I really enjoy looking at when I am in the attic. My mom has all of our old school report cards. I am not so sure I want to see those!! She had out baby shoes bronzed.

I have a lot of my kids things saved, too.

I have some vacation trinkets, an old stuffed bear.. probably more things that I've forgotten. I did have all my Barbie dolls and some baby dolls... but sold those on eBay several years ago.

I have a maroon velvet cap, a little china dog, and a tiny gold heart pin.

Yes, I do have quite a few childhood mementos, thanks to my mother. A pretty little ballet dress she made me, the teddy bear I got for my first birthday and other toys, plus several of my picture books. I'm fortunate, I know.

I have a rocking seat that my father made for me, from scrap wood, for my first Christmas, in 1945. It was only months since the end of WWII, and such toys (and wood) were scarce.

I played in it, my younger siblings and their children played in it...and now my granddaughter heads plays in it.
It will be 66 years old this year - hardly antique, but carries the thread of family.

Notice how Donald Duck has changed since his debut. This is the original version of Donald.

Yes, I have nearly every toy and special outfit from my childhood. My mother saved/saves everything. I also have most of my schoolwork as well. Half of the things are still at my mom's house as I really don't want them or have the room. Many of they dolls/accessories/toys are worth some good money.

Yes, I have school papers and report cards that date back to kindergarten. All my old love letters from DH and another boy I dated while they were both in Vietnam. Also have a dress my mother made for me when I was about 8. And many, many old photos and my baby book, pediatrician notes and immunization records. I also have every newspaper article ever written about my father who was a bit of a celebrity in the Seattle area back in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

Jodi-

I have several things too. Most precious is a 'baby doll' from the 40's and a collection of Storybook Dolls..... same era. Report cards, ration cards, graduation stuff too.The paper stuff (including my DM &DGM's) I have preserved in photo albums so that our family has access to any geneological information that they can find there.

Here is an item from my childhood that I intend to give to my 36yr old daughter as a Christmas present...

This is a photo of me that was taken in 1949 when I was at the ripe old age of 2. The photo is an 8 x 10 that was originally shot in B&W, printed on matt paper then it was hand colored using photo oil paints.

My parents divorced when I was around 12 years old and my mom sold nearly everything we owned, except for clothing, bedding and kitchenware. We moved quite a bit and a few years later when she got remarried we lived with the nastiest step father you can imagine always huffing about "my house!" Everything in there was his and he let us know it.

As my kids grew I saved their favorite things and still have them stored in the rafters of my garage: Legos, favorite dolls, toy dishes, toy cars, drawings and homemade scrapbook when the Twins won their first World Series when my son was 10. In my desk drawer I have a few cherished letters, on from DH when we were dating and a very special one from my Grandpa. I take them out from time to time and could never throw them away.

My old Toni doll is in the attic; not sure if she still has both her roller skates.

I have my school class photos K - 8 and scrap books, yearbooks from HS.

I'm looking for a child's gold locket with photos. It's probably in the bank vault with the gold bracelet I'm wearing in a portrait done when I was four. I found the silver chain with heart-shaped violet cloisonne pendant. I remember wearing it when we were in Florida one winter during the war. I wonder if my father gave it to me when he came to visit? I have my Camp Fire Girls pin.

I have a lot of family photos. I think the earliest is of my mother, aged about five, churning butter on the farm in RI; her tiny grandmother is in the background...with her *pipe*!

I have 2 books I loved as a child- Disney's Sleeping Beauty and The Elves and the Shoemaker. I also have my sterling silver charm bracelet and loads of charms.

I have lots of photos. I am going to start throwing away my mom's photos from before I was born that are just of people I don't know. I also have my Toni doll which I will probably sell on eBay. I sold my Storybook dolls at a garage sale when my son was a baby. I also have my Raggedy Andy doll and a few of my story books. I have my baby book and immunization records and all my school photos and year books. I have lots of record albums. One thing I really cherish is my "baby cross" on a chain that I wore when I was baptized. My son wore it for his baptism and his confirmation.

I have nothing. My parents threw away all my stuff. I had a whole small box filled with Mario Lanza clippings when I was a kid. It was in the basement and not taking up space but my father threw it out as well as all the Xmas pieces from under the tree.. a little barn and sheep and little Xmas trees all of which are antiques today. I have one cup, a little potty, my first shoes, and nothing else. I, on the other hand, saved all my DD's dear little Polly Flinders smocked dresses packed away in a blanket chest. I have their favorite stuffed toys and all their books..Nancy Drew and Hardy boys and many others. I DO have three of my Nancy Drew and Uncle Wiggly ones from childhood. I saved a lot of their school papers too.

I have quite a few things but some of my most cherished are: a very tiny delicate rosebud vase my grandfather gave my mother when I was born. A worn teddy bear - he has one eye and almost no hair. (He was very loved.)
I have my varsity basketball coat and my FFA jacket. I love that FFA jackets have never changed! (and I can still wear it, LOL)
Somewhere there is a recording my older sisters made when I said what is believed to be my first word....tractor. They can be heard in the background "Sally,say tractor" "Say tractor, Sally" And then a muffled (they must have had the microphone almost in my mouth) "gracker", "GRAACKEERR"
It is very sweet, but doesn't translate well when typed!

I have some stuff, somewhere in the basement. Most over the years disappeared. Most of the stuff from our kids school etc has been given to them and it is up to them. I just don't have the room anymore.

I have lots of pictures and books, including my beloved "Maida" books that were my Mom's when she was a child. I also have "Pinkie" -- "he's" a pink (now pinkish), full sized, wool blanket, very soft, very worn, but still very warm and comforting. My grandmother gave him to me when I got my first "big girl" bed. At age 56, I still have a few things at my Mom's, band medals, yearbooks, more books, etc. -- I'll have to look in "my" closet this weekend when I go to see her.

Just remembered I have my mother's silver baby cup. It has a few lines from "Little Bo Peep" on it and a picture of Bo Peep with some sheep. It's thin silver plate.

DH has his baby cup -- from Tiffany's. It's engraved with a hated nickname, "Champ". (That must be on 'How to Torture Your Children' list.)

My DH has a tiny pair of pajamas and a 3 piece set of baby silver. I saved locks of my 2 daughters' hair and all their baby teeth.

No. I have next to nothing. My parents had a bitter divorce when I was a young adult. My dad had a new live in girlfriend that threw out all our childhood stuff and pictures. I only have what my mom managed to run away with. I don't care so much about the stuff but I wish I had more pictures. I do have a small toy iron that was my grandmas when she was a girl. It' probably from the early 1900's or earlier.

I have a little worn black rocking chair that I got when I was 2, in 1949.
If Caesar the peke didn't chew the back of the rocker part it would be perfect.
We moved when I was 12, in 1959, and the rocker was left for my younger cousin.
When I had my first child in 1972 my aunt sent it to me. My grandkids have used it too.
It sits in the living room and I'm so used to it that when I read this thread I didn't think
I had anything but 2 old dolls.

I love to look on ebay and see the vintage paper dolls, I had quite a few, and other toys from the 50's.

Could this be said from my childhood? It was a garnet ring given to me by my grandmother when I was in the 8th grade. I still have it. That is all though. I was not a toddler or child..

What an "awesome" and enjoyable thread to read.

Y'all have such neat memories and the pics are "priceless"!

Maybee, wha a cool piece! I love eccentric art like that, I am glad you got it! I have the same situation with an aunt, my mom's mom babysat me for the first year of my life and fed me with my "daddy spoon" and when we would visit until I was about 10 I always got to use the spoon. It was one of those spoons that have a saint or something on the handle, I thought he looked like a daddy, hence the name. When Grandma moved out of the ginormous house her 10 kids decended on it like looters. My mom fought for the daddy spoon for me, but my greedy aunt said she got it first, it was hers. I still haven't gotten it back, my aunt now has Alzeheimers and her daughter and grand daughter who I am close with are so afraid of her to even ask or snoop around for it. So I am glad you won your "battle", and have just something else to remember her by.

Lazypup, are you giving her the house, the chair, the dog or the child?? ;-) Sorry, couldn't resist!

Linda in Iowa, isn't there someone who might know who the people are? Please don't throw them away, you may just find out one of the pics was someone famous you are related to! I would take steps when you can to visit relatives from your mom's side (if they are still alive)and show them the pics.

Pekemom, I would fnd a good furniture restoration place, I am sure they can fix it up for you.

Thistledew, any memories from before 20 I consider to be from your childhood. Does it still fit?

My sister, older than me, had a birthday party for my first birthday and I have a small orange cup and saucer with gold trim and a small gold colored bracelet with animal figures on it. I still have my baby doll, with original clothes,and she will be celebrating her 66th birthday this Christmas. Somewhere in our many moves her cradle got lost or broke. I have a bracelet sent to me by my brother when he was in WWII,that says Pompeii on it. Have a small horse pin that my 4th grade teacher gave me one Christmas. Have a few of my report cards.

Nothing. I'm pretty ruthless about getting rid of things. I did have a doll from my childhood but sold it on ebay about six years ago.