It’s already December, and I must admit that it came upon me more quickly than ever. So much so that I almost forgot to submit my Christmas Wish List column to this publication. Seems to me that I am closer to being the white-bearded icon with a fading memory than Santa himself.
Frankly, there is increasing evidence that Santa is a hoax, and a cruel one at that. When I was 13, I wanted a mini-bike. It didn’t happen. My father’s name was Lionel (No, not that one. He was a drycleaner, but he was white and lived in Massachusetts), so I felt a bit entitled to a Lionel brand train set. This did not transpire. One year, I saw a wristwatch, packaged in water. I loved the novel idea, surely done to underscore just how water-resistant this watch really was. My mother bought one all right, as a gift to my father! Truly disappointing. But sometimes the best gifts are those that you didn’t know that you wanted. In 1967, the Dodge Charger was born and that Christmas I got a slot-car set featuring two Dodge Chargers! I loved it! So, it is with that “you-don’t-know-that-you-need-this-yet” spirit that I present stuff that the industry needs, but doesn’t realize it just yet.