Gyroscope
I bet you didn’t expect to see a gyroscope on this list. I own one and it’s awesome. And if it couldn’t get any better: I got it free by eating Nutella. This was my reward for eating what was, in my childhood, my favourite substance in the world. For a six-year-old, spreading chocolate on bread is a concept unmatched in brilliance. Ever had a peanut butter, banana and Nutella sandwich? I’m getting goosebumps.
But anyway, back to the gyroscope. With some proofs of purchase, my mom sent away for this toy. It came with a pull strip, a toothed plastic ribbon that grips and spins the centre wheel of the gyroscope. It also came with a plastic stand, on which the gyroscope would balance with no worry of falling over. You could even balance it on a string, should you be one of those attention-starved kids, prone to unnecessary bouts of showmanship. (Indeed.)
The strip and the stand are long gone, leaving this gyroscope waiting for a start, unspinning and unbalanced. I could start eating more Nutella.