The Gift You Always Wanted

Then: "When I was a kid I always wanted one of those cars that kids can drive in. But I lived in New York City, so there really was no place that I could ride around in it. I am looking at them for my son for Christmas this year because I know that he would have a blast with it!"

Now: It was a hit 30 years ago, and the Cozy Coupe is still doing circles around the living room. Little Tikes has jazzed up this old favorite with a removable floor for better foot-to-floor power and a moving, clicking ignition switch.

Available at Amazon.com for $40.20.

Little Tikes

Then: "A Teddy Ruxpin ... I always asked for that every Christmas 'till I was about 7 or 8! All of my friends and cousins had one except for me!"

Now: The storytelling bear of '80s commercials was brought back by BackPack Toys, and Teddy Ruxpin is spinning tales out of a digital recorder these days. Packed with 22 adventures and music programs, he's ready to hide under the covers with your kids. No peeking, Mom and Dad!

Available at Ty's Toy Box for $39.99.

BackPack Toys

Then: "I always wanted an Easy Bake Oven, but my mother wouldn't get one for me. She said that I'd probably start a fire and that if I wanted to bake something I should just use the kitchen."

Now: Introduced in 1963, Hasbro is still churning out iconic Easy Bake Ovens. This generation of the working toy oven comes with mixes and pans to make cookies and cakes -- and no fire hazard.

Available at Amazon.com for $18.

Hasbro

Then: "A pink canopy bed! I got a crappy bunk bed instead! I had an older sister (bottom bunk) who was a total jerk too, and [she] used to kick the top bed up while I was sleeping!"

Now: The canopy is pretty pink in the Dora the Explorer Toddler Canopy Bed from Delta Children's Products, and with the sizing for just one toddler, there's no chance for sibling rivalries to sprout in the middle of the night. If she thinks sissy's homing in on her resting place, Dora will remind her "Swiper, no swiping!"

Available at Target for $67.99.

Delta Children's Products

Then: "Remember ... roller blades? My mom never gave them to me because she was freaked out ... one of my cousins fell and broke all her front teeth using them. I was really disappointed because everyone had [them] except me and my sis."

Now: Mom and Dad can breathe easy when their tot takes off with the Training Skate Combo from Chicago -- it comes packed with wrist guards, knee pads and a helmet to keep them safe on landing.

Available at Target for $39.99.

Target

Then: "I wanted a puppy; the hamsters just weren't cutting it ... . I'd love to be able to get my boys a puppy this year, but lack of funding makes it just not possible, and I'd like to wait until they can help take care of the dog."

Now: The Fur Real Friends Newborn Beagle is cuddly just like a real puppy, and he makes puppy noises. But thanks to Hasbro, you're saving on vet visits, dog food and no one has to take him for a walk. Finally, a low-maintenance family member.

Available at Amazon.com for $23.99.

Hasbro

Then: "As a child, I always wanted a sno-cone machine, and my parents would never buy me one. Now that I am an adult, I laugh every time I see one especially when my boys look at them."

Now: Snoopy and the gang are still churning out cups of colored ice with the Original Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine. Just put an ice cube in, turn the handle and out comes the shaved ice. Add the Flavor-Aid, and they'll be doing their own Snoopy dance.

Available at Amazon.com for $19.99.

Amazon

Then: "I remember being about 7 or so and all I wanted for Christmas that year was a water baby. I never got it and I was kinda heartbroken that year."

Now: Wild Planet has brought back the Water Baby for a new generation of kids. This version sports an antibacterial lining, so it won't end up a moldy mess. Wild Planet has expanded the line to look like your tot, too -- with white, Hispanic and black versions of the same sweet doll.

Available at Wild Planet (prices vary from $16.77 to $29.95).

Wild Planet

Then: "The present I wanted for five-plus years and never got was a Rock Tumbler. It could have opened the door for me to be a geologist, but I never got one."

Now: Little scientists can turn rocks into "gems," then put the gems to good use with this Rock Tumbler from Elenco. Shining up their rocks to look like new, then stringing them on a necklace or key chain, they'll learn quickly that one man's trash really is another kid's treasure.

Available at Fat Brain Toys for $42.95.

Fat Brain Toys

Then: "The only thing I wanted was the Mickey Talking Phone ... . If I didn't get the phone, how on earth would I show my face during Show and Tell? I mean, all of my friends would be holding long conversations with Cinderella on their [phones]."

Now: They can call Cinderella or Wall-E from anywhere on Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Silly Cell Phone. More than ringing noises, this phone lets them put their favorite Disney character on speed dial and get a numerical education.

Available at the Disney Store for $19.95.

Disney Store