Re: When (and if) you were a kid when Indy came out, what'd you use for "gear"?

Posted by Austin Powers from dialupB214.mpls.uswest.net on April 14, 2001 at 04:48:55:

In Reply to: When (and if) you were a kid when Indy came out, what'd you use for "gear"? posted by Indy French on April 13, 2001 at 23:58:39:

I think I saw somewhere that you were 11 when 'Crusade' came out. If so then we gotta be like the same age. Technically I was 10 when the movie came out, but I turned 11 that summer and spent my whole vacation trying to amass a respectable Indy collection.

As a younger kid I had the LJN action figure from 'Temple', but I was a little too young to to appreciate it. When 'Crusade' came out I was pretty damn upset that there were no toy tie-ins at all. It's a real shame that they didn't make figures for the film, and it's almost totally unbelievable considering both Lucas and Spielberg were two of the biggest money-grubbin' merchandisers of the '80s.

The Indy-gear I sported as a kid went through many different incarnations in that first summer alone. My first "hat" was a wide-brimmed black cowboy hat that I remember shaping myself. Eventually though I found a real great fedora at an antique show at a local mall. It was actually from the time period and was a PERFECT brown color with a brown ribbon. I thought it was the coolest thing and for being an adult size it really fit pretty good. I wore that hat the rest of the summer and even sported it in public, where I got a crapload of compliments(wish I still had the guts to wear a fedora everywhere). I still have that hat tucked away in a box somewhere, and while it isn't anywhere near 100% accurate, it still remains one of my favorites. There's just something about a hat that's actually FROM that time period. Its quality is head and shoulders above even the PBs, Millers, and Stetsons I've owned since.

Jacket-wise I was pretty much outta luck. I do however, vividly remember coming home after seeing 'Crusade' in the theater for the first time and digging out my jean jacket, which oddly enough isn't horribly inaccurate style-wise. I did get my first leather jacket later that summer and found out VERY fast that heavy cowhide is not a good summer fashion choice. The jacket was a child-sized lined bomber jacket from Wilsons leather(then Burmans) and it was covered with flight patches that I had my mom promptly remove. I wore the coat that fall and winter so much that the finish wore off and the leather took on a more suede appearance, which made it look really aged.

My first whip was found at a gift shop in Wisconsin Dells. It had a wooden handle and was made outta pretty decent brown leather. I quickly became an expert whip cracker and even used it to swing Indy-style on a jungle gym bar. Later I found a black whip that was very accurate-looking. But while it looked more like the movie whips, I found out the hard way that it wasn't as strong as my first whip.

We found khakis somewhere and pretty good shirts and belts. We used cowboy holsters and capguns to top off the look. I even found an old Cub Scouts canteen holder that made a great shoulder bag.

It's funny, none of the stuff was "authentic" in the least, but it didn't seem to matter to us. When you're a kid you can make a castle out of a cardboard box.

Austin Powers

P.S. Those kid-sized USWings Indy jackets really make me jealous. I can only imagine how cool it would've been to have one back then and if I had a kid I'd buy 'em one in a heartbeat.

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: I think I saw somewhere that you were 11 when 'Crusade' came out. If so then we gotta be like the same age. Technically I was 10 when the movie came out, but I turned 11 that summer and spent my whole vacation trying to amass a respectable Indy collection.

: As a younger kid I had the LJN action figure from 'Temple', but I was a little too young to to appreciate it. When 'Crusade' came out I was pretty damn upset that there were no toy tie-ins at all. It's a real shame that they didn't make figures for the film, and it's almost totally unbelievable considering both Lucas and Spielberg were two of the biggest money-grubbin' merchandisers of the '80s.

: The Indy-gear I sported as a kid went through many different incarnations in that first summer alone. My first "hat" was a wide-brimmed black cowboy hat that I remember shaping myself. Eventually though I found a real great fedora at an antique show at a local mall. It was actually from the time period and was a PERFECT brown color with a brown ribbon. I thought it was the coolest thing and for being an adult size it really fit pretty good. I wore that hat the rest of the summer and even sported it in public, where I got a crapload of compliments(wish I still had the guts to wear a fedora everywhere). I still have that hat tucked away in a box somewhere, and while it isn't anywhere near 100% accurate, it still remains one of my favorites. There's just something about a hat that's actually FROM that time period. Its quality is head and shoulders above even the PBs, Millers, and Stetsons I've owned since.

: Jacket-wise I was pretty much outta luck. I do however, vividly remember coming home after seeing 'Crusade' in the theater for the first time and digging out my jean jacket, which oddly enough isn't horribly inaccurate style-wise. I did get my first leather jacket later that summer and found out VERY fast that heavy cowhide is not a good summer fashion choice. The jacket was a child-sized lined bomber jacket from Wilsons leather(then Burmans) and it was covered with flight patches that I had my mom promptly remove. I wore the coat that fall and winter so much that the finish wore off and the leather took on a more suede appearance, which made it look really aged.

: My first whip was found at a gift shop in Wisconsin Dells. It had a wooden handle and was made outta pretty decent brown leather. I quickly became an expert whip cracker and even used it to swing Indy-style on a jungle gym bar. Later I found a black whip that was very accurate-looking. But while it looked more like the movie whips, I found out the hard way that it wasn't as strong as my first whip.

: We found khakis somewhere and pretty good shirts and belts. We used cowboy holsters and capguns to top off the look. I even found an old Cub Scouts canteen holder that made a great shoulder bag.

: It's funny, none of the stuff was "authentic" in the least, but it didn't seem to matter to us. When you're a kid you can make a castle out of a cardboard box.

: Austin Powers

: P.S. Those kid-sized USWings Indy jackets really make me jealous. I can only imagine how cool it would've been to have one back then and if I had a kid I'd buy 'em one in a heartbeat.

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