What is an Erector Set®?
Along with Tinkertoys®, Legos®, Lincoln Logs®, and K’NEX®, the Erector Set® is a type of building toy on the Toy Industry Association’s list of the 100 tops toys of the twentieth century called “Century of Toys.” Created in 1913, the same year as Tinkertoys®, the Erector Set® was invented by A. C. Gilbert, an inventor who had started the Mysto Magic Co. in 1909. Upon watching a skyscraper being erected in 1911, Gilbert had the idea for an educational toy that would encourage budding architects.
Along with Tinkertoys®, Legos®, Lincoln Logs®, and K’NEX®, the Erector Set® is a type of building toy on the Toy Industry Association’s list of the 100 tops toys of the twentieth century called “Century of Toys.” Created in 1913, the same year as Tinkertoys®, the Erector Set® was invented by A. C. Gilbert, an inventor who had started the Mysto Magic Co. in 1909. Upon watching a skyscraper being erected in 1911, Gilbert had the idea for an educational toy that would encourage budding architects. The Erector Set®, manufactured by the A. C. Gilbert Company, was available for purchase in 1913, and was the focus of the first national advertising campaign ever. Advertisements appeared in Popular Mechanics and The Saturday Evening Post.
