Relive Your Childhood with Erector Sets

Chances are someone in your life played with Erector Sets when he or she was growing up -- more than 30 million sets were sold between 1913 and 1966. Now celebrating its 90th birthday, the Erector Set has an incredible following of collectors as well as consumers who continue to be intrigued by the build-and-play toy.

Among those who enjoyed Erector Sets as kids are Buzz Aldrin, the lunar module pilot of the first moon landing in 1969, and Dr. Harry Kloor, the first person to receive two Ph.D.s at the same time (one in chemistry and one in physics).

The toy was invented by A.C. Gilbert, a veritable Renaissance man who was an Olympic athlete, magician, doctor and marketing impresario. He received over 150 patents for his inventions and established the Toy Manufacturing Association (now called the Toy Industry Association).

Aldrin says he was 7 or 8 years old when his parents gave him an Erector Set. His collection grew over the years, but he was constantly running out of parts as he built designs he created. "I tried to make more out of them at one time than they were capable. I remember seeing pictures of airplanes with propellers that had pulleys. I tried building airplanes and towers," he recalls.

Kloor also liked building his own creations instead of the suggested models. He and his friends used Erector Sets to indulge their love of science and science fiction. "We did a lot of things, I think, that was not originally intended that helped me with my own scientific background. We would get motors from other little toys or objects and actually add aspects that weren’t originally in Erector Sets. But what was great about the sets was that you had building blocks and you could design things."

Not only does the toy encourage creativity, it gives kids skills they may not recognize until later in life. "Erector gives you a fun appreciation of structures and you sort of see what works and what doesn’t," says Aldrin. "If you get into the mechanics and structures, you begin to appreciate it a lot more." Kloor agrees. "Erector is exercise for your brain," he says succinctly. Kloor also calls Erector a toy of cooperation. "It was easier to build things with a partner," he says.

The Erector brand has experienced resurgence in the United States in the past couple of years. The made-for-television movie called "The Man Who Saved Christmas," and a book, "The Man Who Changed How Boys and Toys were Made," highlighted the toy and its inventor.

The original multi-model metal sets are still around, but there are also five additional categories that will appeal to younger children, builders, collectors and kids of all ages. Erector’s new Design line features flexible pieces with molecular memory, which allow for more realistic models. This unique flexible metal bends for building and springs back to its’ original shape when starting something new. "This material has increased the building options and realistic look of the models," says Kay McCardle, senior product manager for BRIO Corporation, the company that distributes Erector Sets in the United States. "It’s come a long way," echoes Aldrin.

Erector Sets are available in specialty toy, educational, hobby and museum stores and through select catalogs and Internet sites. For a list of retailers, call BRIO toll free at (888) 274-6869 or visit the company’s Web site at www.brio.net.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, contact Kay McCardle, senior product manager, at (888) 274-6868, ext. 3504. Erector is owned by Meccano SN of France and distributed by BRIO Corporation, the United States subsidiary of BRIO AB of Sweden, the world’s leading manufacturer of wooden toys.