Safe to say most people had or have coffee tables, or some kind of end table(s), or at least a tray I would think. Back in the day, we had a heavy coffee table with two matching end tables. The coffee table didn't become as big of an area of action figure action, though. It wasn't too big, and was usually full of magazines and/or newspapers. Both ends of the table had a type of bin that held a lot of magazines under the over hanging rounded ends. And, of course, there was some kind of household knick-knack type of decoration in the middle of the table, such as sea shells or a wood carving of an animal of some kind. The whole top was always covered with some decorative fabric.
The coffee table got used as it was supposed to. I wanted to load it up with GIJoe figures. I wanted to make the top into an airstrip for the Dragonfly and X-30. It could have become an awesome base or an aircraft carrier. But the thing was often too loaded down for much fun beyond figures hopping and bouncing around on it.
For some reason, we have a coffee table now. Nothing fancy, and actually kind of a little on the cheap side. I'd like to commandeer it, extend the top with some plywood and make a sweet little 1:18 scale ship. Not unlike the USS Flagg. I could hunt down a flag, but for a "flattop," I think a coffee table would be just fine.
This is something I've wanted to do for awhile. An aircraft carrier style coffee table. Even before I had my really big apartment space, I kind of wanted to do this, the lower shelves becoming storage for aircraft and other vehicles.
This would be style, and would garner much more conversation than a table loaded with magazines, newspapers, and random knick-knacks.
