The picture shown above tells the whole story of the Erector set's appeal. A child can actually create these unique objects that feed children's curiosity and imagination. That is why Erector sets will stand the test of time. By constantly being able to form new objects Erector sets never will get old. This child is just one of the many children that had and will have a gleam in their eyes when they see what Erectors may create. I believe this is a pretty big accomplishment for just a toy. The phenomenon can be seen even today by the Erector set conventions, seen below, that are held throughout the country. These conventions celebrate a unique toy that touched people's lives in a number of ways.
During the glory years in the 1920's to the late 1940's Erector sets played a significant role in society. They were affordable toys that pleased both the parents and children. Erector sets may be called an educational toy which may seem like an oxymoron. However because of toys such as the Erector and LEGO's children and parents alike can both be happy. In many cases Erector sets even brought the family together. This impact can be seen in popular movies of today. In The Sandlot, a bunch of boys used an erector set to solve a problem of how to get a ball over a fence. I can even remember a line in the movie where one of the boys asks another how he learned to build this contraption. His answer "my dad showed me." I believe that A.C. Gilbert should have his place in history. I can now understand just why there is the A.C. Gilbert Children's Museum devoted to peeking another generation's curiosity.
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