We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Collectibles

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is an Erector Set®?

Mary Elizabeth
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 7,615
Share

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. Its first name was “Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder.”

The Erector Set® was redesigned in 1924, leading to the addition of more parts and the provision for kits that included electric motors. Today, some of the basic metal and plastic parts include the following:

• Strips: Strips have holes in them for screws to pass through, and so are called “perforated strips.” The strips may be flat or have bent ends, in which case they are called “Double angle strips.” Each bent end has a perforation. Curved strips are also included.

• Plates: While strips have one line of holes, plates generally have a minimum of three, with rows of perforations across the entire plate, in most cases. “Flat plates” are rectangular with rounded corners. “Semi-circular plates” only have perforations across the diameter and on a perpendicular radius. “Flexible plates” are made rectangular or triangular. “Curved plates” are arched. And “Plastic plates” are made of plastic. A “flanged plate” is like a “double angle strip.”

• Brackets: A variety of brackets are included, like 90º “Angle brackets,” “Double brackets, bent similarly to a “Double angle strip,” and “Reversed Angle brackets.”

• Nuts, bolts, washers, and screws serve as fasteners.

• An open-ended wrench and an Allen key are basic set tools.

Each Erector Set® includes a design guide with building ideas. Sample ideas include a race car, a robot, an airplane, a helicopter, and a castle. This brings up a point about how children can use an Erector Set®. First of all, an Erector Set® can be used to help children base a creation on a model, learn to use the set tools, and follow directions. But it can also operate quite differently: used without reference to the directions, an Erector Set® can give children wide scope for imaginative play in which they simply explore the possibilities offered by the elements of the set to create an abstract or specific, planned or improvised structure.

Share
Sports n' Hobbies is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary Elizabeth
By Mary Elizabeth
Passionate about reading, writing, and research, Mary Elizabeth is dedicated to correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to writing articles on art, literature, and music for Sports n' Hobbies, Mary works as a teacher, composer, and author who has written books, study guides, and teaching materials. Mary has also created music composition content for Sibelius Software. She earned her B.A. from University of Chicago's writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont.
Discussion Comments
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Passionate about reading, writing, and research, Mary Elizabeth is dedicated to correcting misinformation on the...
Learn more
Share
https://www.sportsnhobbies.org/what-is-an-erector-setreg.htm
Copy this link
Sports n' Hobbies, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Sports n' Hobbies, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.