This is the first post in a new series, called “Toy Chest”. In this series, we’ll write about the toys we loved as children, get nostalgic, and hope it brings back similar memories of our friends and families. Now, on to the toys! First up… Presto Magix.

Presto Magix was a piece of paper with a setting drawn on it like this:

And it came with a plastic sheet that contained rub-off transfers like this:

Here’s how it worked:

When you were done, you’d have a scene populated with transferred characters in various poses. It was pretty much a one-shot deal. So it was fun for fifteen minutes, then you’d hang it on your wall and ignore it until you got another Presto Magix. They were disposable, but they were also very inexpensive.

I loved those things for the ephemeral fun that they provided, but they had another meaning to me. They introduced a valuable concept: payola! That’s right, bribery. See, my mom would take my sister to ballet, and I would go along for the ride. If I behaved well, I would be rewarded with a Presto Magix from the local Zayre’s department store. Of course, I was the paragon of good behavior, so I got lots of Presto Magix.